Manta Magic - Saturday, July 16

POSITION 09D54.447s 139D06.270w

We left the anchorage of Hiva Oa with clean laundry and good supplies of fresh fruit and vegetables on Friday afternoon. Our destination called Hana Moe Noa bay was only a 1 hour and 40 minute sail away on Tahuata Island. Unfortunately for us the weather had really picked up and the winds were very strong with huge swells breaking in the open water as we left the anchorage. I had to steer Faraway head on into the waves as they crashed over the bow and canopy. It was the first time that I had actually felt nauseaous on Faraway but I still managed to go below and make tuna sandwiches for lunch. We made some fresh water along the way to top up our tanks and recharged our house batteries with the engine running. As we sailed around the lee of the island it suddenly became very calm and the swells dropped as the anchorage came into view. It was by far the most beautiful anchorage that we had been to with calm azure blue water (this is the South Pacific we have dreamed of), a white sandy beach and lush green coconut palms on shore. We could see our yacht friends Saba and Meikyo in the bay and we anchored nearby them. Due to the strong winds we had to reset our anchor twice and then I snorkelled down to check that the anchor was holding. We settled in for sundowners and an early night as there were frequent rain showers that chased us indoors. In the morning we were up early for breakfast. Ian made yummy pancakes and I had just started on a nice cup of tea when we spotted Lilliana from Meikyo snorkelling with dark triangular shapes around her. They were manta rays! I quickly got my snorkelling gear on and finned over to her. There were two manta rays feeding on the abundant plankton that clouded the water. I screamed at Ian to fetch my camera and he kayaked over with it loyally. As we watched the mantas I noticed one was trailing about 10 metres of thick fishing line behind it and swimming with difficulty. I asked Mike from Meikyo for some scissors and Lilliana volunteered to try and cut the line from the ray. Well it didn't like that idea and dived and swam at great speed away from us. I told Lilliana not to worry and that it would come back. Luckily it did come back and bit by bit we cut pieces of fishing line from it until there was only about 50 cm left. After a while it was actually swimming back to us so we could relieve it of it's annoying burden. The fishing hook was still wedged in deeply near its gill but we hoped that it would eventually rust away. The manta ray was so grateful that it brought 6 of it's manta ray friends back to say hello and we played with them for over 2 hours watching them feeding on the plankton. At one stage the manta rays were even bumping up against us and coming so close that we had to move out of their way. Other cruisers jumped into the water as well and the manta rays didn't mind us humans being around them at all. It was truly a memorable experience for everyone. When I decided to snorkel back to Faraway and give them a break 1 manta ray even followed me to the boat which was pretty incredible. In the afternoon Ian and I got the kayaks out and paddled to shore against strong wind and current. We beached the kayaks easily at high tide and went for a walk along the pristine white sandy beach. It was the scenery that postcards and dreams are made of and we enjoyed every moment of it. We had sundowners back on Faraway and were joined by Daniel and his young girls Leena and Anna off the yacht Saba. I have prepared my best underwater camera ready for our next encounter with the Manta Rays-hopefully at sunrise tomorrow. We are really really enjoying our journey through the South Pacific.