MY TOP 10 OF FRENCH POLYNESIA ; A look Back At My Favorite Anchorages and Experiences in Paradise.

Hello friends, my name is James and this is my 1965 Albert 30 Sloop Tritea. We are on a mission to sail around the world and see as much of this beautiful planet as possible. We are currently working our way through the South Pacific and I can't wait to show you everything we see. As my time in French Polynesia comes to a close, I'd like to take a look back. I visited eight islands and atolls, 16 anchorages, and sailed more than 450 nautical miles through the most exotic cruising ground in the world. And now I'd like to share with you my top 10 favorite places and experiences of French Polynesia. Number 10 on my list was my visit to Tiapu'o'o in Tahiti during the Tahiti Pro Surf Competition. To get to see this legendary wave just a few meters from its break was incredible. Seeing the world's top surfing pros riding it was an extra special bonus. Number nine, Bora Bora. The name itself conjures up images of the perfect South Pacific paradise. Let me tell you, its turquoise lagoon and dramatic landscape lived up to all the hype. From swimming in its sparkling blue waters to visiting the legendary Bloody Marys and walking on its perfect beaches, Bora Bora was amazing. Number eight on the list is the Coral Gardens of Taha. This is easily one of the most fun snorkels I've ever done in my life. The swift current sends you rocketing through the Hoa Pass as you swim through schools of tropical fish and pass amazing coral before climbing out, running back, and doing it all over again. Number seven, La Cloche de Hina Antiquihau in the Tuamotus. I stumbled upon this remarkable attraction and was enchanted by its mythology and the fact that I never saw another soul the entire time I was there. Walking through these incredible formations was more like being in a sculpture garden than on a lonely beach. These like lava features are so cool. Reminds me a lot of Iceland. There's this formation in Iceland called White Shirt, is the English translation, that I visited and it's like a very big version of this. This is really neat. Hina was the princess of Tiquihau. She would come down to this beach, strike a lava formation, it would ring like a bell, and the seas would fill in the shallow pools so she could bathe. Once she was done bathing, she would strike the lava rock again and the waters would recede back into the sea. The fascinating part about this story is the fact that the stone actually existed. It was a lava formation that would ring and resonate like a bell when struck. Number six on the list is the Manta Ray Cleaning Station at the Abandoned Pearl Farm in the lagoon of the Atoll of Tiquihau. This is one of those experiences I will never forget. After traveling two miles by dinghy into the lagoon, I found myself swimming alone with these large gentle creatures. Exploring the ruins of the Pearl Farm also added to the day's adventure. One that cannot easily be found unless you make your way into the wildest places in the world. Oh there's a baby. That's our spot. Let's get it. Number five was visiting the sacred blue-eyed eels of Tuihini. These remarkable freshwater eels with their bright blue eyes make them look more like characters from Game of Thrones than the equally as magical creatures that they really are. Number four on the list, the remote Motu Fama on Rangiroa Atoll. This was my first ever visit to an uninhabited Motu. I wandered around its palm forest, climbed over the razor sharp lava formations near the outer edge of the atoll, and explored the brilliant blue waters by dinghy. Number three, the magical island of Morea. I have never seen an island that looked more fantastical than Morea. I would stand on the deck of Traitea staring in amazement at its beauty, much the same way I'm sure Captain James Cook and his crew did when they visited these same waters. Number two on the list was taking my dinghy up the Fajaroa River. This was one of my most favorite things I've ever done in my entire life. I slowly motored up its length and then returned, drifting and rowing in silence. It felt like one of the true adventures we read about as children, something from a novel. The silence and the peace was something I will never forget. This is the kind of adventure it's all about. That is the most epic tree trunk I've ever seen in my life. That takes us to number one, snorkeling the aquarium at Rangiroa in the Tuamotus. When I think back about everything I did and saw in French Polynesia, this experience really jumps out. Shortly after getting in the water, I laid still on the surface while more than a dozen blacktip reef sharks circled below me. These beautiful and gentle creatures were swimming with grace in all directions. The fish variety in Rangiroa was unmatched to anywhere in the world I've ever snorkeled. Naming this place the aquarium made perfect sense and it did not disappoint. I hope you've enjoyed this look back at some of my favorite memories from French Polynesia. On next week's episode, we head back out to sea and make way for American Samoa. If you enjoy the content on this channel and would like to contribute, you can consider joining the Patreon crew. Thanks for watching. Fair winds until next time.