The other day when we arrived here, the group split in two: the anchorage by the ancient village is very near a small passe and when the tide is rising the flow of water goes exactly through the anchorage itself, with waves being created by the wind blowing in the opposite direction.  “Neva” and “Paramour”, that were just in the … Continua a leggere→

We are in Tahanea, anchored inside the coral reef, near a small pass where the now abandoned village of Otao once was.    ALMOST abandoned, in fact! We went ashore with the dinghy, leaving it in a calm lagoon which is nearly reaching the sea on the other side, and then we walked along the shore, Baby collecting dead corals and … Continua a leggere→

So, coral atolls are shaped like rings with an internal lagoon riddled of rocks and islets. So far so good, but how do you get inside?  In most cases, the coral ring is irregular and here and there there are passages that are in fact called…. passes!! Passages yes, but they are not necessarily wide and trouble free, actually most … Continua a leggere→

Marquesas, then. First of all, a geological note: in French Polinesia, we will meet 3 kinds of islands, all of volcanic origin: – the “joung” islands, which are still just mountains protruding out of the sea, with little or no coral around them: the Marquesas. – the “middle aged” islands, where a coral ring has formed around the islands, which … Continua a leggere→