Kelcey Chandler-Yates and Jim Yates present...

UnderSeaPhotoVideo.com

August 11, 2002 - Fakarava, South Pass
Having been here for 3 days and enjoyed the crystal clear water, today the tides were right to dive the pass.  I was not disappointed as once again a conveyor belt of sea creatures fed my optic nerves with pleasure.  I was the one on the belt of the tide but what is our reality anyhow!

First there were beautiful deep blue and turquoise waters highlighted by pure white sand spits and contrasted with the deep dark of the ocean beyond the pass.  As we moved into the pass we swept past schools of sturgeon fish and the unicorn fish armed with their pointy heads and wide eyed look.  Grouper were next, the 50lb variety with many different patterns to their multi-colored coats.  Next were a school of three to six foot barracudas who obstinately smiled at me as I generously photographed there bodies shimmering against the azure blue water in the distance.  Then the white tip reef sharks accompanied by a couple formidable Napoleon wrasses all of whom swam daringly towards my lens.  Next was the 100-pound variety of grouper showing their teeth as they lazed along the bottom.  More white tips, getting bigger as we go through the pass and then a Napoleon wrasse of the 200lb variety, HUGE!  As I surfaced, seemingly in a water glass, a large school of goat fish shimmered near the surface.  As I glided through the school, camera working away, I felt I had reached diver's nirvana.  Smile in hand, film spent and legs fatigued from a good workout I was escorted back to the boat.  A little chocolate and a nice hot cup of tea later, here I am grinning with joy.  One more day chalked up for paradise!

August 12, 2002
After the fudge we made last night it was a for sure that I was diving twice today-another wonderful experience. Chris and I were the first set of divers in, Nick decided to snorkel with the German couple we brought along and Jim and I will do another dive while Chris drives the dinghy later.  Here came the barracuda, then the grouper, then five eagle rays and throw in a huge manta for a different twist.  Then there they were-Sharks and lots of them-a huge school of over 100 of them flowing up over the upper ledge of the pass like water over a cliff.  It was spectacular-unfortunately not close enough to get a good photo but an eye full I won't soon forget none the less.  Turning back with the in flowing water I was greeted with their cousins-another fifty or more!  Only these guys were on a head on collision with me coming with in 3 feet of my lens!  And with in the frame over 5 of them with 5 eagle rays and a few barracuda for good measure-I frankly I lost a few great shot due to over stimulation And not deciding fast enough who to focus on!  It was great!  In addition, if all that wasn't good enough there were four Napoleon wrasses to greet us under the dinghy when we did our safety stop.  Smiles on our faces we relaxed in the Polynesian sunshine listening to the snorkelers stories.  Nick was able to pet the manta we saw off in the distance and had quite a long encounter.  He was thrilled!

August 15, 2002
Each day since I last wrote we have dove, some days better than others depending on the time we hit the current.  It is much clearer further into the incoming tide as the clear ocean water flows in through the pass pushing the plankton rich water of the lagoon back.  The animals were always the same except for the mantas who were occasional.  The animals also kept to their regions.  Nick and Jim dove with two mantas face to face for a third of one of their dives.  Nick continues to be in manta heaven!

Today Jim and I dove the outside shore of the motu we are anchored off of.  It was bunk but how would you know unless you did it! We got out exercise though. Today also we met people who own the motor yacht Starr. It is 75 feet of pure luxury. Crystal glasses and all-sure made me miss the comforts of home but I guess I'll just have to continue to suffer! Tonight we are invited to the catamaran next to us - a 47foot Privilege.  They are from Germany and were the 2nd Germans to circumnavigate on a private sailboat some 30 years ago.  He is a writer and they are both very interesting and love our kids.  He has been to the Tuamotu several times and did a movie of their adventures so they invited us over to watch it as well as for dinner.  We had them over for pizza last night.  They also flew a private plane around the world-you wouldn't know they were so gutsy but it is a blast listening to them.

August 17, 2002 - Jim's Birthday!

Woke at 6 and went skinny dipping-great fun as the anchorage was asleep and the water was totally calm - beautiful orange light against the thatch covered roofs and reflections into the crystal clear water - exceptional - then it was to the plunge - diving with the sharks - about 50 of them which makes it about third on the list but none the less fantastic visibility.  The kids loved it also-Bobby from Thalassa was with us and he drove the dinghy and snorkeled as he had a dive injury several years ago and doesn't dive anymore.  Great day-then I made home made cumin and garlic tortillas with black beans and hot pepper jack cheese-and it was hot-wonderful then began the birthday feast-chocolate cake with very chocolatey frosting and sea food fettuchinni.  That is the seafood we have been collecting.  Conch scallops, oyster muscles, wahoo and shrimp along with caned calamari and mussels and shrimp.  It was wonderful culinary delight if I do say so!  Karla and Bobby came over for dinner and brought several bottles of good wine.  We enjoyed it all-they are great-gives German a wonderful name in our book!  Now I sit here writing to you with the Stones blaring in the back ground while the kids and Jim wash and dry dishes-it is a glorious day-Jim should have more birthdays!

August 21, 2002
We continue to be anchored in Fakarava at the South Pass.  Seems we just can't leave paradise. Two days ago I was invited by some of the locals to travel by speed boat to the other end of the island to provision.  Fresh tomatoes, cabbage, lettuce, onions and even a yellow pepper!  The boys were in salad heaven-what two teen-age boys do you know that will eat as much salad with sprouts and veggies that you will allow them to eat!  All must be shipped in from Tahiti except for the sprouts, which we grow, so we felt very fortunate.  Tonight we are invited to their home, which is also a hotel of sorts for dinner.  They are beautiful people, physically also.

The Napoleon wrasses that we have been diving with have become accustomed to us and now come very close when we swim.  The also let us hand feed them when we are out of the water.  Today I took a very famous German author scuba diving and while we were diving found a cave with over 50 white tip reef sharks in it.  Chris was so enthralled he stayed behind videoing.  He would have climbed into the cave with them had there been room.  Tomorrow we will seek them out again and see about taking some good images as today I was a bit preoccupied with Bobby as he had not dove in many years and he had never dove in current so it took a bit of watching to keep him safe!  He was thrilled however and very grateful so mission accomplished!

August 22,2002
Dinner was a feast!  We had the unicorn fish Chris speared and a fish called an emperor fish as well as Jumbo clams in a curry and coconut milk sauce and poisson cru (raw fish in coconut milk) Then for desert a huge chocolate cake!  Yummy  They are delightful people and their lodge is exceptional.  Thatched hut with simple yet elegant arrangements of coral, local shells, leaves and flowers.  The fabric is Tahitian and each hut has it's own shower and bathroom with live ferns and no roof.

August 23-27, 2002
For the past few days we enjoyed diving the pass with the German couple from the boat Arche. He loves to dive and spear fish so Chris went with him each day spear fishing and I took he and Bobbie from Thallassa diving.    Bobbie has always wanted to dive a pass since he was here 35 years ago.  Oliver from Arche and I even collected snails from the outer reef, cooked, and cleaned them.  I served them in a Cajun cream sauce over noodles and all enjoyed it immensely.  Never thought I'd eat sea snails but I eat clams and these are no less gross than those are!-anyhow archer left today and we will miss them as we have shared every evening meal for the past week.

August 28, 2002
We now find ourselves at the north end of Fakarava where we dove the pass at this end.  Jim and I enjoyed face to face contact with a small pacific manta at 100 feet.  I easily could have ridden him if I was not so busy taking images of Jim looking down his throat!  The manta was fixed in place letting the current flow plankton into his wide-open mouth.  He didn't seem to mind us; in fact he accented in the water as we did when our bottom time ran out.  After that he hung with us for over ten minutes at fifty feet.  Dolphin and barracuda also accompanied us-another great day of diving!

Although the diving is spectacular, the south winds are terrible for the swell buildup in the anchorage. With no relief in sight we will leave for Toau tomorrow at day break to meet our friends on Thallassa and also the boys we have heard about who live on shore which are Christopher's age.