"My, my, my, Mr. Sperm Whale on the reef at Suwarrow, what big teeth you have." Fortunately, he was dead and couldn't lunch on anyone.
in fresh fish, as John is a consummate fisherman. In fact, he fishes most days, and is happy to take you along if you'd like to improve your skills. John and Veronica were kind enough to welcome us all into their home to visit, play games, and learn about Cook Island life. They also hosted social gatherings for cruisers. During periods of settled weather, John arranged day-trips to the surrounding islands. Veronica is a bit shy, but once you get to know her, you’ll never forget her infectious laugh and her kindness. She taught Susan some local palm frond weaving techniques, especially how to make palm frond boxes. Because Suwarrow is a national park, there is a one-time entrance fee of $50, and some rules have to be observed. The most important rule is that spear fishing is not allowed in the lagoon. John feels very strongly about this rule, and for good reason. There are many sharks in
the area, and they are instantly drawn to injured fish. Since his kids and visitors swim in the lagoon almost every day, the last thing he wants is a shark attack. In addition, John asks that all fish parts be dumped on the pass side of Anchorage Island, since the sharks like them as well. Most days the kids host a small gutdumping ceremony at about 5 p.m. This is well worth seeing, as sharks ranging from two to seven feet boil the surface just a few feet from shore. Usually you’ll see black tips, white tips and a few bigger and more aggressive grey sharks. John tells us that most of the island rules were suggested by cruisers over the years, so some may reflect the pet peeves of long gone sailors. However, John enforces them in a very rational way, so if there is some issue that seems to require a little rule-bending, it's possible to discuss it with him. One of the rules is that
you must obtain permission to anchor anywhere except Anchorage island. This anchorage provides good protection in tradewind weather, but when there was a forecast for a blow from the south and southwest, the crews of Daydream and Whisper asked for permission to move to the Seven Islands area on the east side of the atoll. John gave us permission, but asked us to be as careful as possible around the coral, to try not to disturb the nesting birds The diving among the on the islands, and coral at Suwarrow is to remember not to world class. spear any fish. Although anchoring a keelboat among dense coral pillars that rise straight up from 30 feet down was challenging, our stay at Seven Islands was a highlight. The water visibility in the area was approximately 100 feet, and the coral formations are the most fantastic we've seen anywhere in the world. Plus, the fish are friendly and the sharks timid. Needless to say, we enjoyed every minute we spent snorkeling. We ended up spending several days at this alternate anchorage while the wind blew from the south and southwest. While there, it was our good fortune to witness a near total eclipse of the sun. The end of the eclipse coincided with sunset, so we had the unique experience of watching the sun — which looked like a crescent moon on its back — descend into the sea. We were even able to snap a startling photograph of the two tips of the John and Veronica, who along with their four sons, manage Suwarrow. The hosts couldn't be more friendly or helpful. RENISSANCE
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