Ylang: stopover at L’Anse Amyot

We left Fakarava for the neighboring atoll of Toau and Anse Amyot bay. It consists of a pass which doesn’t quite go all the way through, with a sill of less than 8 meters which gives in to a closed bay 200m wide. It’s here that you find Gaston and Valentine’s house. The dozen inhabitants of this motu, all members of the same family, live by copra farming, selling fish and from passing cruisers. They have installed mooring balls for sailboats, which are free of charge for anyone eating at Valentine’s restaurant. But today is Saturday, and Valentine doesn’t work weekends. She welcomes us all the same, as we climb out of our dinghy. She explains that they get no less than 200 visiting sailboats each year! Anse Amyot is situated a few miles from “civilization”, which means Fakarava or Apataki, where they sell their fish or where they buy supplies.
We went snorkeling several times, and saw in addition to the colorful reef fish, Napolean fish, black-tip reef sharks and rays. Adrien went scuba diving with her father acting as instructor, while Martial and I dove on the outside of the pass.
Marie-Paule, Martial and Adrien on board Ylang Ylang.
www.levoyagedylang.com