On Friday we arrived at the atol of Kauehi in the Tuamotus after an easy 520 nm run from the Marquesas. It is hard to imagine we are in the same ocean when you contrast these two island groups. While the Marquesas are up to 3000' ft tall, green lush tropical mountains, the Tuamotus are only as high as the tallest palm tree growing out of the coral reef. This island group consists of 79 atols spread over 1000 miles of open ocean. Each atol was once a volcanic crater. As the crater eroded into the sea, it was replaced with a ring of coral. Today, there is no sign of the crater, just coral rings that form "lakes" up to 30 miles across. Many of them have narrow passes through the reef that a boat can get through. Once inside, we are sitting in calm smooth water as we look over the palm trees and the reef to the crashing waves on the outside. Some of the atols have small villages and black pearl farms, but many of them are completely wild. The water is as clear as it can be - our anchor is resting in 40' and we can see it and the fish swimmng aournd it. There is spectacular diving and snorkeling all around with lots of coral and critters, including many sharks. Yesterday, we were wading in the shallows and there were numerous little (2-3') black tip sharks all around. Bear was carrying a stick to poke them if they got too close. We are gradually convincing ourselves that they are well fed and not interested in us, but we are not quite there, yet.
The Tuamotus were historically known as the "Dangerous Archipelago" because they were so difficult to see from a distance and the currents can be strong in the passes and between the islands. Many ships and boats have been wrecked on these islands, but our modern GPS and radar have taken much of the mystery out of finding the islands.
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