Spotting a whale from a paddleboard when diving with it is off-limits
Lauren Landers Sailing spots a whale while out on her paddleboard and describes the bittersweet experience of being so close yet unable to get in the water with it. Regulations in the area prohibit diving with whales unless you are with a licensed operator, so she paddles toward the break to watch it surface from above. The whale sprays at the surface for a minute or two, but she and nearby snorkelers only catch around 20 seconds of it. She watches licensed divers nearby and notes how lucky they are to have that access, capturing the tension between conservation rules and the desire for close wildlife encounters.
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Sharks are not mindless hunters, they are among the smartest animals in the ocean
Lauren pushes back on common fears about sharks. Sharks are not mindless creatures that just eat whatever is in front of them. They are actually one of the smartest animals she has ever been in the water with. In fact, it is common to strug
After 50-100 dives, the crew finally spots a tiger shark in the pass
After days of searching at the atoll, the crew finally achieved their goal. Lauren explains: "We probably dove that pass 50 to 100 times to find this one tiger shark. So, we did it." The sighting was brief but thrilling. Lauren estimated th
Sailing to Tahiti with a pet: check in before going ashore
If you arrive in Tahiti with a pet on board, the animal is technically not allowed off the boat until it has been officially checked in with the relevant authorities. Lauren notes that for cats this is not a particularly stressful process,