Saturday 30 July 2011

SNORKELLING WITH WHALES!

From Kuehi we sailed to Fakarava, 32 miles x 15 miles, it is the 2nd largest atoll in the Tuamotus.  It was visited in the 19th Century by Matisse and Robert Louis Stevenson.  Just before we entered the southern pass we spotted some humpback whales and slowed down to watch one breach right next to the boat.   Sadly we were too late getting our cameras out to capture the moment.
We anchored in the south in shallow turquoise water littered with bommies for a couple of days, enjoying some great snorkels along the pass.  We’re getting very used to swimming with sharks now. On our way north we stopped along the way at an exquisite beach spot.  It was a true tropical paradise, no habitation just white sand, coconut trees and crystal clear water.  Anchoring off the village in the north, we managed to buy a few vegetables from someone’s little market garden; provisioning is definitely a challenge in this archipelago.
En route to the next atoll of Toau, Robin spotted some whales by the boat.  Calm conditions made it possible to stop and jump in the water to snorkel with them, an incredible experience.  They were a pair of minke whales, about 30ft in size, and the longer we spent in the water with them the more comfortable they became and the closer they came.  What a fantastic once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!  They were particularly interested in Spiip and swam up, under and through the rudders and around the keel.
From Toau we sailed overnight to Rangiroa, largest atol with a circumference of 100 miles and the 2nd largest in the world.  Black pearl farming is the main industry here.  Our entrance through the Tiputa pass was dramatic.  The water was churning from the action of strong tides and currents and we were escorted in by a pod of large bottlenose dolphins that loved the turbulent water and put on a great show leaping out of the crests of the waves.