Hatiheu, Nuku Hiva

This tiny village of only 150 or so (no one really knows for sure) residents is quaint and clean with beautiful flowering hibiscus bushes lining the one main street. There is a church, a store, a school, a medical clinic and a concrete wharf in addition to the handful of houses. We were the only tourists, so they all knew who we were, from the boat. The people were very friendly, especially the children who took a liking to Gary, swimming and playing with him on the beach the day we arrived. We had a day to remember in this place�up at sunrise for early mass (the Marquesians are reknowned for their musical services), then off to an archaeological site with a local guide whom we met at church (the site was amazing, as were his descriptions of the last person eaten in the valley in 1910), then back to the boat for some snorkelling and spearfishing (giant manta rays swam right underneath Gary and he got a nice grouper for dinner). We stopped some local fishermen and they indicated that the fish was safe to eat (certain reef fish can contain ciguatera poisoning, but it's highly variable so best to ask the locals if you can). As Gary was just about finished cleaning the quarry, however, he lost it overboard. Question�just how smart is it to be jumping into the water at dusk when you've just cleaned a fish (aka shark chum)? Don't answer that�He'd be quick he said. After a dive down to the bottom, he eagerly asked for his speargun�the fish was nowhere to be seen, but there was a good school of trevally down there. One more dive and Gary shot up like he'd seen a shark, leaping out of the water into the dinghy and proceeded to reel in a nice fish (even better than the first). You lose some you win some. That night we shared our luck with Cress and Irena on their boat, Conversations (they were the Vancouver boat tracking us across the Pacific).

Our little fish, Nemo

At one point, while we were snorkelling in Anaho Bay, a little fish made me jump in surprise as it suddenly appeared only inches from my mask. Instinctively, I turned my head to get away from it, first left, then right, but this little guy followed staring right back at me, seemingly magnified through my mask. After turning in a complete circle in the water, I started to laugh as this little fish, only about an inch in length, followed everywhere I turned. He was a silver fish, like a juvenile tuna or something of that sort. I noticed that after the novelty of my mask weared on him, he moved down to hang out by my hip. I tested him by swimming away with increased speed, then stopping suddenly. But sure enough, I could see Nemo (as I've named him) wiggling his little tail like crazy to keep up. He followed Gary and I all the way back to the boat and ended up hanging out in the shelter of our boarding ladder for the next number of days during our stay in the bay. We introduced him to the juvenile surgeon fish, who was even smaller, and the small school of fish that had taken up residence around our rudder. He seemed to magnetize to whatever part of your body was closest to him, so when we found him hanging out under Gary's armpit, we put our hand near him and ushered him to the ladder. Very cute.

On to Nuku Hiva, the main Marquesan island

The sail to Nuku Hiva, another 30 miles, was wonderful with a nice tailwind and small rain squalls that passed around us in front and behind while we sat watching and basking in glorious sunshine. We arrived in Baie D'Anaho with gaping jaws. So far in the Marquesas, we have found the scenery of the landscape rugged and beautiful, but hadn't been awestruck by the beauty. Until now� this bay is so impressive with an enormous shear faced 1000 m rocky peak that reminded us of the BC/Alberta Rocky Mountains, numerous rock pinnacles that ascended in dramatic rock folds and a beautiful white sand beach wrapping around a coral reef� we were truly in paradise. This is the place we've dreamt of where we jump in the water for a snorkel first thing in the morning finding all kinds of fish, coral, a turtle and even giant manta ray. A total of five houses/buildings speckled the shoreline in this remote bay with no road access, only a trail over the ridge (a one hour hike) to the village in the next bay. We were in heaven.

Ua Huka - Rocks, birds and sea

Turning northwestward onto a broad reach around the NE corner of Hiva Oa was a welcome change during the trip to Ua Huka from Fatu Hivar. We got rocked around with big seas and 25-knot winds, being open to the full force of the tradewinds and seas once out of the shelter of the Bay of Virgins (Fatu Hiva). Ua Huka is not well traveled by cruisers or tourists in general, as was obvious when we approached the third anchorage along the south shore, not a boat to be seen in any of the three. Although it was pretty amazing to be the only boat on the island, there's a reason it's "off the beaten track". The swell and winds in the first 2 anchorages were such that we were uncomfortable taking the boat inside those bays, let alone anchoring there, so proceeded to the third (and last on that coast with our fingers crossed) to find it more sheltered from the 25-kt gusts, but still enough swell that warranted us staying on the boat. So we enjoyed the rugged rocky terrain and wild horses from the water. We were prepared to go to shore in the morning if the wind/swell subsided, but ended up leaving for Nuku Hiva instead as it was too dicey.