13:14.82S 163:06.54W

 

After a very quick passage, averaging over 7.5 knots we came to the pass entering Suwarrow. Being an atoll we threaded our way through the reef and turned up into the only anchorage available.

 

We dropped anchor in about 12 metres of water and watched the anchor sink to the bottom, no need to jump in and check it as we could see it well dug in from the deck. The waters are beautifully clear. As we got everything sorted out from the passage a welcome committee started to gather around the boat in the form of a dozen or so Black Tip sharks. None of them were huge but at 3 to 4 foot long they still deserve some respect.

 

The main island is called Anchorage, it’s a beautiful, coconut filled island with a white sand beach. There are no mosquitoes and the only inhabitants are hermit crabs and Ugas - strange looking coconut crabs that grow to about 50 cms in length resembling a lobster. They feast on the nuts in the trees, only coming ashore in adulthood having spent their early lives in the sea.

 

After our allotted 72 hrs the weather changed for the worse so we had to stay in Suwarrow for another 3 days, not exactly a hardship as the snorkelling was magnificent. We found a Manta ray cleaning station not far from the boat where these huge rays come to have the parasites picked off them by little fish. It’s amazing to watch these things floating in from the depths for a wash and fluff-up.

 

The sharks proved to be very inquisitive and on occasion they got rather too close for comfort. Having said that we only had one incident when a grey reef shark (infamous for their aggressive behaviour) made us leave the water in a hurry. It’s very easy to tell when their character changes as their usual gentle swimming action becomes ‘jerky’ and they arch their backs. This is your cue to leave!

 

We had some cracking barbecues with some other boats that were there, having caught fish outside the reef we built a fire and spent a few very pleasant evenings ashore. The other culinary highlight of the visit was getting the pasta maker out of the locker. It’s been onboard since the UK, and after a quick brush off we made some surprisingly good fettuccine.

 

Our next stop is Niue, about 500 mile south west from Suwarrow. It’s another Cook Island nicknamed ‘The Rock’ as it has no beaches and only one place to ‘land’ a dinghy.