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The weather is now beautiful as we leave for Fakarava Atoll. This is the second largest Atoll in the Tuamotu group being 48 kms long 16 kms wide. It is about 50 nautical miles north to the southern entrance, 'Tamakohua Pass'.
We leave at 6am traveling at 8 knots so we can fish along the way.
We have four rods out and we manage to hook a beautiful 10kg Mahi Mahi, using a red and black squid lure. There are no other fish caught but we are thrilled with the prize catch we have.
We arrive about 2pm. It looks stunning coming through the pass. On the starboard side there is a small colourful tourist village, 'Tetamanu'. On the port side are white sandy beaches, with vast turquoise water with lots of coral reefs. It is very beautiful and very sheltered. There are a few cruising boats moored here that we have not seen for many days.
We go ashore to the village. The village is mainly a destination dive center, with native style bungalows on the water. There is a small restaurant/bar and a colourful church which we discover is sometimes used for weddings. We have a beer at the bar while watching multiple sharks swimming around the reef and drop-off next to the bar.
The water clarity and coral is some of the best we have seen, quiet extraordinary.
We talk to the dive guide 'Bastian' who explains diving and snorkeling is simply in front of the village along this coral drop-off. It is a drift dive that can be done on either side of the tide, either to or from the entrance to the pass.
At night in the boats lights, there are hundreds of tiny blue bait which MB catches in the small net. Also there are lots of Blue Trevally and Sharks.
Saturday. With Nigel we take the tender to explore the pink sand beaches and to locate a good snorkeling reef. Some of the beaches are soft sand and pink. The water is clear and shallow around the Islands, we need to wade 50-20 meters to the beach. We can see Rays and small sharks in the shallows. We fail to find a suitable snorkeling place so we head back to the village. The tide is going out, Nigel and MB take a look drifting out to sea, while JB follows in jet tender.
What a dive. There are lots of Black Tip Sharks about 1-2 meters in length. There are lots of fish including large Napoleon Wrass, Grouper, Garfish floating on the surface and many beautiful reef fish. The coral is hard with some very bright yellow, blue and purple hues.
The boys are excited when they get into the boat and try to get JB to do the dive with the sharks. She initially says no, another day. Therefore, we look for another place to snorkel but after looking around we don't see anything as good as what we have just seen. We suggest that we get Paul to drive the tender and JB can swim between Nigel and MB. She agrees, and never regrets it. It was an amazing experience as there are many beautiful colourful fish and even more sharks than before. She is very happy to have braved swimming with the sharks for the first time.
Paul searches for 'Varo', which live in the sandy shallows and looks like a cross between a prawn and a praying mantis and are otherwise known as a 'Mantis Shrimp'. They are rare and are only found in the Tuamotu's, they are apparently delicious. However, we have no luck finding them today.
In the evening we spot lots of birds feeding on the surface of the water. MB and Paul take their bait casters and Paul hooks up Blue Fin Trevally, then gets a Benito by hooking it in the back which is ideal for 'Poussin Cru'. MB does not get a bite with his favorite 'Amazon Lure'. We find the stomach of the Benito is full of small Blue Bait. MB cooks the Blue Bait he has netted the night before. It is delicious as an entree. We have another fish dinner along with slow braised Pork ribs. We have a hysterical discussion about everyones chinese birth year horoscope animal. We find out we are a collection of Pigs, Roosters, Dragons and Rats.
After dinner off the back of the boat, Paul tries to catch a Trevally, using MB's bait caster with Amazon Lure. He manages to hook a meter long shark. As he tries to gaff it, he drops the rod and the shark takes off with the rod and reel. He is devastated, and vows to dive in to find it in the morning in the belief that somehow the shark may drop it. Good luck with that!
Sunday. There is a beautiful church in the village, but no priest, so, no service.
However, we decide to have our own service and download some songs for the occasion.
We then go into one of the island beaches to find an appropriate place for our volley ball comp. We have a delicious lunch of Benito Poisson Cru. There is a gentle breeze, the sun is out and we are surrounded by turquoise water, this is hard to beat.
After an early afternoon nap, we go to the pink sand beach to play a game of beach volley ball. The teams are JB, Nigel and Sam, versus MB, Paul and Christy. It is a very exciting two games, resulting in one all. We have a tie breaker play off, narrowly won by MB's team.
At dinner we have a discussion on our regular zodiac star signs. We discover there are three pairs of us, Virgo's, Aries, and Cancer. This creates lots of discussion and laughter about our personal characteristics. After dinner, Sam hooks a meter long Black Tip shark which we decide to keep and eat.
Monday. There is a slow start. There is the usual reading of the Age newspaper over breakfast, where we do the daily Age Quiz. We are currently not doing so well as yesterday we rated as 'Knuckle Scrapers, and today 'Getting There'.
We go to the village to sort out our scuba dive with Bastian, which was meant to be this afternoon. However, the tide is "all wrong", as it will be ebbing when it should be flowing. The tide is somehow totally different from the last few days. Yesterday it was going out, (ebbing in am to 1pm), today is exactly the opposite, which seems crazy. As Bastian wants to dive on the flood we postpone for tomorrow am.
We take JB back to the village for another sensational snorkel with the sharks. MB by mistake has turned on his underwater camera video instead of photos. The video resembles an art video weird and colourful, but not what we were after.
Lunch is a magnificent crumbed, Black Tip Shark, accompanied with a Guinness, for MB. After a rest, MB and Paul head out to the ocean through the passage, for a fish. We spot birds and within seconds hook Tuna. We change to bait casters and land another eight Tuna, which are great fun to catch on light tackle. We think the Tuna are Skip Jack Tuna, which we have found delicious to eat.
Back on BP, JB is doing her favorite evening Yoga, which has now become a ritual.
When cleaning the Tuna the fish in the boat lights become frantic as we toss in the guts and heads. MB is catching Blue Trevally off the back. Paul says there are to be no more fish caught and cleaned unless they are big, so MB catches a very large Trevally. JB is relaxing before dinner, enjoying her scrabble, with our now favourite Venezuelan Rum Punch, (Rum, Fresh Lime and Tonic).
Tuesday. We are up early for a scuba dive. Bastian briefs us that we will be submerging at about 20 meters at the entrance to the passage. He explains that we will see quiet a few Grey Sharks and Black Tips, maybe a Tiger or Hammerhead Sharks and if we are lucky an Eagle Ray or two. He explains the sharks take their R and R in the current.
After descending we commence our drift and low and behold we cannot believe there are so many sharks just cruising. There are about 200-300 sharks just cruising, there are many different sizes small to large. There are several varieties, mainly Grey and Black Tip. We sight avery large shark that looks like a Thresher. We hold onto the coral and enjoy this extraordinary sight for about 15 minuets. The rest of the drift is just as spectacular, with lots of big and small fish in numerous varieties.
It is amazing to see all these fish peacefully co-existing.
We are again underway, cruising North to the main village of 'Toparka Rotoava', where the airport is located. Here we will fresh food supplies we have ordered that are flying in from Papeete.
As there are a lot of coral bomby's in the lagoon, we follow a marked channel. The trip is about 35 nautical miles, but we stop about half way in a stunning tropical anchorage, which is too beautiful to by-pass. It is real wilderness here. Paul sights a lonely figure on the shore with a fishing spear in hand. He ventures ashore to make inquiries and trade a can of coca-cola. Paul finds out by sign language, that he lives nearby.
We go for a snorkel in what looks to be a beautiful reef nearby. The water is so clear and the coral is pristine, quiet fantastic. The reef looks like a Japanese garden underwater, with bonsai coral trees.
After lunch we go with Paul to find out where the man on the beach lives. He appears to have a coconut tree plantation where he makes copra. His name is Norbert, he lives with his wife Jacqueline and they are very hospitable. Again JB is able to make some conservation in rudimentary french.
There accommodation is very rustic and simple. They have endeavored to grow other plants such as tomatoes without success in the dry coral/rock soil. However, they have a lime and Paw Paw tree. We are given fresh green coconut milk while they have a beer and a chat.
Norbert takes us for a walk to the ocean side where we collect shells and beautiful coral washed up on the shore.
We give them a bag of recycled clothes in exchange for fresh coconuts which Norbert shows us how to peel making it easier for us to extract the milk which we are using for our evening rum punch.
After dinner we have a quoits competition. We divide into three pairs of two, the competition is aggressive and thrilling. Eventually it is won by one point by Paul and Nigel.
Wednesday. We head up the channel towards 'Garuae Pass' and the airport.
It is a stunning day, light winds, calm water and sunny. We pass numerous buoys which we believe are for Black Pearl cultivation.
We go with Paul to search for a restaurant onshore for this evening. The one we have been recommended is booked out, but we find another one that specializes in fresh fish.
We walk back along the made road about 1km to the town of 'Rotoava'.
It is a very neat town with well cultivated and colorful gardens. We are surprised that so much is growing here compared to the last two places we have stopped.
We visited a Black Pearl boutique that is well stocked and the prices do not seem to be excessive. JB will return tomorrow for some shopping.
After discussion with Paul and desire to find surf we decided to leave here in the morning and head for Huahine which we knew well from previous visits on
Ke-Ama 8 years ago. It will be a 30 hour trip with good weather for the majority but a storm developing.
The Tuamotu's in our opinion is a destination well worth visiting if you like wilderness. It is a tropical paradise sparsely populated.There is good but simple accommodation, but no shops. You are better to charter a boat as the area is vast. Fish life and clear touquoise water are the highlights.
The Marquesas and Tuamotu's was a great experience for us.
JB and Mick
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