Some Whales…

The Burnetts have been thoroughly enjoying Aitutaki, an island in the southern group of the Cook Islands. This is the first new nation they have sailed to since arriving in French Polynesia in May. Once again Mel finds herself docked in a place she did not know existed one year ago. The world is so big, especially to the geography-impaired!

The Cook Islands are self-governing, but they are in free association with New Zealand, which helps with defense when requested.  This fact explains one of the wonderful things about this place: the islanders speak English! For the first time in a long while, we can get to know the locals on a deeper level than just, “Where is the bathroom?” After nights of feeling guilty for not doing a French lesson (an unsurprisingly ineffective way to learn French), being able to converse freely is like stepping into a hot shower after a cold swim.

The vibe here is different from French Polynesia. We feel like we are visiting old Hawaii, or the Exumas in the Bahamas, thirty years ago. On paper Aitutaki is similar in amenities to Bora Bora. Like Bora Bora, Aitutaki also possesses a beautiful lagoon with turquoise waters, humpback whale grounds, mountain hikes with lagoon views, and a busy on-the-water-tourism industry. However, the people here are different; lighter. The tourism workers seem happier; relaxed. They are more apt to smile, more interested in our story, and more open with their own stories. Removing the language barrier surely contributes to this ease in making connections, but it seems to go beyond that.

Fewer boats help. In the Societies we always carried a little stress created by the evident strain the large influx of sailboats placed on the French Polynesian infrastructure, which seemed incapable of responding to the challenge in any sort of organized, top-down way.  This stress is now gone, Mel realized, as she deposited a small bag of trash ashore, in a designated spot, and right by the marina, no less!

Another cool thing: Aitutaki provides one of the most prized experiences for a cruiser: NOVELTY. Even better: the novelty we experience here can’t be found in tourist brochures.  It can only be experienced by those who sail here, because the novelty is in the marina. 

It’s…weird.

The marina is currently being built and consists of piles of soil shaped into piers.  During the weekdays, various construction vehicles roll down the piers and move around giant piles of mud.  It greatly resembles what many a kid has built when given a shovel and Tonka trucks at the beach. To pack us in, we had to med moor (drop our anchor and back our boat in) for the first time since, well, the Med. Instead of cleats, lines are wrapped around concrete blocks.  There are several low spots in the harbor where mud and boulders reside. Once moored, usually with your stern 10-20 feet from shore, you use your dinghy to get to shore, typically by paddling or moving along your lines. There are no full-time, paid marina workers.

All of these quirks have prompted the cruisers to form a cooperative culture here.  Boat arrivals and departures are shared over WhatsApp so that line handlers and dinghies can be recruited from the docked boats and assist with mooring.  In this way you interact with the crews of other boats far more than you might at other marinas, and it is the first time since Shelter Bay Marina in Panama we have felt such a part of the cruiser community.  It is also the first time in months Mel has had to check a schedule, as she has a job now of sorts. Greg volunteered them to help run the marina!

Our time here has not been all work, however.  We have gone on humpback whale-watching tours, a lagoon tour, and an island drive.  The lagoon is stunning, as can be seen in the photos below, which also include some pics of our last days in Raiatea with Allie.  It is easy to fall behind when you take 300 pics a day!

Mel was hoping that by now she would have shared an amazing video or photos of a humpback whale gliding by.  Alas, despite two “swim with the whales”  tours, she is empty-handed. They were told that the whales in this nursery/ breeding ground were curious about snorkling humans and would often frolic close to them. Greg and Mel were hopeful to catch their own video of a breaching whale from 50 meters away, underwater. After all, they have donated to whale protection foundations for over a decade. Unfortunately, after chasing a “teenaged” male humpback around Aitutaki, who every 15 minutes would spout and flourish his dorsal fin to lure the boats to him, only to plunge into the depths whenever people jumped in the water, Mel drew another conclusion about our planet and its lifeforms:

“Some whales are assholes.”

–Mel

Can you see his mischievous smile? Here’s hoping the Burnetts will have better luck in Tonga!

Here’s our pics of Raiatea:

And Aitutaki: