Logbook: Anse Amyot, Toau

There have been a lot of squalls and I picked these pictures to show you what French Polynesia looks like when the sun doesn’t shine. New colors of blue to watch.

Last year we avoided Anse Amyot because it was packed full of cruising boats at the height of the season when boats are transiting through French Polynesia on their way West. Also I think we weren’t ready for a restaurant and a crowd. We were enjoying the remoteness of the Tuamotus and figured that we would have plenty of time for crowded harbors in the Society Islands. Instead we visited the SE corner of Toau with the other 4 or 5 boats in the kiting crew.

This year we stopped in with our buddy boats and met the owners (Gaston and Valentine) who were fun and snorkeled the coral field just West of the main fish trap. The fish trap was extraordinarily sad. Not that I am opposed to catching fish, eating fish, or trapping fish with a trap. It was sad because there were sharks caught in the trap (they are later released) and a dead Napolean Wrasse inside. The coral field had some great spots and we enjoyed the snorkeling. I enjoyed the flat waters of the protected anchorage to play on our new standup paddleboard which I’ve been taking out for a spin almost every day.