Lat: 14:57.9 S: Long: 147:38.3 W - Rangiroa Atoll, The Tuamotus, French Polynesia.

Sulana's Voyage
Alan and Sue Brook
Thu 27 Jun 2013 19:18

 

Lat: 14:57.9 S: Long: 147:38.3 W - Rangiroa Atoll, The Tuamotus, French Polynesia.

From the Marquesas the 3 guys sailed to the Tuamotu Archipelago, an enormous arc of 76 islands with a land area of 343 square miles. They stopped off at four tiny islands, the most memorable of which was Fakarava where they swam into a “wall” of about 200 sharks, and caught plenty of fish to stock up the freezer. They also all caught really heavy colds!

Apart from its diving attractions, the Tuamotus are best known as the world’s top producers of black pearls. Originally natives would free-dive to depths of 200 feet to harvest the oysters but nowadays pearl farms, looking like garden sheds perched on stilts, use elaborate techniques to produce these beauties.

 The word “black” refers not to the colour of the pearl itself, but to the use of the black-lipped oyster from which it comes. Black pearls come in almost every colour, with shades from silver-grey through pink, blue, green, peacock, aubergine and anthracite; and not surprisingly, the best of them are highly sought after. Regular market auctions are held in Papeete, Tahiti, with world-famous jewellery manufacturers keen to bid.

When I rejoined Sulana  in Rangiroa (still in the Tuamotus) Alan took me to the Paul Gauguin pearl farm where he bought me THE most beautiful pearl necklace. He said it was my combined birthday, 20th wedding anniversary and “thank you for sailing around the world with me” present.

Also in the Rangiroa atoll we visited the Blue Lagoon and Bird Island. We waded ashore through water the same colour as Sulana’s canvas-work – that indefinable shade of aquamarine/emerald/turquoise/jade. Just beautiful.

While up to our calves in sparkling clear water we suddenly became aware of little black objects slowly cruising around, with dozens going round in circles. The lads were thrilled to realise they were black-tipped reef sharks which were being fed left-overs from a barbeque by some other visitors. They were completely unfazed by us and we spent quite some time there trying to get some decent underwater pictures of them.