|
Part 2: I gazed at the many blues of the sea: turquoise, teal, cobalt. It was like climbing inside an Impressionist painting.
By Heather Freckmann — Spring
2004
We realized the wisdom in our decision a few mornings into our trip, when the tourists at the helms of two other bareboats hailed our captain on the VHF during breakfast. They asked Raymond where we were headed and if they might join us; they’d also just arrived on the other side of the world and realized a bit too late that they lacked the confidence to explore the area alone.
So for that morning, we happily became a flotilla until they got their bearings. All our bows pointed southwest toward a tiny, outlying island.
OVALAU
Uninhabited Ovalau is a little gem, a highlight of our cruise that boaters should not miss. Its sugar-sand beach is unmarred by human activity. Waves dash to pieces against the barrier reef in the distance, but Ovalau’s surrounding waters are peaceful and inviting. My fiance and I dinghied ashore, and he happily wandered off with his camera gear. I sat on the hot sand and gazed at the many blues of the sea: turquoise, teal, cobalt. It was like climbing inside an Impressionist painting. The surrounding play of water and light couldn’t possibly exist.
I soon learned that Tonga has the same inspiring strokes of nature below the water, as well. Its reefs are among the most unspoiled in the world, and their pristine state makes snorkeling or diving an absolute must.
Our favorite site was the aptly named Japanese Gardens, a reef system pulsing with life. We spotted blue, pink, and green starfish as well as giant clams, pufferfish, damselfish, parrotfish, and even a small lionfish. A bright yellow adult puffer with a wee yellow baby sent us scrambling for the underwater camera, after which we found Nemo—a tiny clownfish whose parent became distinctly annoyed when we strayed too close to its anemone shelter.
Tonga also happens to be the only place in the world where visitors are allowed to be in the water with humpback whales. I consider it a tremendous gift that we had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to snorkel alongside a mother humpback, who graciously tolerated our presence as she and her curious calf swam languidly along the surface through their Vava’u breeding grounds. We were careful not to splash too much—or fall within the range of her powerful tail in case she decided to dive. She even let her calf move closer to take a better look at us. I could hardly breathe.
>> Next page >> Part 3: Once the sun had drawn flaming curtains around itself and descended into the sea, we sat down to a hearty supper... Page
1,
2, 3,
4, 5, 6, 7, 8
|
