Farewell to the Marquesas

This morning, the entire Turtlebones crew was up before dawn – even Sharon – to bid farewell to the Marquesas and begin the 550-mile passage to the fabled Tuamotus.

For centuries, this necklace of 78 islands, stretching over 900 hundred miles, was known as the dangerous archipelago.  Our paper charts still include a huge area marked in pink with the notation “Area to be Avoided”. This well-earned reputation is a function of geography. Unlike to the Marquesas, which have mountainous terrain making them easily visible well out to sea, the Tuamotus are low-lying atolls – large rings built of coral and sand – only a portion of which rise up above the surface of the ocean. 

The lagoons inside these rings of coral are generally shallow plateaus of sand and smaller outcroppings of coral. Outside of the atoll reef fringe, the drop off is very steep, quickly descending to hundreds or even thousands of feet. From above, the lagoons have a light blue-green colour, and the surrounding ocean is a deeper blue.

Prior to the advent of modern satellite navigation systems, when eye-ball navigation was the norm, these hard-to-spot reefs were a serious hazard to shipping. Particularly, since they cover a vast area of ocean, and the northern section is directly on the path between Tahiti and the Marquesas. Even today, much of the area remains unreliably charted. ‘Reading’ the depth by the colour of the water, with the sun high above, is the safest way to move about.

We are heading for one of the largest atolls in the group, Fakarava. This rectangular-shaped atoll is 60 kilometres long and 20 wide. It’s home to approximately 800 people. The highest point of land is about 10 metres above sea level, but the average elevation is zero, because much of the western portion is slightly underwater.

Being a ring of coral, atolls can be difficult to enter. Each have passes – gaps in the reef – which allow boats entry. Some of these are small, winding and treacherous, others are wide and relatively easy to transit. Tides cause water flows in and out of these passes – twice in and twice out each day – adding to the challenge of entry or departure. The in or outflow current from the tides can reach six knots, and result in dangerous conditions. So, the strategy is to transit passes at either peak high or low tide when the current shifts from in to out, or from out to in. This is called ‘slack tide’ – a brief period with no current.

Fakarava was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2016. As a result, many species are protected, including sharks. Fakarava’s southern pass has the highest concentration of grey reef sharks on the planet. The atoll is also home to a wide range of unique birds, plants and sea creatures.

The rugged mountain and jungles we’re leaving in the Marquesas stand in sharp contrast to the arid atolls and reef strewn lagoons we’re about to visit in the Tuamotus. We hope to explore this unique geography for at least a month. Fresh fruit and vegetables are reported to be very scarce, and may prove to be the limiting factor. So, we stocked up as best we could before leaving Nuku Hiva.

Sadly, our trusty crew member Shawn will be departing Turtlebones not long after we arrive.  He’s heading home to Toronto, so he and Nancy can begin preparing their boat Stealing Summer for passage through Lakes Erie and Huron, and an extended period cruising the beautiful waters of Georgian Bay and the North Channel. Sharon and I will miss him greatly, particularly his relaxed demeanor, technical prowess, and ever-helpful nature.