Ahhhh, back in clear waters again.
Raroia is one of those places that you can anchor pretty much anywhere, yet boats will still congregate in one spot.
Days were filled with exploring the little motus.
The family was giving me a hard time for wanting a picture next to the Kon-Tiki memorial plaque. Raroia is the Atoll that Thor Heyerdahl and the Kon-Tiki raft made landfall at after 101 days floating across the Pacific from Peru. I apparently found that fact much cooler than the others.
Bumfuzzle’s own Kon-Tiki rafts.
There are a bunch of “cuts” in the reef that get whipping with the tides. The kids would hike a few hundred yards, then jump in for a 4-knot sleigh ride back. Like floating down a river. In this one they said they spotted a blacktip reef shark. I thought it seemed too shallow, so they made me come along. Sure enough, in water barely knee deep, the shark swam along, checking me out briefly before zipping off again.
On another tiny motu (an islet of broken coral and sand) along the outside edge of Raroia, we found loads of crabs wandering around.
The kids found an opened coconut on yet another motu and brought it over for these guys to dig through. Almost immediately after setting it down, there were dozens, if not hundreds of crabs of all sizes, making their way over to it.
Ali, of course, took one look at this scene and declared that we needed to bring the poor starving crabs more coconuts and that would be our job the next day.
There are large bommies everywhere throughout the atoll. They all tend to look like this. Pretty good shape and full of life. Reef sharks patrol all of them, and there are tons of fish and some monstrous eels. I spotted a lot of big Grouper that looked like a spearfishing dinner, too. That’d be another job the next day.
Big colorful Maxima clams (I believe that’s what they’re called) are everywhere.
15 Comments on “Raroia Atoll”
I love that photo with the moon. Also, the giant clam!! I think you needed that shot with the plaque.
Thank you, again.
Wow…..so pristine! So that’s where I have to go to see pristine, clean, existing nature….an atoll out in the middle of the Pacific. If I wasn’t envious before, I sure am now. Bummer….fuzzle. 🙂
When I fish the flats (less that 2 feet deep) I frequently see small sharks that 3 feet or less in length.
Just like I would never dive lake water again, you may not enjoy diving St. Croix after visiting places like that, Pat. 🙂 Enjoy it man!
I’ve read the Kon-Tiki book and watched the movie so I can appreciate the photo-op.
Interesting story.
Great pictures!
One outstanding part of our 1965 trip to Europe was a visit to the Museum in Oslo that houses the Kon Tiki. Max was enamored with the voyage. I think it very important that you have your picture with the plaque. Have the children read the books about the adventures of the Kon Tiki? So glad you are able to report so quickly to those of us who are following you. I eagerly await your next postings.
Now you’re talking! I love the clear water, small little islands, and thank you for giving the urchins a coconut dinner.
Hey, Kon Tiki is on my bedside table to read again before my trip to Norway this Fall, where I’ll be seeing the original Kon Tiki and RA boats in the Kon-Tiki museum in Oslo. https://www.kon-tiki.no/
“Borders? I have never seen one. But I have heard they exist in the minds of some people.”
– Thor Heyerdahl
Love the underwater pix!
Thanks for the Grammy update! Happy to hear she’s thriving & good on you for encouraging folks to look at assisted living from a positive perspective as parents age. Such a stigma against it from the ‘old days’ when women did not work outside the home & so basically provided social services for aging parents, sick neighbors, etc.!
Nowadays it’s too exhausting to work full time & be a care giver. Plus the providers at assisted living are pros & do a much better job! 🙂
Great to see your smiling faces & got a laugh out of the crabs feasting photos!
LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!! Safe travels for you all!!
Incredible photos! Safe travels
Your pics are spectacular, but that moon shot is just over the top. I recall that your extended family used to visit occasionally on your first circumnavigation. I’m wondering if there will be more of the same this time. Again, thanks for posting so frequently. I am loving this trip!
What a great update!!! KonTiki was a great book thankyou for that pic of the memorial….Safe travels and adventures!!
I’ve read many times that these low lying atolls are at high risk of disappearing under rising sea levels and certainly from the looks of them it wouldn’t take much to overwhelm them. I’m not sure if you visited this particular location on your previous circumnavigation but I’m wondering if you have any sense so far whether that threat is being realized or not?
Yeah – the plaque is totally cool.
If you haven’t seen it already, skip the hollywood version and watch the original documentary about the Kon – Tiki. So cool. Note the pedal powered HF radio to a Ham operator in NZ….so casually executed.
https://vimeo.com/49401742
When we were there with our kids that old doco actually got them pretty interested – or that’s what my biased memory recalls.
Love the toamotus.
I read Kon Tiki as a teenager and instantly wanted to go to the south pacific. What a life you bums lead!
Beautiful photos. the best possible end for a grouper or any other white flesh fish is grilled with lemon and a accompanied with white cold wine. Bon appétit
https://www.all-clad.ca/en/Recipes/Grouper-with-Lemon-Capper-Butter/r/237717
Our family prefers fish tacos.