Time to plan

15* 57.7' South
145* 52.7' West
Toau, Tuamotus, French Polynesia
June 13, 2010

     

Yesterday, we caught the mid morning tide out the north pass of Fakarava and very slowly motor sailed the 11 or 12 miles to the Toau pass. There was just a little wind, but we really didn't need to go very fast. So, we enjoyed lunch and some down time.
I got to drive CAPAZ through the pass which was exciting even though this is a very wide (relatively) pass with no real obstructions. I still got a surge of adrenaline when the depth went to 27 feet and there was a pretty good current pushing us to one side.

We continued on down the inside of the lagoon to where our friends on Io were anchored. They gave us a little information about what they had found out about the area in the day since they had arrived.
After some time ashore, we ate a quick dinner because Mike, who is a biologist, offered to lead a reef hike after dark when many of the creatures are more active. They were also going to do some hunting for spiny lobsters. I stayed on the boat and got in some reading. Brad and Austin returned after about an hour and a half. Bryce, however, hunted lobsters and parrot fish until everyone was ready to head back to the boats around 10:30. He was so invigorated about his experience when he returned that I am pretty sure you will be able to read all about in the next issue of the Capaz Chronicle.

Lobster Life Support Set-up

This morning, we had a quick planning session before we took the dinghy and kayak down the motu a ways for more exploration. The outer reef was much closer to the ocean side of the motu than it is here where we are anchored. Brad and I had quick snorkel in fairly swallow waters with some amazing coral formations, though not as many fish as we have been seeing in some of the other places we have been.

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