After clearing in to Hiva Oa we spent a few days at Tahuata and Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas islands before going down to Rangiroa in the Tuamotus.
Highlights were, in no particular order, swimming with Manta rays, meat and bread!, pancake breakfasts, snorkelling reefs that were different to the Caribbean.
Lowlights, having to sail overnight again !, our dinghy turning itself into a foot bath as some seams came apart and paying for internet access that wasn't that good!!
The anchorage in Hiva Oa
We left as soon as we could as it was quite swelly inside the harbour, which wasn't that clean anyway.
Our first decent anchorage at Tahuata - more like what we were expecting...
Then we were surrounded by up to 25 Manta rays which came around the boat...
and didn't mind us snorkelling around them....
we spent hours in the water with them over a period of four days...
they even seemed to like the attention!
but they do look scary as they come towards you with mouths gaping!!
The fish were more varied than we've seen before - here a Whitecheeked Surgeon fish
One of Dawn's favourites - a Whitebanded Trigger fish
Whitespotted Puffers were quite shy...
On Nuku Hiva an old Nana down the market was selling something we couldn't resist - yes that is almost solid chocolate!!!
The entrance to Rangiroa reminded us of the Alderney race - a big swell outside meant that there wasn't any slack water as there was too much trying to get out of the atoll. It took 4 days before the currents returned to normal.
The water was flowing against us at 5kts which made it a very slow passage into the atoll...except when we surfed down the standing waves!
Rangiroa was another of our favourite anchorages....not sure why!
And the fish were not shy at all!
A Lemonpeel Angel fish - the picture does not quite show striking the blue flashes are..
While the nursery for the Blackfin sharks was within easy reach - they didn't even nibble our toes!
We think this one is a Shortnosed Unicorn fish
And the Scissor-Tail Sergeant fish followed us everywhere
Most Trumpet fish we saw were grey - guess this one was on it's way to a party...?
And the Blue-Green Chromis darted into the coral if you got too close.
Racoon Butterfly fish..
A Vlamings Unicorn fish (we think!)
Anybody guess that we bought a fish identification booklet?!!!
Anybody guess that we bought a fish identification booklet?!!!
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