Tutukaka Diving

Exiting the worlds largest sea cave. Echo, Echo, Echo... inside.
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Got up early and headed to the dock to take a boat out to the Poor Knights islands for some SCUBA diving. It was a brutal 1hr trip out to the islands, out boat claiming to be the fastest. It was like being hit by a truck and knocked weightless every 3 to 6 seconds across to the islands, with huge choppy swells. Someone broke their leg in three places the day before on the hammering ride. The islands themselves were unexpectedly beautiful, with giant cave studded cliffs. Jacque Cousteau said this was one of the top 10 dives in the world. It was a strange mix of tropical and cold water life underwater. Looked a little like the California coast with groves of kelp, but only about 5ft high, unlike the towering CA kelp forests. But more and varied fish here. And the first were very tame in this preserve like other preserves where hunting and fishing are not allowed. I have never been able to touch and pet a fish while diving before. Rays, Grouper, Wrass, Jellies, lots of soft coral. A bunch of fluorescent nudebrancs in one of the swim throughs. Clusters of fish could be seen from the boat, ‘boiling’ on the surface of the water. The unusual clear blue water was often glowing like an opal. We took the boat into what is the worlds largest sea cave (according to Guinness Book), and thru one of the many archways.

Some of the pinnacles in the distance looked like sky scrapers coming vertically hundreds of feet out of the water. No one is allowed to land or live on these islands, though it appears to be tough to find a spot to get past the giant overhanging cliffs.

Luminous Blue Water

On the way back saw some incredible flying fish, these more impressive than other “flying” fish I have seen – almost like a sea gull, it broke the water, and glided across the waves for a long 20 seconds or so, turning and zooming, but it’s wings were static (not flapping). They were quite large, with probably 12in wings.

Felt hammered after the less bumpy, yet numbing ride back. No shower or even water bucket on the small boat. Got back to our perch on the cliff and washed our gear and showered up. Soothed ourselves with some of the local Tui beer.

Got a FAX from our agent in Tahiti, still trying to get arrangements there locked in for the last part of our trip. No internet access here.

The sky’s cleared on the second night, “It’s full of stars”, and can see familiar Orion, Taurus, and Pleiades as well as unfamiliar stars to the south.