Fakarava, Tuamotus /diary

Mawari
Bob & Sue Dall
Mon 18 Jun 2012 06:11
The pass to Fakarava turned out be very straight forward. A marked channel leads to the anchorage at the village of Rotoava and we anchor in sand avoiding the 'bombies' (coral heads) which can cause havoc with the anchor chain. The water looks very inviting, a welcome change from the Marquesas.
We feel as if we have arrived on another planet, this low lying coral landscape could not be more different from the towering peaks of the Marquesas. I guess this is how I had imagined the South Pacific, crystal clear waters and palm trees with the occasional grass hut poised on the waters edge. . .
After a peaceful night ( the first for weeks if not months) a trip ashore results in croissants, baguettes, apples (yum),and a dive booked for the afternoon, perfect, and so simple! The hull gets another serious scrub, (an unfortunate side effect of the lovely warm water) by Bob, while Ali and I visit the pearl farm. Tahiti and her Islands are famous for there black pearls, which come in a variety of colours! We watched as the only employee of the farm skillfully extracted pearls from the live Oysters and replaced each one with a nucleus around which another pearl evolves during the next 18 months, Fascinating!
The dive was even more fascinating. The visibility was fantastic and the number and variety of fish, overwhelming. . . .
Unfortunately Axel had broken the camera which fits in his underwater housing, but fortunately for me , I had the same camera, so a new episode of underwater photography is launched!

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