Location: Ahe Atoll, Tuamotus, French Polynesia
Today, we had a great full day of diving and exploring the Tuamotus. Derek is the only Argonaut who is testing for his divemaster certification, so today, he set up and scheduled diving for the entire crew. Half of us dove in the morning, while the remainder dove after lunch. The rescue divers finished working on skills during this time. When we weren’t diving, we were allowed to head to shore to explore more of the atoll. The islands here are picturesque, and the little town is awesome to explore. The locals of the atoll are extremely friendly as we wander through the four streets the town has to offer. There are two businesses open that Argo has made a great impression on. Both of them are snack shacks. One has sodas and Famous Amos cookies, and the other sells banana coconut ice cream for 100 Franks (that’s about a dollar American). There is a surprisingly large amount of stray dogs on this island. However, they are extremely friendly to everyone walking by. It was rather unnerving when a pit bull came running up towards us until it started licking our hand. I saw some locals laughing as our new companion followed Nathan, Jen, Brennan, Connor, and myself around town. Before heading back to Argo, everyone onshore swam right off the dock in crystal clear waters with a group of the local kids. As skipper of the day, one important job is the squeeze question before dinner. My question was, “what is something you would want to keep in the forefront of your mind the last ten days of this trip?” I personally said to keep making memories with all my brand-new friends. It was great to see everyone with such a positive attitude as our trip comes to a close. Everyone had a smile on their face as their answers ranged from “staying in the present” to “remembering I am in the middle of the ocean in a place I will probably not be for quite a while.” Ten days from now, when we finally part ways, there may be some tears in peoples’ eyes, but I guarantee there will be a smile on all of our faces.