Chasing fish in Toau

After a brief (read overnight) sail from Kauehi to Toau (Anse Amyot) we found a decent looking mooring ball in the bay and tied up to it. We were in about 50ft and the sea floor was littered with coral heads, so glad that there were mooring buoys. 

Post de-rigging the boat, we plopped in the water to cool off and to check the mooring. A refreshing swim around the bay (which is more like an old atoll pass that has silted up creating a bay that still has a bit of current) to introduce ourselves to the other 4 boats in the anchorage.

Looking into the atoll from the bay (from the top of Orions mast)

A couple of sharks swam rings around our boat. I don't know whether this was due to their fondness for our really cool boat… or its occupants.

A snorkel on the outer reef revealed beautifully clear water. We could see almost 150 feet away. We had not had such good clarity since Bonaire. On the outer reef, we anchored our dinghy in 40ft of water and the coral just shelves to well over 400ft. You peer down into the abyss wondering what is peering back at you…

On the motu (or island) that we had moored off of, live Gaston and Valentine. They are a lovely couple who own the island and speak good english. A bonus for us non French speakers!

Gaston and Valentine (and Orion)

Although the mooring balls are essentially a free service put in place by Gaston, it is courtesy to at least have dinner in their little restaurant (which doubles as their dining room too). We had a fine feed including fresh lobster and parrot fish (which until then I was always a bit indifferent about the humble pretty coral eater) - one of the few ciguatera free fish roaming the waters.

Lobster buffet!

During dinner, Valentine asked us and another 2 boats if we would mind helping Gaston the following morning catch fish. I did not need to be asked twice! I love this sort of thing. So the next morning, 8am we are picked up in a little work boat and we sped towards the shallow reef protecting us from the fetch in the atoll. We zoomed towards this reef at full speed and with a series of sharp lefts and rights navigated through some very shallow coral patches. Tom (Exit Strategy) and I were rather anxious as he proceeded through some tight and shallow patches, however there is no substitute for local knowledge! 

Once through the reef, it was another mile or two to the fish trap (a large V made of rebar and chicken wire used to herd fish into a primary and secondary chamber. The ones he had close to the island had been washed away the previous week by a rather windy few days that created quite a wave / swell in the atoll. 

We moored the boat in about a foot of water. Tom and I, wearing shoes stumbled across the shallows (1 ft) towards our positions. Gaston and another guy from the island as well as a French yachtie went and laid out a net to further enhance the size of the catchment area. The locals then started about 400 feet out throwing coral and splashing the water to scare any fish beyond the V, into the catchment area. Slowly they moved closer while we stood still. When any fish came near us, we splashed the water and chased them towards the chambers. Soon we could see the flashing greens of parrot fish. The group came closer together as we started moving towards the chambers splashing as we went. In the back of my mind I kept reminding myself that this was their livelihood and letting a fish get through means loss of income. Soon all the fish had been chased into the primary chamber and we could relax. Donning a mask, I took a look at what was in the chambers. I was amazed at the size of some of the fish. There was everything from large jacks, grouper and small (baby black tip) sharks to moray eels and of course the humble parrot fish. Gaston popped into the primary chamber and chased the fish in there to the secondary chamber (thus minimising the chance of them escaping through the opening in the primary chamber). Once done, hopped into the secondary chamber (seething with agitated - read pissed off fish including sharks) and started throwing out some of the fish he did not want. Most amusing was watching him catch a shark (bare hands) and launch him over the chicken wire and back into the water. You can almost see the shark shaking its fin at him in anger and cursing as it hightailed it out of there.

Time to pack up. The fish were to be left there another day or two as they would be gathered only when the supply boat came the following day. We went to collect the net only to find a few creatures stuck in it. A couple of parrot fish and 3 small sharks. After watching the local guy disentangle the shark from the net, I did the last one. It was great to pick up the little fellow (2 ft long) and feel the sand paper like skin. His little upside down smile said it all so I plopped him back in the water to terrify some yachtie another day once he got a bit bigger. 

All in all a great experience and the type of interaction with the local people that really make doing what we are doing so much more than just an extended sightseeing excursion.

One cannot go to the Tuamotus and not pick up a pearl or two. Gaston and Valentine used to own a pearl farm back when the world economy was in better shape. They had a few remaining pearls which they were willing to trade. Sally had a great time selecting a few lovely little pearls. Amazing just how something so pretty can be made by something quite ugly looking (the oyster, not Valentine!) The irregular shaped pearls had so much more character than the perfect ones (in our opinion). 

Black pearls we traded for

We desperately wanted to spend more time there. The people were great, the place spectacular, the water crystal clear. That night Gaston and the other guy were off lobstering. They pick them up off the reef just after dark (very different to how I used to do it in the Caribbean by diving down 30+ ft). I wanted to go along, but the wind was favourable and we needed to continue westward. 

What a magic spot, highly recommend it if you want to meet lovely Tuamotuan people in an idyllic setting. 

Family and friends