Manuae Island, Cook Islands
Today was our second day in the Cook Islands. Yesterday we met many new friends on Atiu, and we brought along eight of them to help us make our landing today on the small atoll of Manuae. We needed both their muscle and their local knowledge as there is only one pass through the reef here and it was tricky to negotiate. Once our experienced drivers had navigated the Zodiacs through the surf at the opening in the reef and toward the quiet waters of the lagoon, the Islanders pulled our Zodiacs, and us, through the narrow channel across the reef flat until we could once more drive the boats with our outboards. We landed on a lovely coral beach and set out for walks through the coconut palm jungle or along the beach. Huge red hermit crabs crawled about everywhere and the remnants of a long-abandoned copra plantation lay scattered about in the interior of the motu. As we explored, the Islanders fished, casting into the surf and searching the holes in the reef for “crayfish” or spiny lobsters. They are so in tune with the sea that they know how and where everything lives and how to catch them for dinner. This evening we were served some of their fresh fish at our dinner tables aboard National Geographic Endeavour.
Today was our second day in the Cook Islands. Yesterday we met many new friends on Atiu, and we brought along eight of them to help us make our landing today on the small atoll of Manuae. We needed both their muscle and their local knowledge as there is only one pass through the reef here and it was tricky to negotiate. Once our experienced drivers had navigated the Zodiacs through the surf at the opening in the reef and toward the quiet waters of the lagoon, the Islanders pulled our Zodiacs, and us, through the narrow channel across the reef flat until we could once more drive the boats with our outboards. We landed on a lovely coral beach and set out for walks through the coconut palm jungle or along the beach. Huge red hermit crabs crawled about everywhere and the remnants of a long-abandoned copra plantation lay scattered about in the interior of the motu. As we explored, the Islanders fished, casting into the surf and searching the holes in the reef for “crayfish” or spiny lobsters. They are so in tune with the sea that they know how and where everything lives and how to catch them for dinner. This evening we were served some of their fresh fish at our dinner tables aboard National Geographic Endeavour.
