Rongerik Atoll
29 December 2011 | Marshall Islands
Wonder where the rest of the boat is.
We snorkeled on the coral heads inside of the lagoon. The coral was plentiful but in some areas it was dusted with sand from the nearby barrier reef. The fish populations were not as abundant as we had hoped but the number of groupers were greater than anywhere else we have visited in the Marshalls. The water is so warm and clear there is not much plankton to support life inside the lagoon. On the outside of the windward side of the atolls, where the plankton nourishment is greater, the reefs are more vibrant. There is enough plankton to feed the giant clams. The largest of the giant clams in more than 3 feet across; nearly as big as the largest on the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.
Still, the diving is better in the Bahmas and better at a few selected spots on a remote atoll in the South Pacific. That name I will pass on mentioning.
We snorkeled on the coral heads inside of the lagoon. The coral was plentiful but in some areas it was dusted with sand from the nearby barrier reef. The fish populations were not as abundant as we had hoped but the number of groupers were greater than anywhere else we have visited in the Marshalls. The water is so warm and clear there is not much plankton to support life inside the lagoon. On the outside of the windward side of the atolls, where the plankton nourishment is greater, the reefs are more vibrant. There is enough plankton to feed the giant clams. The largest of the giant clams in more than 3 feet across; nearly as big as the largest on the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.
Still, the diving is better in the Bahmas and better at a few selected spots on a remote atoll in the South Pacific. That name I will pass on mentioning.
It was nice seeing some black tip sharks and several turtles, signs of a healthy reef. The sharks were small and would circle around to see who we were and if there was any free food floating about. I stayed close to the dinghy but never felt threatened. We saw at least one turtle each day who was curious to see who the newcomers were and silently glided by giving us the eye. Beautiful. One day we saw a large school of jacks that just couldn't get close enough to us. The school of thousands would swim directly at us. The swarm would open within arms reach and pass by to the sides, over and below us, eyeing us over but never quite bumping us. Just like the sharks, they were looking for some handouts from the biggest fish in the pond.