At Sea, Towards the Marquesas
This morning the guests of National Geographic Endeavour awoke to crystal blue skies and a warm tropical breeze pushing us towards our next destination, the Marquesas. We have a day at sea, and after the last three days of intensely investigating the Tuamotus, it is a much needed reprieve for our minds and senses. Most of us have kicked back in a lounge chair on the sun deck or found a cozy chair in the library, only changing positions to grab a bite to eat or attend one of our naturalists' presentations.
Our experiences of the last week have been varied and inspiring, from cliff hanging excursions, to long walks through the interiors of islands, to simply sitting and watching the sun slowly set and an almost full moon appear in its place. However no trip to the South Pacific would be complete without a dip in the legendary azure waters, and many of us have taken every opportunity to get wet, whether it is from a beach or our custom-built swim platform. From sharks to turtles, each reef has held a surprise for us, and every time in the water is a new adventure.
Pictured here is just a sampling of what we have been seeing as we gaze down from the surface upon the reefs. The Twinspot Red Snapper, Lutjanus bohar, also called Pacific Red Snapper, is one of the more common big fish we see. These snapper inhabit coral reefs and sheltered lagoons, eating mainly fish but will also eat shrimp and crabs. They are usually solitary, however this one was far from camera shy, and came in closely to investigate the lens. Unlike its Atlantic Cousin, the Red Snapper here has not had as many problems with being over harvested. This may be because larger fish have been found to cause Ciguatera poisoning causing them to be banned in several places.
The Arc Eye Hawkfish is a lie and wait predator, settling on top of or in-between small coral heads, waiting for their dinner to swim by. They have generally been found to eat other small fish, shrimp, crabs, and crustaceans.
Our day of rest has been most welcome, but as the light begins to fade from the sky, we cannot help and gaze eagerly out at the horizon trying to imagine what the Marquesas, often called the most beautiful islands in the world, has in store for us.
This morning the guests of National Geographic Endeavour awoke to crystal blue skies and a warm tropical breeze pushing us towards our next destination, the Marquesas. We have a day at sea, and after the last three days of intensely investigating the Tuamotus, it is a much needed reprieve for our minds and senses. Most of us have kicked back in a lounge chair on the sun deck or found a cozy chair in the library, only changing positions to grab a bite to eat or attend one of our naturalists' presentations.
Our experiences of the last week have been varied and inspiring, from cliff hanging excursions, to long walks through the interiors of islands, to simply sitting and watching the sun slowly set and an almost full moon appear in its place. However no trip to the South Pacific would be complete without a dip in the legendary azure waters, and many of us have taken every opportunity to get wet, whether it is from a beach or our custom-built swim platform. From sharks to turtles, each reef has held a surprise for us, and every time in the water is a new adventure.
Pictured here is just a sampling of what we have been seeing as we gaze down from the surface upon the reefs. The Twinspot Red Snapper, Lutjanus bohar, also called Pacific Red Snapper, is one of the more common big fish we see. These snapper inhabit coral reefs and sheltered lagoons, eating mainly fish but will also eat shrimp and crabs. They are usually solitary, however this one was far from camera shy, and came in closely to investigate the lens. Unlike its Atlantic Cousin, the Red Snapper here has not had as many problems with being over harvested. This may be because larger fish have been found to cause Ciguatera poisoning causing them to be banned in several places.
The Arc Eye Hawkfish is a lie and wait predator, settling on top of or in-between small coral heads, waiting for their dinner to swim by. They have generally been found to eat other small fish, shrimp, crabs, and crustaceans.
Our day of rest has been most welcome, but as the light begins to fade from the sky, we cannot help and gaze eagerly out at the horizon trying to imagine what the Marquesas, often called the most beautiful islands in the world, has in store for us.
