Daniel's Bay Nuka Hiva

CuriousOyster
Steve & Trish Brown
Fri 16 Apr 2010 01:05
There have been many magical mornings when we awake to find the boat surrounded by wildlife and fantastic scenery, this is equally true since arriving in the Marquesas. We have gone up on deck in Fatu Hiva and Tahuatu to find large schools of dolphins playing around the boat, the youngsters leaping and twisting out of the water while the adults flirt and mate, sharks lazily gliding past with their unique snake like action, large rays "flying" around the boat  and huge schools of fish seeking safety from predators under the hull.
Here in the fantastic surroundings of Daniel's Bay, the waterfilled caldera of an old volcano, the boat has constantly been surrounded by a large school of small fish that come right up to us when we go for a swim, sheltering from the midday sun and also using the hull for protection against their many enemies. This morning we awoke to the sound of large fish chasing the small fish and could see what looked like a large number of Jacks or Trevalleys working together to herd the fish into tight groups before attacking in unison, scattering the shoal before working together once more to herd them up.
A stark reminder of the contrast between the beauty and harsh reality of nature.
Behind us the first rays of the morning sun was lighting up the huge volcanic cliffs on the west side of the bay, bringing out the fantastic range of colours from the rock and foliage.