Week #3: sailing is on

After a great week with our friends in Huahine, we sailed back to Tahaa and prepare for new adventures as the wind picks up next week. We need to make sure Wallis (and its crew) are ready for a few weeks sailing to Bora Bora and Maupiti.

Note: we added a new section at the bottom of the page with some extra pictures. Enjoy !

Yamini's new best friend: Ray

Manta rays are my (Yamu) favourite sea creatures. Anyone who has had the privilege to see a Manta ray knows that they are absolutely awe-inspiring. In Huahine between the Hana Iti and Avea Bay, you can see the Mantas that live here if you are lucky.

It was a perfect morning, waking up just before sunrise we paddled to the shore, did yoga on the beach (got bitten by sand flies!) and paddled back to our boat and sat out with our mugs of coffee. The water was so still that when this Manta came to visit us with his graceful, fluid movement and massive diamond-shaped body, we found instant peace and wonder. It was 7am, he was gliding so slowly on the surface; probably eating plankton; that we did not want to even disturb him by getting into the water. We just watched him go around our boat (you saw the video!)

Manta rays are known for their peaceful nature and their ability to coexist harmoniously with other marine creatures. There are Manta cleaning stations in other Polynesian islands, where snorkelling diving tours are organised, but we prefer to see them in the wild, where its just the Mantas and us!

Finally, the threats facing manta ray populations in Polynesia (including the mooring buoys for boats) are real & remind us of the fragility of our natural world and the importance of conservation. I hope our nieces and nephews will have the privilege to see these magnificent creatures.

Snorkelling in the lagoon

If there is one thing Polynesian islands do not lack, it is snorkelling spots! Most islands are surrounded by a reef and pretty much every part of it a snorkelling opportunity. If the swell is not too big, you can pretty much reach the very edge of the lagoon where there is always a lot of under-water activity. Hoa is the local name for cuts in the reef where water flows into the lagoon, usually a great place to spot bigger fish such a reef sharks!

This week, we discovered a new coral garden spot on Huahine island. We had never been there before so decided to head out on our little dinghy for a short 15 minute ride. The most popular snorkelling locations always offer a mooring buoy to tie our boat, which is a great idea as it avoids dropping the anchor with the risk of damaging the coral. Once all set, we just have to dive in 3m of crystal clear water to enjoy the show with a slight current to take us for the ride. Check out the pictures :)

Crossing between islands

After 2 weeks in Huahine, we headed back to Tahaa to start preparing our next move towards Bora Bora. The best thing about not being on a schedule is that we can wait for the right “weather window” for the next crossing, and it is exactly what we did. We anchored in a beautiful bay in Huahine not far from the pass, as we knew the wind would pick up from the North East on the following day. The wind forecast was giving us a good half day window to make our way west, so we took it.

And then the magic happens, a perfect day on the water. We left the Huahine pass under sails and were pushed along all the way to Tahaa. It was a very comfortable 6h crossing, with 10kt of wind and a light swell. Once set on course, the autopilot takes over and allows us to chill: read, nap, eat, play Kaboom (thanks Zaara and Ziaan !), watch the deep ocean move around us… We only had to switch on the engine to set the anchor once inside the Tahaa lagoon. Beautiful !