Location: Navadra, Fiji
What an amazing day today has been. I didn’t think we would be able to top the Manta Rays that we saw yesterday, BUT… Not only did it start with Kaleo blaring through the hallways, but we got to move Argo to one of the most picturesque anchorages most of us have ever seen. Getting into our spot in the lee of Navadra Island took a lot of coordination on board as usual. We had Riley and Niko out at the tip of the bowsprit, watching out for reefs while Steph stood watch atop the first spreader of the fore mast. Due to Argo’s size, communication relays (Gillian and Elle) are the glue between the lookouts and the helmswoman (in this case, Una). As we made our way in through the labyrinth of coral, I set up a scuba kit to jump in and check out our prospective anchoring spot. I have had this particular job quite a few times, and it’s often pretty exciting (and unnerving) being the first person in the water at a new site. I was happy to find incredible visibility and a sandy bottom, great for seeing and perfect for our anchor. After this recon mission, I surfaced to everyone calmly telling me that there were numerous blacktip reef sharks at the stern which were headed my way. I like sharks and feel incredibly fortunate when I see them, but in this particular moment, I felt very small, slow, and outnumbered. However, as per usual, these sharks were super chilled out and just curious about all of the noise that we had just brought into their cove. Once we were anchored, dinghies were launched, snorkelers were deployed, and a lucky few even got to enjoy the view from the first spreader. We saw nudibranchs, white tips, black tips, turtles, and loads of beautiful coral. Just when we thought the day couldn’t get any better, a few of us spent some time freediving the anchor chain with some friendly black tips. As the afternoon was winding down, everyone headed to the beach for some time to stretch their legs, touch some rocks and sand, look at hermit crabs, and even spot a sea snake! As the sun was setting, we headed back to our floating home and finished the day in our usual cockpit circle.
I’m not quite sure how we keep having days like this. The South Pacific is treating us exceptionally well, and we hugely appreciate our friend Geoff who recommended this spot to us.