Tahiti - Now that DOES sound a long way from home

Date: 28th June 2023

Location: Fare, Huahine Island, Society Islands, French Polynesia

Last night we were sitting in the cockpit with Hazel and Paul of Susimi after a sumptuous meal of fresh tuna when we heard drumming coming from ashore. Into the dinghy we jumped and went to see what was going on. Somewhat nervous that the pot was being prepared for "Cruisers Night" (they are always drawn by the noise of the drums) we found the source of the noise in an open courtyard with a roof, part of a school we think. There we found not only drums but dancers too. Next week is Huahine [Who-aa-hee-knee) festival week and they were practising for it. Local people grinning and enjoying life to the full. And hips, oh those gyrating hips!

But back to the Tuamotus.

Our final adventure there was the drift snorkel on Fakarava South Pass. We took our dinghy out to the fringing reef early one morning with Chris and Michelle of Baleza, a boat remarkably similar to Mehalah but confusingly a mirror image of our boat down below.

We are normally wimps in this snorkelling lark but this was one not to be missed. While Chris jumped in with full dive gear we launched ourselves over the side of Dumpy the dinghy and into the water with snorkels and fins. The tide had just turned so towing the dinghy behind us we floated slowly back into the lagoon watching the magical underwater world pass beneath us. Sharks, sharks, sharks. That's what Fakarava South is famous for. Unfortunately Gill dropped our underwater camera as she jumped in so these pictures are from Michelle. You swim along looking at hundreds of sharks lying on the bottom some 20m below and then out the corner of your eye you see one just a couple of metres away. Nurse, white tips and black tips lying waiting for food to be swept in on the incoming tide. Pretty cool I have to say. So good it was we had to make a second pass so we motored out and did it all again. By now though the tide was coming in fast and the current too strong to swim against. Gill and I together with the dinghy got swept onto a coral head. We eventually managed to free ourselves and swim out to deeper water but not without a few coral cuts and scrapes. Luckily they all healed well as coral injuries can easily turn septic.

Shark.

More sharks.

The next day, with a good weather forecast, we left Fakarava bound for the exotic sounding Tahiti. 240 miles away this was a two nighter. Mehalah, Beez Neez, Mai Tai and Itiki spent the next two days leap frogging each other. It was a painless passage, though as we closed in on Tahiti we had squalls and 25 knot winds under an impressive, jagged, threatening sky. We turned to port and wound our way through the reef and into Venus Bay anchorage where Captain Cook first mapped the passage of Venus across the sky. The wind was still gusty but the water behind the reef was flat. Mai Tai joined us shortly afterwards and one legged Ollie with crew Sally told us of their epic adventures with a big mahi mahi and a marlin they had caught. Dinner for us all was delicious mahi cubes cooked in flour and spices.

Next day after a good rest we made our way round to Pape'ete the capital of the whole of French Polynesia. Through the port, down past the airport anchorage to Tiane marina. No room. Damn. Back to airport anchorage where we squeezed in behind the reef in 14m of water. Then we dinghied the two miles back to the marina. What did we see? Cars, dual carriageways and yes, a massive Carrefour! From no choice to every choice. Amazing after so many months of meagre supplies. But pricey? Oh yes. One trolley (cart to you N Americans) with no meat and just six beers cost the equivalent of $580 US! Ouch. But then again we've not spent much in the last few weeks. Over the next few days more and more of our little bubble of westward bound boats arrived. I think we ate on our own only once in seven days.

Sunset at Airport Anchorage.

$580 US!

Tahiti though is touristy and apart from the obligatory waterfall, a blowhole and some impressively steep hikes does not seem to have all that much to offer. It's great for restocking though and once we had moved to the main town marina we were able to get fuel and provisions and spend a day circling the island in a hire car with Kevin and Shawna of Meraki 2 despite finding my driving licence had expired. Propane refills were a nightmare as usual with our UK bottles proving impossible to fill. Whilst talking to ChangeUp though they told us they had an extra US bottle they did not need that we could have for free! So we have that strapped to the back of the boat ready to do the illegal decant to our bottle sometime soon. Pape'ete Marina is right in town but it does not have a booking system. It's first come first served. Luckily Meraki 2 spoke with Blue Moon who were leaving and we managed to sneak into their spot as they left.

Impressive blowhole.

Obligatory waterfall.

One interesting fact about Pape'ete [Pap-ay-ee-tay] is the message they play at the traffic crossings. I'm sure they say "Oh shit. Pietons."

Pape'ete's Sunday market is amazing.

No idea what this is.

Fresh tuna. £8 per kilo.

The pamplemouse are how much?

Father's Day flower stall.

In Pape'ete Marina we met up with New Zealand Sally again who was crewing for Ollie on Mai Tai. For various reasons she had decided to jump ship and we asked her if she would like to join us to Tonga our next major destination some 1,200 miles away. She is really keen and will join us here shortly for a few final days in French Polynesia.

Whilst in Tahiti I did a full engine service, generator service and strengthened the shaft brake bracket.

New improved bracket.

The next island was Moorea 20 miles from Tahiti. Leaving the marina we had 'an incident'. There was a crosswind that we misjudged and we ended up clipping the downwind boat. Only minor damage and despite contacting the owner later it looks as though no further action will be required. Once free of the port though we had a cracking sail joined by Kris and Maree who had helped crew a fast catamaran with the owner direct from New Zealand - a hard passage. The improved shaft brake worked a treat and we hit 8.4 knots as the breeze freshened. What a difference Cooks Bay was to Tahiti. Great holding in 13m and we knew many of the boats. More social occasions including a visit to the Society Island's top fruit juice factory. The bad news is that the new dinghy engine started to play up. I fear it might be a head gasket issue.

Fruit juice factory. Production line.

Hull cleaning in Moorea - normally Gill's job 

First pineapples we have seen growing.

The weather between here and Tonga is usually fairly benign but this year is an El Niño year and the winds are crazy strong and adverse. Depressions that normally keep south are careering up from New Zealand bringing very strong unpredictable storms. So we have to decide. Head north to American Samoa (will we be allowed into Suwarrow), south on the normal route via Niue (expensive mooring balls only that might be full) or a longer passage direct to Tonga (which we currently favour).

It was another overnight passage to arrive here on Huahine. The wind was less than forecast so we were forced to motor most of the way. Susimi chose to round the island via the windier east side so they arrived at the anchorage here before we did - unfortunately for us taking the last mooring ball. We are anchored rather close to the ferry channel but all seems good. It's been gusty again though with winds exceeding 20knots on most days. Yesterday before heading out to see the dancing I spent much of the day fixing our original 2.5hp Yamaha dinghy engine. Don't say it too loud but... so far so good!

Huahine - sea front.

I'll leave you with some of my favourite contests in the upcoming Huahine Annual Festival....

- Best braided hat, fan or bouquet of flowers.

- Most beautiful local long-sleeved shirt.

- Most beautiful dry vegetable choker.

- Most beautiful hat made from fresh vegetables.

And my favourites....

- Coconut Shelling contest.

- Best coconut tree climber.

- Most beautiful flowered double canoe.

Fair stall.

The many uses of coconuts.

Tuamotus - Part 2

Date: 4th June 2023.

Location: Harifa anchorage, Fakarava atoll, The Tuamotus.

First, here a few photos of the five day Marquesas to Tuamotus passage....

Before we depart we purchase tuna for dinner tonight.

Here comes another squall. Close the hatches.

Entering our first pass. A bit choppy.

Calm inside the lagoon.

Welcome to your mooring.

We spent a relaxing few days in Toau after our passage from the Marquesas with good friends from the Merakis. If you know Gilly's jewellery you'll know it's all light blues, turquoise and greens. These are the colours of the Tuamotus. Blue, blue water in the lagoon. The highlight was the dinghy trip to "Four Coconut Trees Island". We spent the afternoon there chilling out and discussing where we all intend to spend cyclone season. And even where everyone will go the next season. Talk now is no longer of the Galapagos or French Polynesia but of New Caledonia, Brisbane and Indonesia. Another gorgeous location.

Planning meeting.

Our own magic island.

Soon it was time to move south to Fakarava atoll. This is a biggy with an entrance in the north and one in the south. It's 30 miles by 15. We motored out from Tuao through the now tranquil pass and tacked and motored south. We got the timing of slack water spot on so motored in through the pussycat of a pass and anchored in the NE corner of Fakarava. As usual there were boats there that we knew.

This was a new style of anchoring for us. To hopefully (haha) keep our chain up above the coral heads we attach discarded floats from the pearl farms every few metres along the chain as it is deployed.

Deploying the pearl floats for the first time.

Pearl Float Art.

One of our first excursions was to a pearl farm with Itiki. They grow the oysters for 18 months then a "master" opens them up a bit and inserts a small spherical piece of plastic and a bit of flesh. This prompts the oyster, now back on a string to produce pearl around the sphere. After another 18 months they take that one out and put in a bigger ball. Rinse and repeat as the pearls get bigger. Black pearls are the speciality here. Gill bought a nice Category C. white pearl (A is best quality).

Pearl Farm demonstration.

Pearls!

Pearl Farm Resort.

A shark swims through this exclusive resort's swimming area.

Later we met up with a new English boat called Mai Tai owned and sailed by Ollie a one legged sports fisherman who has worked as a guide and captain in Russia, Australia and the Bahamas. He invited us and another couple to his catamaran for Film Night. He hung his white bedsheet as a screen from some ropes and borrowed a small projector. Popcorn was provided and we all brought drinks and a dip. We watched "Following Seas" the true story of an American family sailing first through French Polynesia in the 60s and then around Antarctica. Many of the clips of Polynesia we all recognised. It's a great story and a bit of a tear jerker so I won't tell you what happens except to say the incident with the goat happened at Daniel's Bay, our favourite Marquesan anchorage.

The next day Ollie took us fishing in his dinghy. You can't eat the fish because of cigatuera which was a good thing because we didn't catch any. We did hit the reef though and get absolutely soaked in the choppy seas. Not a great success but at least the dinghy wasn't holed on the reef.

There's very little food there in the small village unless the supply boat has been in, usually on a Wednesday. At this time of year with all the cruising boats around it's a bit embarrassing as some cruisers ransack the few small shops for whatever they can get leaving little for the locals to buy. They had run out of diesel too but we have plenty for the next leg.

The south easterly winds turned strong westerly and we were on a lee shore with coral bommies all around. Our anchor chain was of course, despite the pearl floats, caught round two bommies as we set off for Harifa in the SE corner of the atoll. One of the few cruisers' skills we don't have is free diving. Our anchor and chain was twisted round these coral heads 14m down so we radioed for some help. Julian an Australian from Silver Chief came over with his very long flippers. Down he went and 30 minutes later we were free. Six beers was a small price to pay.

So here we are in Harifa. Every anchorage seems more beautiful than the last one and this is no exception. Itiki are here so it's drinks on the beach and general chilling out. I replaced the dinghy engine's carburettor which seems to have improved its starting, we kayaked after an enormous manta ray and repaired a fraying halyard. All good stuff. Look away if you don't want to see photos of this most beautiful anchorage. Meanwhile the surf continues to crash against the outer reef as all is tranquil inside the lagoon.

Full Moonrise.

Dinghy Lift.

Mehalah in the evening.

Off to the shore for evening drinks.

One happy Gilly.

Anchor watch. Mehalah in the background.

John and Linda from Itiki checking out their "vagina" cushions!

Tomorrow we will move to South Pass where we hope to drift snorkel with hundreds of sharks waiting for dinner to come in on the tide (he says as if this is an every day occurrence!)

Mentally now we are preparing for the next 250 mile passage to Tahiti and Pape'ete the capital of French Polynesia. It's French, it has a Carrefour and we can't wait for a little bit of city life again.

French Polynesia - The Tuamotus

Date: 21st May 2023
Location: 70 miles from Tuao, a coral atoll

No internet connection here so this comes to you again via our HF radio. That means no pictures either.


French Polynesia consists of three parts. From east to west they are the Marquesas where we have been for the past month, the Tuamotus where we are headed now and finally the Society islands, the biggest of which is Tahiti. We're not sure if they are separate countries or not but together they make up French Polynesia. Most countries have a single flag that you fly from the starboard side of the mast as a courtesy to the country. In fact they are called courtesy flags. In the Marquesas you can choose which of three flags to fly. French because they still have a very close relationship with France, French Polynesian, or The Marquesas own flag. We flew the Marquesan one. The Tuamotus though don't appear to have their own so we'll fly the French Polynesian one. We don't know about the Societies yet.

Almost all the island groups we have sailed to thus far are volcanic. Canaries, Caribbean chain, Galapagos - all volcanic with dark rugged scenery and often deep anchorages. In contrast the Tuamotus are low lying coral atolls. Fringed with sharp coral reefs just waiting to pierce your boat most have one of two narrow passes through to a lagoon littered with coral heads or "bommies" as they are known. Water rushed into the lagoon as the tide rises and out again through the same passes as it drops. The trick is to enter at slack water which usually occurs close to high and low water. Currents through the passes can approach 10 knots at other times so they are not for the faint hearted!

But first we needed to restock in Nuku Hiva. We managed to get some scarce eggs at almost a dollar each, some bagettes and butter and some tuna, freshly caught and prepared next to the dinghy dock. The offal was thrown into the sea which was quickly devoured by three hungry 3m sharks cruising around with their dorsal fins sticking out of the water like Jaws on the beach.

So we are on our way now to the Tuamotus. It's a 540 mile passage to Tuao the first atoll we have chosen to stop at. Normally a four day passage it's turned into six days for us for several reasons. Firstly we left Nuku Hiva late after provisioning and waiting to ring my mum whilst we still had a signal, secondly our prop shaft was making a bit of vibration so we kept our speed down and thirdly the timing of daytime slack water only gave us a midday option and we couldn't make today's in time.

It's been a much easier passage than the long Pacific crossing. For the first time we've had the wind on our beam rather than being downwind and Mehalah loves it. No chance of an acçidental gybe and the opportunity to fly all three sails, using the yankee and staysail to maintain a constant speed. Yesterday though we had a lot of squalls which made things a bit more tricky as the winds shifted around them. And then we came out into wind just strong enough to keep us moving before we had to resort to the engine. By now we knew we wouldn't make Fakarava atoll, our first choice today after all. So we decided to head for Tuao instead where Meraki 2 are for a couple of days. We needed to waste half a day though to avoid arriving well before slack so we took down the sails and bobbed through most of the day on a gentle sea. We made water, Gill had a pamper session, we put the clocks back by just 30 minutes,(!?) and we read. A nice day.

And now it is 22.15 and we are motoring to Tuao. It's a beautiful night. Warm, a sky full of stars and the Milky Way as the moon is small, and a flat sea. The Southern Cross is off to port, I spotted a very fast, very bright satellite tracking across the sky and Gill saw three more shooting stars. We should be anchored in 13 hours.

Good news. My new fishing lures did their stuff. Just as we were about to eat our dinner a couple of days back one rod screamed and the rod bent alarmingly. I couldn't wind the reel in at all. I left it to reel in the other rod but there on the end was a nice small tuna, around 3 pounds. Despatched and into the freezer. Back to the other rod and he's still taking line. I manage to get maybe 3 metres of line back in and then it all goes slack. Winding in, the lure and hook are still intact but no fish. What was it? It was big. Possibly a big tuna or else a small tuna taken by a shark. It was too big for a mahi mahi or wahoo. Perhaps it was a marlin. Who knows. It would have been too big to keep anyhow.


UPDATE: 22nd May

On a mooring ball inside the small atoll of Tuao. It's gorgeous. The entrance was "interesting". There's only one narrow pass in and out and a lot of water needs to pass through four times a day as the tide go in and out. We arrived at the entrance as planned two hours before low slack water. All we could see were big standing waves across the entire pass. Very daunting. So we motored back and forth for over an hour and we could see conditions general easing. 50 minutes before slack we decided to go for it. Half a mile out our speed started to drop from 5 knots as we met the outrushing water. The ocean floor also rises sharply from 3 kilometres (yes,that's right) to 7m at the entrance to the lagoon so there's a lot of stuff going on here. Anyway, in we went being thrown around by the eddies and bucking through the waves. We slowed to 2.5 knots and then we were almost through surfing in on big slow rollers for the final couple of minutes whooping and hollering as we reached the calm lagoon beyond.

Once through we turned to port and motored a couple miles to a group of solid mooring balls and were met again by Kevin from Meraki 2 who came out meet us in his dinghy before taking our lines, passing them through the eye of the ball and returning them to us to make off on Mehalah. Out first successful atoll arrival completed.

After a really quiet day yesterday the wind has got up a bit today and we're on a lee shore (the wind is pushing us towards land) and the forecast is for more wind in a few days. By that time our friends will have left and we will be on our own in very remote circumstances. We'll have to make a decision of whether to stay here or not. That's the problem with the Tuamotus. Usually very benign there's nowhere really protected to run to if it does turn nasty.

Talking of decisions we are narrowing down our four cyclone season options after a much happier passage here. We don't think we want to leave Mehalah in Fiji. Too risky as it's in the cyclone belt. We have got a good quote from a New Zealand yard but we think that's a long hard sail south and if we decide to keep M it's then a long hard sail north again. So at present Australia is looking most likely. Easier to get back north and we could defer any selling decision too.

And finally, for Becky S-J who likes the "lists" and to remind you that most of the entire time our home is rolling from side to side here are some of the precautions we need to take to combat that rolling. [Having said that here inside the atoll there is very little movement, the first time since January 8th when we left Shelter Bay Marina].

1. The cooker is on gimbals so it stays flat as the boat rocks beneath it.

2. Our "on passage" bed has the side of the boat on one side and a lee cloth on the other to stop us falling out when a big wave rolls us.

3. All galley surfaces are covered with non slip matting. Imagine trying to control two water bottles, a grapefruit, two packs of cheese and a pawpaw as you delve ever deeper for that last yoghourt pot.

4. The distance between the two cockpit bench cushions which run fore and aft is just wide enough to wedge your legs across.

5. You must brace your legs across the shower cubicle when showering. Washing a foot is difficult.

6. Every drawer and cupboard door has a mechanism to stop them opening at sea.

7. When we leave the cockpit to work at the mast we walk on the "up" side. That way if we lose out footing we are thrown against the mast rather than overboard. We often wear a harness that clips us to the boat too.

8. Only plastic crockery and mugs are allowed on passage. No breakable plates or glasses are allowed.

9. And we STILL get bruises!

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Giant Eels, The Lost Boys and Cannibals

Date: Sunday 14th May 2023.

Location: Daniel's Bay Anchorage.

Inside Daniel's Bay

This is where we are anchored today. Daniel's Bay on the main Marquesan island of Nuku Hiva, just a few miles from the town anchorage of Taiohae (they do like their vowels here).

We've been here for several days. The entrance is pretty intimidating as you appear to drive into a sheer cliff but once in it is sheltered, stunningly beautiful and NOT ROLLY. Not rolly is good. It allows you to walk around without holding on to things and most of the rocking boat noises cease. Bliss.

Spot the entrance.

We finally feel more rested after the long passage from Galapagos, most things are hopefully fixed and we are starting to prepare for the next four day passage to the second of the French Polynesian island groups - the low lying Tuamotu coral atolls. A world away from the spiky and very impressive Marquesas we are a bit daunted by the tricky passes into and out of these atolls.

The valley here is amazing. Now only a dozen or so people live here but before the arrival of westerners there were around 20,000! Walking up the valley there are coconut trees (with anti mice aluminium bands tacked on), mangoes, limes and pampelmouses (grapefruits) everywhere. Higher up the river wends its way upwards surrounded by lush vegetation and the remains of numerous abandoned buildings some with carved tikis outside. Two river crossings revealed huge eels well over 1m long and 15cms across slithering around. Luckily they avoided us as we waded through the streams thigh high. We wondered too at a cleared area with pits and a large horizontal stone. We learned yesterday that they were for storing and then decapitating their enemies prior to cooking them for dinner! But now they earn their living by taking people on valley hikes and providing tuna meals and fresh fruit mostly to cruising boats like us.

Nuku Hiva's waterfall.

On the way there.

Eel River!

These islands are well known for their tattoos. Most local people have them. Beautiful and telling stories about themselves they wear them with pride. Many of our friends have thought about getting one themselves and some have. If I was to have one anywhere in the world it would be here but I think it is unlikely partly because my physique is a little bit too weedy!

Since returning to Hiva Oa we've moved around the other Marquesa islands meeting up with other boats new and old. Most non EU boats only have a 90 day visa for French Polynesia so we all tend to be moving at roughly similar speeds. Several boats set off for the more southerly Tuamotus 10 days ago with an uncertain forecast. They got hit really hard whilst anchored behind one of the atol reef islands. 70 knot gusts, anchors dragging, lightening strikes and dinghies flipped. Not nice and glad we stayed here to recharge.

One of the inter island sails involved an overnight passage for us. With flukey winds and rolling seas it was most uncomfortable. Gill again found the night sailing not to her liking so we are still unsure what our next move will be. We know we want to be back in the UK for Christmas so four possibilities are appearing. Go to Australia, go to New Zealand, leave Mehalah in Fiji or more radically sell her somewhere. Let's see how the journey to the Tuamotus goes first. Interestingly it's not only us that found the Pacific passage hard. Linda on Escape Velocity wants nothing more to do with sailing, Meraki have still not fully recovered and the majority of people say it has been their hardest passage to date.

Every island has its hikes and for most cruisers stretching their legs on one or more is a must do. On Oa Pou island we finally met up with Meraki 2 again. We arrived after our nasty night passage early in the morning when Kevin came out in his dinghy to show us to a good (ie less rolly) anchorage spot. Then over to M2 for a quick catch up and muffins before heading off with them, their daughter's family who had sailed independently from Mexico and a couple of other kids' boats. 18 of us climbed up the valley in a broad track for 3km or so until we came to the home of the crazy German chocolate maker. He's lived there with his wife and dogs now for 27 years. 70 years old and a bit creepy he grows fruit, coffee, cocao, soursop, lemons - everything you can imagine.

Oa Pou anchorage.

Chocolate Man Farm - Cocao

The Chocolate Factory.

Crazy Chocolate Man

Chocolate Man Farm - more pampelmouses.

Chocolate Man Farm - roasting coffee beans.

Coffee Man Farm - fresh coffee beans.

Coffee Man Farm - unidentified fruit 

We spent a couple of hours with the chocolate man before buying some of his famous chocolate and making our way to the waterfall. Initially just the four of us we were soon joined by a mass of the kids scrambling down the rocks like The Lost Boys of Peter Pan or a troupe of monkeys skittering to the waterfall. The best yet. Clear and cool it was a welcome break after a hot walk. And the chocolate is indeed superb!

Oa Pou Waterfall.

Arrival of The Lost Boys.

A big talking point here at present is Starlink that I mentioned previously. I would say the majority of cruising boats now have the natty little oblong receiver mounted somewhere on their boat and most people use the RV (Recreational Vehicle) subscription. However that is not really supposed to be used at sea. In fact only in the country in which it was purchased (and those costs vary enormously depending on the country of purchase but let's say 400 USD). It then costs around 200 USD per month for unlimited fast data everywhere. Now, what Elon Musk has said is that around a week ago he was going to geofence his system so that it wouldnt work offshore or outside the country of registration. And to make it work you would need the new marine subscription at enormously higher costs per month! So far though it hasn't happened but every time they switch on their dishes they expect to see it fail.

The other thing is provisioning here. Lots of things you can only get the day after the supply ship arrives. Then for a short period, if you are lucky, you can get fuel, cheese, potatoes, even tomatoes maybe. The locals know where to get stuff and often pre order it. We scrabble around once the grapevine posts the new location on one of the WhatsApp groups. Bread, for example, or bagettes actually as we are in France. The bakers seem to make enough each day to satisfy around 30% of the demand. So you must either pre order it or get to the bakery by 6.30am. Otherwise it is sold out. The question we all ask is "why not bake more each day". No one has an answer.

The other day in Nuku Hiva Gill was sitting in the dinghy at the fuel dock whilst I clambered up the ladder to get diesel and petrol. It is a horrid swelly location and as the fortnightly supply ship had just delivered new fuel three other dinghies were tied up there too. As each big swell came in the raft of dinghies got thrown against the dock and pushed several metres from side to side. Gill got talking to Donna one of the other wives waiting in the dinghies for the jerry cans to be lowered on a string. Poor Donna had broken her ribs. At 3am entering the cockpit to start her watch she slipped and fell. What did she slip on? A dead flying fish that must have flown into the cockpit earlier that night!

Nuku Hiva main anchorage - a Marquesas check in destination.

And finally, your favourite 'what wildlife have we seen?' Top of the list must be the dozen or so manta rays that swam around us and right up to the boat in Taiohea anchorage. These things are beautiful and MASSIVE. Maybe 2m+ across with mouths 0.5m across they glid past us repeatedly looking like something out of Star Wars. Then there were those big eels and last night as we paddled back in the dark to Mehalah after dinner on Midnight Breeze something enormous jumped out of the water beside me hitting my paddle hard before sinking back below the surface  Possibly another ray or a shark it left me quite shaken up. Here there are craggy cliffs all around us. High up circling and gliding amongst the cliffs are some unidentified white birds about the size of a gull. Jen, your task is to identify them for us. Also some martins of some sort. We caught an unidentified fish coming here too. A bit like a longer thinner barracuda with an incredibly long thin fine snout lined with mean looking teeth. We put him back. That one's yours to identify Stu. Frigate birds everywhere of course and plenty of small bait fish together with smaller jumping rays. Not a bad haul though we finally seem to have left those crazy pelicans behind.

Poor photo of a massive Manta Ray.

Preparing for the passage to the Tuamotus.

More passage supplies.