I had a nice time relaxing on Huahine. It is a much slower paced island than Moorea and I passed my time there sleeping in, lying on the beach, touring the island, kayaking and bike riding. Overall it was a pleasant break from working the past two months and I enjoyed it very much.
The morning Z-Spar
About to leave the dock
If you look closely you can see the back of a whale in this photo
Today we took a camera down to document one of our final dives on the project. To date, we have tagged 4,512 corals! One of the other assistants went to work at the French lab on the island for the next few weeks before he goes back to France and things are winding down. I only have about 10 more days at the station now and will spend them entering data and working on other projects. Then I am off to Huahine and Tahiti before I return to California!
For the past two days we have visited a new site off the east coast of the island. The first day we saw huge splashes on the horizon coming from breaching whales. Later, on my second dive it began to rain while I was underwater and I watched raindrops fall on the surface of the ocean during my safety stop. Coming from California there is something special about rain to me and from this unique perspective I found it absolutely magical. It was incredibly peaceful and beautiful to be under the sea and watch each individual drop splash into the ocean. That night, all of the students and I went down to the beach to watch the sunset and then we ate dinner afterward at one of the simple restaurants here.
Today, while waiting at 15 feet for three minutes before I surfaced from my dive (a safety stop) I heard whales singing to each other. I was inspired by the communication of such magnificent animals. I wanted each time to stay longer and listen more, but was limited by my air supply. Then, while waiting at the surface in between dives, a large pod of dolphins swam by the boat! Coming to and from the site I am fascinated looking through the deep, but clear water and seeing turtles, fish, and other sea life. To top it off, there were rainbows in the sky as well. I am totally and completely in love with the ocean and this island. I am overwhelmed with joy being in such amazing surroundings and feeling so connected to the sea. I am truly happy.
Today we trailered the boat to the east side of the island to moor it in the harbor for the next week as we work on a new site. It was a beautiful, clear day and we could see the island of Tahiti in great detail. By now, we usually finish one transect per day and I install about 100 coral markers during two dives. This week I have seen 3 blacktip reef sharks at different sites! Overall, I love diving everyday and now that I only have 3 weeks left here I often think of everything I am going to miss…
