Convict Surgeonfish

Picassofish, Teardrop butterflyfish, Moustache triggerfish, and a Bird wrasse or two—we spent yesterday morning soaring with them all through the coral garden in Tahaa. There is a shallow ravine in the coral that runs from the ocean reef into the lagoon, and the current is so strong that all the snorkeler can do is strike a Superman-pose, ride the wave, and try not to collide with coral or get too close to a Moray eel.

Our first time through we followed in the wake of a tour group feeding bread to the butterflyfish. Our second time through the tours were gone, but the Convict surgeonfishes swarmed thinking we were the source of their next handout. We had no food to offer, but they soon accepted us as two of their own and let us join their school for the rest of our passage through the ravine. It was fish-tank swimming at its finest.

After our fill of the coral garden, we hustled back to Helios, dropped the mooring ball, and raised the main for an afternoon cruise to Bora Bora. The skies were blustery and the swell was up, but we had dolphin escorts throughout the afternoon and the sailing conditions were idyllic—consistent 20 knot winds on our stern quarter that kept us cruising above 6.5 knots from pass to pass.

We dropped the hook inside the lagoon, near one of the small motus on the southeastern side of the island. We spent the evening hanging out with our pals Elsa and Steffan aboard Sabir. This morning, the sun is out, there are dive sites surrounding the boat, and Bora Bora's iconic profile rises above the palm trees.