Fakarava -Tuamotu 11 July 2024
It was another lovely calm morning when we woke and we had an early breakfast. Andy and I were going snorkelling on the North Passe with a dive school so we needed to be ready and Joyce decided not to join us.
We went ashore and walked on to the dive school which was not far from the dock. We were given a shortie (a short wetsuit) and we joined those diving on the dive boat. When ready we left the shore and headed at full speed to the North Passe. This meant passing the old lighthouse and the red marker posts which were on coral bommies. We then passed the airport and came to the eastern edge of the passe and passed through it and out beyond the passe and round to the reef on the ocean side. We then moored up to a buoy and the divers prepared their gear.
Andy and I then snorkelled from the boat which was on the edge of the deep drop off from the reef. We could see it disappearing into the gloom below. The water was crystal clear and you could see a long way. We must have been in about 20 meters of water and the bottom was crystal clear which was covered in coral of all sorts of different types and there were different types of fish spread around but over a wide area. This was not isolated bommies which fish lived and collected around but a flat bottom of fields of coral. We swam in towards then reef and the fish were of all sorts of sizes -some very small and others quite large such as a large grouper which must have been half my size. We then saw a number of reef sharks who menacingly swim around with what appears to be a scowl on their expression. They are not interested in us but it is difficult to ignore the fact that they are sharks = danger.
After a while of snorkelling in that area we returned to the boat to see the divers descend in a cloud of bubbles to the bottom and they swam toward the abyss and drop off on the reef. Andy and I got on the boat and the man said he would take us to a different area. As we were proceeding we were greeted by a pod of about 30 dolphins who swam around us and some jumped out of the water. The man dropped us off by the reef some way from the passe and said follow the reef and stay in about 5-10 meters. Once in the water we were being pulled by the current and the bottom here was very different. It was full of coral but also had sandy ridges and little valleys running down the reef. The coral was of exceptional quality and looked very healthy. There was a wide variety of fish of different colours and of course plenty of sharks. The reef looked in very good condition which was good to see. We spent about 30 minutes drifting down before we were picked up again and then the divers were surfacing and being returned to the boat.
Once we were aboard we then zoomed back to the dive center. It had been a great trip and nice to snorkel on another passe and one which was so healthy. We returned to Stormbird and relaxed before an easy lunch.
After lunch we rested and read and did emails etc. We then decided to take Joyce off for a snorkel to the cardinal in the anchorage which was warning of a massive bommie. We did not know what it would be like and put the dinghy anchor down. This area was actually very good with some fresh coral and lots of colourful fish and we all enjoyed this area.
We returned to Stormbird and had a shower etc. We had been invited back to Leona, the Moody 54DS anchored next to us for a drink s we had hosted the night before. This was nice and it was interesting to see this boat which was trying to be a monohull with catamaran features. We had a good chat and enjoyed Geoff and Dorean’s company.
Andy cooked a stir fry which was different and good and it had been an enjoyable day rather than a shopping day which we had had the day before. We have arranged a trip to the Blue Lagoon tomorrow so we shall see what that is like.
Crewing Opportunity Year Two
In addition, in year two I will be going from New Zealand in early January 2025 across to Sydney and up the Eastern Australian Coast, Indonesia and probably across the Indian Ocean to Cape Town and I will need some more crew.
If there is any interest do email me at hine.nick9@gmail.com
The blog will continue as we move through French Polynesia and beyond.
If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com I can only upload one picture a day and visit our website www.stormbirdgoesglobal.co.uk