By sunrise National Geographic Orion was approaching the south pass of Fakarava Atoll. The weather conditions seemed perfect, and it gave us confidence we could fulfill our plans for this morning: snorkeling and scuba diving, drifting into this narrow passage.

The currents can be very strong here, so strong that sometimes diving is impossible, but today it was a perfect mix of a calm entrance and a mild current at the exit of our dive.

We drove our Zodiacs with our guests onboard and jumped in the water at the entrance into the lagoon. On our dives we had the pleasure of admiring beautiful coral formations and a healthy ecosystem.  Black tip reef sharks in big groups, several grey reef sharks, eagle rays, one green turtle, and countless fish schools of different species were waiting for us in this passage.

Without a doubt this was a spectacular way to end our current expedition – all the marvels that the French Polynesian waters can offer in one single area. After our submarine excursion we continued our journey towards our final destination: Tahiti.

Tomorrow we will disembark in Papeete, saying goodbye for now to our ship and crew, but certain we will come back in search of new unforgettable experiences. Iaorana.