The Ultimate Wave Tahiti Page #2

the flank of the island.

Pounding waves and surge

help pump dissolved gases

and nutrients

through the coral gardens,

creating a density

and diversity of life

otherwise impossible

in the warm,

nutrient-poor waters

of the South Pacific.

I love coming

to Tahiti

because its reefs

are still healthy

and filled with life.

But the ocean is both

warming and absorbing CO2,

becoming acidic.

Sooner or later,

if we aren't careful,

we will destroy the reef

and all that goes with it.

The fish, the people

and the islands themselves.

I've seen reefs damaged

all over the world.

This world

of light, energy and life

is made possible

only as a result

of the volcanoes that

formed these islands.

Without them,

these islands would be

10,000 feet deeper,

near freezing,

and locked in

perpetual darkness.

Here in the vast wilderness

of the South Pacific

is an oasis of

extraordinary life,

a world of vibrant beauty

that has already vanished

from much of the planet.

Yet here the reefs

still sustain

and inspire

the people of Tahiti,

and enchant visitors

from around the world

who come to dive,

snorkel and surf.

The diversity of life

in this place is tied

to the corals.

They provide habitat

and nourishment

to both the smallest creatures

and the greatest hunters.

SLATER:
People worry

a lot about sharks,

but I don't give them

too much thought,

unless you were

to fall on the reef

and are bleeding in the water,

that's not good.

You should probably

get out of the water

pretty fast.

Raimana loves

the paddleboard.

He can stand up and

see the waves coming,

and of course,

Tahitians are the world's

greatest paddlers.

When the wind

is north- northeast

and the waves get

at least three feet

and building,

then it's time to go surfing

and everybody knows it.

People ask me

what makes Kelly so good.

I think he just loves surfing

more than anyone else.

He never takes his eyes

off the waves,

always studying

and thinking about

how he can be better.

Our culture is

all about the sea.

Terrible storms and typhoons

have killed many people,

and their spirits

seem to be with us

all the time.

We have great respect

and fear of the power

of the ocean.

Sooner or later,

all the villages have felt

the anger of Ruahatu,

the evil god of the sea.

over the centuries,

countless ships and

their crews have been

driven to their doom

on the shallow reefs

of these volcanic islands,

victims of

the storms and typhoons

of the South Pacific.

on the sea surface,

wavelets form,

shaped by turbulent air.

The water itself

moves little,

but its motion

will transfer energy

over great distance.

Small waves collide,

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