From birthdays on board to swimming with sharks

A special birthday onboard

Two weeks ago we celebrated the birthday of our amazing captain! Hooray for you, the sweetest, funniest and most adventurous captain, father and husband you could wish for! 🎉🥳 You may be 51 years old, but in your heart you will always be that happy kid on the playground, always ready for the next adventure. Thanks to your energy and spontaneous spirit, every dream comes true. Life with you is always one big party. We hope for many more years full of adventure, waves and crazy plans! We love you, darling! ❤️

As crew of My Motu we celebrated the birthday of our captain Jeroen on board Lille Venn , together with our friends from Freefall . It was a wonderful evening full of fun and good food. And to top it all off I even managed to make a ‘Dutch’ cheesecake for dessert! Thank you Lille Venn for making our captain’s birthday a special one! My Motu were able to celebrate on your boat, and also a big thank you to Theresa and Joe for all the fun. What a fantastic day!

On the way to Tahanea: diving and snorkeling

We sail further from Makemo to Tahanea, a place we have visited several times. Here we dive and snorkel again in the north pass, where we were once surrounded by manta rays together with Melissa and Jesper and where Jeroen, Rajesh and Ralph saw a hammerhead shark. This time we also go into the water several times. The manta ray shows itself again, and another group of snorkelers spots the hammerhead shark. No matter how hard we search, this time we do not see it.

With the whole group we sail to the other side of the atoll. There we end up in what feels like a natural swimming pool. The men can’t believe their luck. This is the perfect spot for windsurfing, wing foiling, or a combination of both. Theresa from Freefall and Wiebke from Flora get daily lessons from Ralph to also master wing foiling. Jeroen swims with three or four ladies every morning and Barbara has appointed Jeroen as our team leader. Almost every morning we cover 1.2 kilometers to keep our muscles awake.

In the evening, while we’re relaxing outside and enjoying the calm, Rajesh suddenly points out that the full moon doesn’t seem so full anymore. We look up, and it turns out we were treated to a spectacular natural phenomenon that night: a lunar eclipse! The weather was perfect—no clouds in the sky—so we were able to see the entire eclipse in all its glory. Rajesh had his camera ready and managed to capture this magical moment beautifully. What a special experience!

Night expedition in search of coconut crabs and lobsters

In the evening we go out to look for coconut crabs. But the beach is home to more than just these impressive animals – common crabs and hermit crabs scurry across the sand, and in the water we discover a lobster. This immediately arouses Jeroen’s curiosity: could there be more to find? Together with Rajesh and Ralph he undertakes a night expedition to look for lobsters. They find two, but that is not enough to make a meal of them, so they release them again.

Sailing to Fakarava

Actually, we don’t want to leave here yet, but as much as we would like to stay, we have to move on. Our next destination is Fakarava, where we can do some shopping and of course dive with hundreds of reef sharks again.

We sail all night with a steady 15 knots of wind from behind, which makes for a relaxed passage. Everyone enjoys the twinkling stars during the night shifts, and we hardly have to adjust the sails. We can even sail the pass under full sail, a rare privilege that makes the trip extra special.

Upon arrival, we drop anchor in front of the village. First, we take our time for lunch. Then we launch the dinghy and sail to the supermarket. We beam at the sight of cans of soda, fruit juice, a bar of chocolate and a bag of chips. Unfortunately, the supply boat has not yet arrived, so fresh fruit and vegetables will remain scarce for the time being. We will have to wait for that for another week, but not here. Tomorrow morning, we set course for the southern pass of the atoll, where Lille Venn, Flora and Freefall are also anchored. A new adventure awaits us here: diving with reef sharks. 

Swimming with sharks: from fear to more confidence

Sharks. The word alone conjures up images of sharp teeth, dark fins that slice through the water like shadows, and that ominous feeling that something large and unknown is swimming beneath you. But what if I told you that these impressive predators are now as familiar to us as the fish in an aquarium?

Since we arrived in French Polynesia, blacktip reef sharks, grey reef sharks and whitetip reef sharks have felt like our permanent neighbours. They glide silently through the crystal clear water. Their slender bodies reflect the sun’s rays breaking through the waves. Sometimes they swim curiously past our boat. While snorkelling, they come to take a look, only to disappear into the depths again. As if they are studying us just as much as we are studying them.

Sharks in Polynesian Culture: Protectors, Not Threats

For many people, sharks symbolize danger, but in French Polynesia they have a very different meaning. Here, sharks are not seen as monsters, but as protectors and even ancestors. According to ancient Polynesian traditions, sharks can be ʻaumakua – spiritual guides who watch over families. Some fishermen and divers believe that a shark following them protects them rather than threatens them.

This deep connection to sharks has helped to protect them. In 2006, French Polynesia became one of the first regions in the world to establish a complete shark sanctuary, protecting all species within 5 million square kilometers of ocean. This means that sharks cannot be caught or traded here, and ecotourism plays a major role in maintaining their populations.

However, not everyone is happy about the large shark presence. Local fishermen sometimes refer to the “taxman of the sea”, a nickname for sharks that demand a cut of the catch during fishing. This can be frustrating, but many Polynesians accept it as part of the natural balance. The shark takes, but it also gives: by maintaining the health of the reef, it indirectly provides the abundance of fish on which the community relies.

Reef Sharks: Guardians of the Coral Reef

The reef breathes. It pulses with life, a play of colours of corals, schools of frolicking fish and tranquil elegance. And there, indispensable in this balance, swim the reef sharks, the vigilant predators that keep the ecosystem healthy.

Despite their reputation as menacing hunters, reef sharks play a vital role in maintaining balance, protecting the reef from overcrowding and helping biodiversity to flourish.

In the depths of the reef, reef sharks move almost invisibly through the water. They are the silent guardians of this underwater world, always looking for signs of weakness. What at first glance seems ruthless—hunting sick and weak fish—is in reality an indispensable task. By keeping the population healthy, they prevent diseases from spreading, and the fish stock remains in balance.

Their influence extends further than that. The coral reef lives in a fragile balance, in which every species plays a role. One of the biggest threats is a suffocating layer of algae, which can slowly suffocate the reef. Fortunately, there are herbivorous fish, such as parrotfish, which nibble away the algae and thus keep the reef clean. But what if these grazers themselves are not protected? Without the presence of reef sharks, predatory fish such as snappers and bass would thin out their numbers unhindered, with disastrous consequences. The sharks, unaware of their crucial role, ensure that these herbivorous helpers do not decrease too much in number and that the reef remains healthy.

Their influence is felt everywhere. They maintain the balance between prey and predator, between weak and strong. Without them, the reef would turn into a chaotic arena in which a few dominant species gain the upper hand and diversity slowly disappears. With their presence, reef sharks ensure that no species becomes too powerful, keeping everything alive and varied.

Perhaps the most striking evidence of their importance: where reef sharks swim, the reef is in harmony. Their presence is a silent confirmation that the ecosystem is still functioning as nature intended. When reef sharks disappear, whether through overfishing or human disturbance, the reef’s foundation begins to falter. What remains is a reef that slowly dies without its invisible guardians.

Reef sharks are much more than hunters. They are the indispensable for a healthy reef, the guardians of a hidden world where every species has a place.

Are reef sharks dangerous to humans?

The ocean has its own laws. Sharks follow them instinctively. Yet they are often seen as a threat to swimmers and divers. But how justified is that image?

Recent figures from the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File (ISAF) (ipsnews) show that reef shark attacks are extremely rare, with only one shark bite recorded in French Polynesia in 2024.

What happens when a shark bites is usually not an attack, but a mistake. A quick movement in murky water, a fish just caught by a diver – a shark relies on instinct and can bite by accident. But as soon as it realizes it is not prey, it usually lets go immediately.

More confidence instead of fear

Where I once shuddered at the thought of sharks, I now feel more confident. I no longer see any threat in their lean, muscular bodies. No murderous intent in their eyes, but curiosity. Reef sharks are not monsters. They are the invisible architects of healthy coral reefs in the ocean.