We've moved again today a whole 7 miles to a place called Bodufinolhu, a small water covered atoll in the southwest side of the bigger atoll. Wave crash into the west side making us really know we are at the edge of the Indian Ocean. Yesterday, we were in the middle of no where at another underwater atoll that if you didn't have Google Maps, you would have not even known it was there. that place is called Gorraalhuhau(03 36.730N 072.48.342E). As we glided through the calm water(no wind again) we could see the atoll on the Google pictures ahead of us but at water level, it was just flat ocean. Hardly a ripple anywhere. We entered it through the cut on the south side(depths of 20 feet) and dropped the hook where we saw a bunch of sand. We don't want to come up close and personal with a bommie. We launched Puff and took off with Karen from Yolo and had a great snorkel around the south side of the entrance. Nice coral and a bunch of fish. We try to use what current in the water is available to make the swim as easy as possible. "Drift Diving" or snorkeling is the easiest way to glide over coral and see a huge area in an almost lazy activity. Let the current be your guide.

This morning, after having a meeting on Yolo last night("sundowners at 1700) we made plans to come down here to Bodufinolhu. Both our anchors came up easily thanks to the sandy bottom and we took off. In a little over two hours we had the hook done again and I was diving on the anchor and surrounding area to make sure all we safe.

The day before yesterday, as we made our way to Gorraalhuhau, we passed a small deserted island. It looked nice and since Yolo was over an hour behind us(they had stayed and snorkeled) we changed course and headed over to see what it looked like. As we turned to port, we saw a big sailboat(full of tourists we found out later) coming toward the island from the far side. Once we turned, they really poured on the diesel and were trying to make sure they got there first. Water was peeling off the bow of their boat making waves behind them. They were in a BIG hurry!!! I don't think we have ever seen a sailboat under motor go so fast. We pulled up to the west side at about the same time they got to the east side. We slowly motored around the north side(again, we just wanted to look at the island)the other boat had the boat they ferry guests to shore in loading up with people to take ashore(one snorkeler). Instead of dropping their anchor, they just motored around the island till their snorkeler was done and then took off for another island. I hate to think how much diesel they burned to get there ahead of us.

Several days ago, as we headed across the atoll, we saw bags slowly floating along off one of the islands with a resort. As we got closer, we found that this is how that island get rid of it's trash. Put it in big plastic bags and set it adrift in the tidal current and let it float away. After a while, the plastic breaks and the trash either sinks or continues on. We've seen more resorts in this atoll that any of the past ones we have journeyed through and far more trash floating in the water. Once it leaves their island, it becomes someone elses problem. After all, if they burned it, it might upset the tourists that spend thousands a night to stay there.

We are about to take off on Puff and explore this sandy space in the water. Take a look at it on Google Earth and see what we are talking about.

The picture today is of some fish that posed for me a few days ago while we were out snorkeling.