Mike in the much calmer waters of our little
plunge pool.
The wind howled and the surf was definitely up
in Rangiroa, about an hour flight from Tahiti.
We had planned to SCUBA dive at this remote
island, but the water was so rough it would have
 been difficult to get back into the Zodiac boat.
So we snorkeled, biked, and relaxed 
(that’s a new twist!)
Unbelievable snorkeling.  This island is far away
from Tahiti and Moorea.  Not much development
here, so the fish have been undisturbed.
Dinner by one of the swift channels around the
atoll, a ring shaped coral reef that surrounds Rangiroa.
This guy was about 20″ long and was eating
huge chunks of coral.  Nice mustache!
Symbiotic mutualism (according to my sister, the
science teacher).  When you get close, the fish
dive into the coral for protection.  When you swim
away, they hover just on the outside.  It’s like
watching a flower bloom.
Lemon sharks have agressive
behavior.  You would think that
the ocean was their refrigerator,
and they could eat whatever they
want.  It took a long time for this
one to make a strike.  The smaller
fish kept their distance, like a game
of Marco Polo.  Except the winner
gets DINNER!

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