October 2009

Hello everyone,

Hello everybody
For once, let's be optimistic, one doesn't have often reason to be when it comes to the condition of coral reefs, that are greatly damaged by climate change... Well, here in Polynesia, after years of massive destruction, from Moorea to the Gambier islands, via the Tuamotus, due to global warming, to seaweed proliferation or excessive pearl farm exploitation, it happens that for the past two or three years, we have seen many young sprouts of coral grow again, often on large masses of coral that have died a few years ago. : one can certainly talk of cycles.

So I have chosen for this short letter to send you from our refuge in the Tuamotus a few colourful photos taken two weeks ago, of corals and other sea creatures in good health : young corals with bright colors, pink or mauve. Pretty little Christmas tree worms, a very strange creature known in Polynesia as "coussin de requin" (shark's pillow) : it is in fact a sort of giant urchin ; plus two photographs of your favorite tropical sailor aboard the lively ship that takes him to the places where one can see all these things, or taking care of the island's beaches.. and , as a bonus, a young fairy tern.

It will soon be "back to school" : on october 13th, we will be on board an airplane taking us back to France to introduce our new films and our new book of photography to be published by Gallimard.... So, see you soon.

Antoine