This evening, our first on Aitutaki, we had an amazing sunset snorkel at the airport beach. This area is one of my favorites for snorkeling on the island as it has an easy access from a beautiful beach on the northern tip of the island, and has a great diversity of fishes just meters from […]
We temporarily split our group up today so that the plane could actually get off the ground. Our first group left the Rarotonga Airport at 9am and the second group flew out at 10:30am. A mere 40 minutes later we touched down on Aitutaki. The island looked so amazing from the air with water so blue and clear. […]
My first couple days in Raratonga was similar to what I had expected – beautiful people, extraordinary marine life and white sand beaches. Our home was in a missionary boarding house, directly across the from beach. I made a few friends with the local dogs and pigs, snapping the shot below. So forth during […]
This morning we ventured from Rarotonga to Aitutaki, arguably the most beautiful island to ever exist in the South Pacific. As we approached the island in the very small (I mean VERY small) plane, the various colors of the lagoon became very apparent. As you passed over, the patch reefs and sandy bottom beaches became […]
I had the joy of observing one of my personal favorite invertebrate species today. The fiddler crab is an interesting crab species that is known for it’s oversized claw. Only the males have the large claw and use it to impress female crabs by waving. In order to avoid scaring the crabs, I sat and […]
Since arriving to the Cook Islands, I have been blown away by the beauty of the land and surrounding ocean, the friendliness of the locals, and the differing culture. The crystal clear water and the dense vegetation of both islands we have been on seize to amaze me. They are sites I have only seen […]
Our days spent on Rarotonga proved to be full of excitement and a great introduction to the Cook Islands’ culture. We were able to experience the 50th anniversary performances at the island’s auditorium. I have learned that the Cook Islanders have 3 names for coconuts and relied on the coconut tree for food, drink, baskets, […]
We discovered today that different sides of the island offer different sub-sets of the coral reef ecosystem. In Muri lagoon recreation is a high priority for most tourists. Look up and you will see a kite boarder zip accross the clear blue water or a family snorkel along the shoreline. However there is […]
We finally arrived here in Aitutaki, with our small airplane landing adjacent to the classic landing point of TEAL’s Coral Route (albeit on a terrestrial plane and landing on a tarmac rather than the surface of the lagoon). We proceeded onto our hotel… …where we got wind of the newest oil spill in Santa Barbara. […]
Having landed in Rarotonga a day earlier than the rest of the team, I took the time to try out my fancy new torch to excite fluorescent proteins. I began taking images during the daytime where it was very difficult to see fluorescence but nonetheless was there. Unfortunately I’m still processing the images so they’re […]
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