Mid Mo 2

We dingied down to a different spot on the reef, further from the camp, that looked like we might be able to get to the ocean side. Avatar waits in the distance out in deeper, darker blue water.

The sand led us to an interesting coral path through the water.

It was like a sidewalk to the ocean!

The lagoon water ended here.

Looking back towards the lagoon.

Where the water ended we found a hill of large chunks of gray coral which are so hard to walk on. Our sandals have taken a beating from walking on these sharp chunks.

Over the gray hill, we find the ocean side of the atoll.

There were decent size waves breaking on the coral.

There are several layers to an atoll. The ocean level, the tide level (brown rocks), the sand layer and the gray coral chunk layer. Oh and don't forget the driftwood and sad plastic debris line at the highest tide line.

There were several short lengths of very large diameter polypropylene line. The blue one.

The white one.

The black one.

This is what happens to a plastic bottle that has been thrashed in the coral by the ocean.

Wind is still blowing from the ESE out there, but the ocean does not look too disturbed. And the coral is a lovely reddish color.

It is sad to see so much trashed washed up here.

I went to check out this crab, but it turned out to be just a molt of a crab, because he never moved.

Looking down into the tide pools at my shadow.

Mike grabs the camera to get s shot of me standing on that rock.

Waves crash on the coral, and you can see the curve of the atoll as the beach fades away in the distance.

We hiked back to our inlet where we left the dingy.

There were some very deep fissures in the coral. Not sure if it was from the island actually sinking as they say they do, or an earth quake? But each side of the line was totally different.

On the sidewalk going thru the middle lagoon, Mike notices something in the shallow water.

Several colorful clams! 

I thought these two shells were quite odd, standing on end. I did not see a snail in them, but there must have been one, how else could it stand up like that?!?

Selfie!

Between the two sections of coral, sticking up out of the water, we spotted the black tip of a black tip shark. Can you see it? (double click to enlarge)

Another amazing sunset at Makemo Atoll in the Tuamotu group of French Polynesia.