Takaroa, Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia, 5/17/2023, National Geographic Orion
Aboard the
National Geographic Orion
French Polynesia & Pacific Islands
Today we had an expedition-style day ashore on Takaroa. We strolled through the small town, met the mayor, learned about copra production and pearl farming, and even visited a shipwreck from the early 1900s. In the afternoon, we got our feet wet while enjoying some relaxing beach time.
Berit grew up on the rocky shores of Marblehead, Massachusetts, where she explored the marine environment through changing tides and seasons, nurturing a love of natural history and marine biology.
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Today was a water day! Our morning commenced early as National Geographic Orion entered the Tiputa Pass into the Rangiroa Lagoon. Guests and staff were prepared, and they gathered on the bow ready for the bottlenose dolphins to accompany us just before the pass. We watched in delight as the dolphins began bow riding and jumping high out of the water. The morning and afternoon activities were based on the snorkel platform located at a special spot colloquially called “the aquarium”. Guests swam and snorkeled this area, which is alive with an abundance of colorful coral and reef fish. It was a stunning way to end our expedition.
We have arrived at the atolls of the Tuamotu Archipelago. This is a completely different landscape from the Marquesas and one that offers plenty of sun, snorkeling, and sharks. In Takaroa we had the opportunity to set up our snorkel platform for the day. We also visited the island. One highlight was the wreck of the SV County of Roxburgh , a four-masted iron ship that wrecked here in 1906. We walked inside the hull and explored its remains, including the footings from the masts and the rusted anchor chain. The other island highlight was a pearl farm where we witnessed the amount of work required to culture the black pearls for which these islands are famous. After dinner, we gathered on the bow – lights off – to learn about the night sky from Master Navigator Tua Pittman.
We had an amazing calm day at sea on National Geographic Orion. We had a bittersweet feeling, as we just had some incredible days in the Marquéses Islands, but we also had to say goodbye to this amazing region for a while. The day was filled with very informative presentations from our onboard team of naturalists to educate us on all the incredible things in this part of the world. We had some spinner dolphins pay us a visit on the bow, and the day ended with an incredible dinner and the world-famous crew show.
