The Blue Disappointment

0800 position 16-57S 177-22E. At anchor in the Blue Lagoon, Yasawa Islands, Fiji

Perhaps it is my preference for uninhabited islands and empty anchorages that jades my perception, but I don't get "The Blue Lagoon". Yes, it is a good and protected anchorage. It was easy to find too. All we had to do was look for the boats. There were eight other cruisers at anchor in the lee of Nanuyasewa Island when we arrived yesterday. There was also a 120 foot power cat full of tourists beached on the southern end of the island and a resort on the northern end. The cruising guides warned that anchoring was limited to the northern half of the island. "Blue Lagoon Cruises" has an exclusive use lease on the southern half of the island and its offshore waters. That's one I hadn't seen before, privately owned offshore waters. Different countries, different rules. We squeezed in between the fleet at anchor and the off-limits boundary (we could see the sign ashore) and dropped our hook.

I've read that two versions of the movie "The Blue Lagoon" were filmed here, and that's why it is so popular, but it is not as picturesque as a lot of other places we've visited. The cruising guides enthusiastically describe the many eating and drinking establishments scattered among the settlements around the lagoon, but say nothing about snorkeling spots. We've been watching the other cruisers for clues. They seem content to dinghy back and forth between their boats and the resort bar. My foot was bothering me so I stayed aboard, but the rest of the crew dinghied in to the beach yesterday afternoon to check it out. They returned in just a few minutes reporting that the resort was nothing special, a couple of bars, a restaurant, and some bungalows.

We've noticed that there is more and more civilization as we move south through the Yasawas, and this is likely to continue until we arrive at Musket Cove in a week or so. I'd better get used to it....

Then again, maybe my attitude isn't as positive as it might be because I've given up consuming alcohol for the time being to see if that helps me get rid of this pesky gout...

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