Kurang Kaledupa
CuriousOyster
Steve & Trish Brown
Thu 11 Aug 2011 06:02
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It is always a little surreal anchoring seemingly
in the middle of the ocean, but
in reality protected by large surrounding reefs.
Here in the lagoon at Kurang
Kaledupa we have depths of over 100 metres and
shoals that rise to just below
the surface. The
whole lagoon was once an island purtruding hundreds of metres
above sea level but has now sunk beneath the waves
leaving only the fringing
reef continually raised by the action of billions
of tiny coral polyps. In places this
fringing reef is now over three hundres metres wide
and flat topped with some
types of coral able to withstand the changes in
light and temperature with the rise
and fall of the daily tides. The local
fishermen have made the most of this and
have built temporary fishing platforms raised
on stilts above the coral.
 After a few days snorkelling and diving inside and
outside of the reef we have
moved on to an anchoage off the tiny village of
Wahe on the island of Tomea.
We had some great conditions for the sixteen
mile sail north.
 En route we passed one of the local inter island
passenger/supply boats
working it's way along the edge of the reef
systems.
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