Catpain's Log #12: Sharks and Tahiti

Arriving in Tahiti

iving in the Tuamotos was stunning. We visited three islands, all similar above ground, but exquisitely different at depth. The Tuamoto atolls are made up of a huge surrounding reef and very little land with one or two openings, called passes into the central lagoon (which is more like a small ocean in some cases). These passes are where one dives- on the incoming tide. So all you have to do is get to a good depth and drift on by the various visual treats. Colorful coral, beautiful tropical fish, and lots of sharks. This is apparently one of the greatest shark diving areas in the world. Gray reef, Whitetip, Blacktip, Silvertip, Nurse, Lemon and Hammerheads can all be seen, and more often- felt. On one night dive we counted no less than 10 sharks right below us before we even left the dinghy! This was our ONLY night dive, for reasons I am not allowed to embellish in now, as my (mis)adventures are becoming a source of great stress to my immediate family. So I must keep things CALM. Suffice it to say that the dive lasted 18 hours (10 in the ocean, 8 on uninhabited land)- a somewhat uncomfortable amount of time to spend with lots of SHARKS! So we left the Tuamotos with some reticence, but a good weather window and want of fruit and vegetables drove us farther southwest to the

Tahiti Anchorage

promised paradise of Tahiti. The crossing was our fastest and easiest yet in which we averaged 7.6 knots- lightspeed out here in this relatively slow cruising world. Tahiti has things we've seen few of since our departure- cars, lights, restaurants, hotels. All things a traveler needs to feel comfortable along with great surf, azure blue clear water, difficult to find lagoons and waterfalls, lush and impenetrable jungle- all the things we need to feel comfortable! It also has an international airport, which I will utilize to fly back to California for a much anticipated work stint with Outward Bound and to fill many bags with things Saoirse needs to feel comfortable! So my sea legs go land bound for 7 weeks, Saoirse gets some rest and we plan our onward adventures. Look for the Captain's Log to continue in early August. This will give me nearly two months to compile more half-truths and exaggerations!