Raroia Atoll, Tuamotus Archipelago, French Poloynesia
Today we enjoyed a leisurely morning at sea as we sailed toward Raroia Atoll, located within the central region of the Tuamotu Archipelago. Along the way we caught up on our books and memoirs, downloading and editing of images, and were treated to two presentations by the expedition staff. The first was a fascinating talk about the Peopling of the South by Edmundo Edwards. Next, Tim Laman, our guest National Geographic photographer, dazzled us with amazing images in his talk from the Canopy to the Coral Reef.
Shortly after lunch, the palm tree-studded islands of the Raroia Atoll came into view on the distant horizon. This long narrow atoll is surrounded by a barrier reef system that protects an inner lagoon and is where Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon-Tiki raft washed ashore in 1947. As with many atolls in this remote part corner of the world, the central lagoon is too shallow for the National Geographic Endeavour, and the waters around the island are too deep to anchor, so the ship simply drifted while we deployed a variety of equipment for a full afternoon of watersports.
In the lee of the island, we explored the underwater world with snorkel, scuba, and also from the bone-dry seats of the glass bottom boat. The reef was pristine with amazing coral formations adorned with a great variety of colorful fish. It was certainly a special opportunity to visit another one of the jewels of the South Pacific.
Today we enjoyed a leisurely morning at sea as we sailed toward Raroia Atoll, located within the central region of the Tuamotu Archipelago. Along the way we caught up on our books and memoirs, downloading and editing of images, and were treated to two presentations by the expedition staff. The first was a fascinating talk about the Peopling of the South by Edmundo Edwards. Next, Tim Laman, our guest National Geographic photographer, dazzled us with amazing images in his talk from the Canopy to the Coral Reef.
Shortly after lunch, the palm tree-studded islands of the Raroia Atoll came into view on the distant horizon. This long narrow atoll is surrounded by a barrier reef system that protects an inner lagoon and is where Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon-Tiki raft washed ashore in 1947. As with many atolls in this remote part corner of the world, the central lagoon is too shallow for the National Geographic Endeavour, and the waters around the island are too deep to anchor, so the ship simply drifted while we deployed a variety of equipment for a full afternoon of watersports.
In the lee of the island, we explored the underwater world with snorkel, scuba, and also from the bone-dry seats of the glass bottom boat. The reef was pristine with amazing coral formations adorned with a great variety of colorful fish. It was certainly a special opportunity to visit another one of the jewels of the South Pacific.
