This morning National Geographic Orion was greeted by dolphins as we entered the lagoon of Rangiroa, our first stop in French Polynesia.
It is the largest atoll in the Tuamotu archipelago, and one of the largest in the world. The lagoon has a surface of almost 1000 square miles. It is so large that it has its own horizon.
We started our visit by snorkeling on a beautiful coral garden near one of the passages (hoa). It was an unforgettable experience for everyone. The sheer numbers of fish species and the schools of snappers and butterfly fish turned this expedition morning into a unique stop in our voyage through the South Pacific.
Grey reef sharks, black tip sharks, Titan Trigger Fish, Tahiti butterfly fish, together with big schools of snappers and different species of barracuda made us realize the paradise that is this beautiful atoll.
After a wonderful lunch on the outer deck of National Geographic Orion, we all had different options to choose from. Some of us explored further into the richness of this lagoon, taking advantage of the inward currents, with several drift snorkeling along different parts of the biggest passage.
Others went to visit the finest local black pearl farm, to know more of one of Rangiroa's main commercial activities.
We had a photo exploration of the village of Avatoru, led by naturalist and photo instructor David Cothran, along with National Geographic photographer Jay Dickman.
We were able to visit the main two islands in the atoll to interact with some of the friendly local people, sharing special moments with the children coming back from school in their school boat.
On this last evening recap of this leg of our voyage, our undersea specialist Mike Greenfelder showed us the footage he shot of our incredible snorkel and scuba dives. Also, one of our naturalists, Ian Bullock, gave an insightful talk about what the Lindblad Expeditions eye logo represents. Our guests watched a preview of what will be this expedition's Video Chronicle DVD. But the surprises of the day didn't stop there.
The excellent dinner was followed by a magnificent show by our trusted crew. They impressed the audience with their talents, which augment the excellent work they do every day on board of National Geographic Orion.
This night we bid farewell to our new friends at Rangiroa, setting our course towards the iconic island of Makatea.
This first day visiting French Polynesia reminded us of what this part of the world really is: a paradise.
