Slideshow Tuamotus & Marquesas 2007
Back into diving routine (finally!) here in Nuku Hiva. We have only done one scuba dive this whole trip, but yesterday we went out on a commercial boat and enjoyed two awesome dives.
The first descent of the day circled a pinnacle of stone that rose straight up out of the sea floor and absolutely teemed with sea life. There was a strong current, so that on one side of the pinnacle we had to use our hands to cling to the rock and pull ourselves along the face to keep from washing away – not my favorite thing really, especially with one hand hanging on to the camera, but the dive was worth it. Thousands of fish – including schools of eagle rays, barracuda, large trevally – and on the rock itself stonefish, lionfish, nudibranches and moray eels, as well as the usual fish we see every dive – but in larger quantities.
After an hour or so break on the dive boat, we dropped into the water along a sea cliff for our second dive. No current here – maybe a bit more ordinary until the mantas arrived! We’ve been trying all season to dive with manta rays without success (except for my one snorkeling encounter last winter) but this made up for it, with three or four huge mantas sweeping by repeatedly.
This morning was another aquatic adventure, as we took Raven in search of the melon headed whales. The dive boat wasn’t doing that particular excursion at the moment as the sea conditions were choppy and they have had lots of past experience with seasick customers. But the captain told us where and how to find the whales. Sure enough, right on cue, they swam out to meet us when they heard the boat’s engine beating up the coast. We turned Raven around and backtracked along their path and eventually came up with the main pod of hundreds of whales – at which point Mike and I dropped off into the deep blue water in our snorkel gear and swam with them! Unlike dolphins who would have kept right on going, these guys hung around, cruising by in family groups of 10 or 20, some at the surface and others 20 or 30 feet deep; sometimes angling past us for a closer look. However what they really wanted to do was play in the bow wave. When Raven came to a halt in the sea while we snorkeled, Rod (who was driving the boat) told us they all poked their heads up out of the water to watch the boat, waiting for it to start moving again.
These little whales are no larger than dolphins but a different shape with different habits. However this raised the question – what kind of whales did we see earlier in the trip? At the time we thought they too were melon heads, but having definitely identified today’s species by their distinctive white lips, using our reference books, now we have no idea what kind of whale we saw a few weeks ago in Hiva Oa.
In addition to our water adventures in Nuku Hiva, we’ve also meandered up and down Taiohae’s main road by the harbor taking in the sights, hiked from one small village to another, dallied in the souvenir shops, and enjoyed a gourmet dinner at the one and only top-end resort here. In addition to fish, chicken, beef, lamb and pork – the menu also offered ostrich, buffalo, venison, wild goat and duck, served in a variety of ways. Taiohae is where in 1842 Herman Melville (author of Moby Dick) jumped ship from an American whaler and escaped by climbing up and over the ridge, taking refuge in a village named Taipivai. His first popular book, Typee, tells about the experience.
The weather is shaping up so that Rod currently thinks he will strike off for Hawaii this Wednesday, in which case Mike and I will spend our last two nights of vacation at the above resort. Tomorrow we’re thinking of attending church, noteworthy, we’ve been told,for the enthusiastic Tahitian singing. There is an absolutely beautiful church here in Nuku Hiva built of stone brought from all the inhabited islands of the Marquesas. And we have reservations for a buffet and jazz music at the resort tomorrow night. Monday and Tuesday Rod and Paola will be prepping for the big passage, expected to take some 12 days. While they stock up on provisions, fuel, water etc. Mike and I might take a horseback trip to see one of the world’s highest waterfalls or a helicopter flight to see the scenery by air.