Rangiroa, Tuamotu Islands

Rangiroa is the largest Atoll in the Tuamotus and one of the largest in the whole world. It is home to about 2,500 people who all live around the small ring of land that comprises the atoll. We all watched as the ship entered the narrow cut of sea that allowed our entry to the inside of the atoll. The ship was joined by a pod of dolphins as we made our way in. The tide was going out at the time and it was fierce with large rolling waves as all the water in 27 miles across the inside tried to rush to the ocean at the same time. We anchored on the inside and tendered ashore to a tiny little village. The three of us and one of the gentlemen hosts walked down the only road towards the outside, Atlantic side on our way to Kia Ora Resort where we planned to swim and lunch and relax. It was a long, hot and beautiful walk along the pacific side with waves crashing along the coral shore. We paid for day passes and jumped into the wonderful clear water that was 86 degrees. After lounging for a while we had a nice local lunch, fed the fish some bread, saw a black tip reef shark swim under the dock where we had just been. Later we got smarter and had hotel reception call us a water taxi (taxi-boat local) for a 90 second ride back to the pier and on to the tender. Always a nice day in Rangiroa

Whisper approaches the pass

Whisper inside the atoll

Bar of the Kia Ora

As we pass through the pass

A little chillaxing.

Bill's lunch

Dawn in pool

Dawn in pool, backside

Duplicate

Closer to the pass