After days at sea, sailing from one small island group to the next, it becomes apparent just how vast the Pacific Ocean is. With a bit of time up our sleeves, our expedition leader Tom decided to add yet another unplanned expedition stop to our itinerary, and after rolling through high seas for days we were pleasantly surprised to find almost ideal conditions for a morning filled with water activities. With the wind still hauling, we found good shelter on the leeward side of Marutea Sud Atoll and the dazzling azure water was just too inviting not to go in for a dip. Divers and snorkelers alike found an astounding array of marine life and a wonderfully pristine and healthy coral reef. A school of moorish idols flitted over the corals, a huge sea turtle paddled gracefully beneath us, and the masters of the reef, blacktip, whitetip and grey reef sharks, glided silently past us. What a wonderful way to spend the morning in this remote part of the world.
Back on board National Geographic Orion, we had the opportunity to learn more from our expert guides about the biogeography of the South Pacific and about the tiny creatures of the sea that are the reason for why our oceans are teeming with all kinds of different life-forms. Our undersea specialist, Caitlyn, showed us wonderful underwater footage from the past two days and taught us more about the stunning diversity of corals we had seen.
Afterwards we enjoyed yet another delicious dinner and a quiet evening, watching the second “Mutiny on the Bounty” movie, as we sailed towards our next destination, Mangareva Island.
