Close encounters of the Coral kind.

We attempted to enter Manhie, twice, going aground the first time, slight damage to the rudder. Second time we hit the ebb tide. Got forced back out the pass again. Third time the current was still running. The entrance looked like the area behind an over flowing dam.

We go in there found the anchorage was 20 meters deep. Hugh rocky lumps of coral sticking up every where. Got the anchor jammed upside down backwards on the top of a 5 meter high protrusion of rock. It didn't jam too badly, mostly because the chain was wrapped around too many other lumps to pull on the anchor its self.

We gave up trying to anchor and left for Rangiroa. Which is a different story. We had to wait half an hour for the Pass to Calm down (we'd learned our lesson about atoll Navigation). The lagoon here is unbelievable, the water's 20 meters deep and you can see every detail. The Visibility is as near infinite as damn it. Went snorkelling yesterday, and playing with baby sharks, which was fun see the Attenborough video in "Tom's Travels". Some serious fish here. See the rangiroa photo gallery.

Good Snorkelling

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