Marty’s photo of the day #4927: You are looking at what might be my favorite place on Earth. Last November, while sailing on the Katharina in the Raja Ampat of Indonesian New Guinea, we dropped anchor and took a dinghy to an island with a narrow sandy beach. On the side of the beach to my back as I shot this photo was open ocean with a stunning coral reef, and on the side shown in this photo was a beautiful, protected lagoon. The lagoon also featured a stunning shallow reef that dropped precipitously into deep water about halfway out.
Adding to this strip of paradise was that the fish species differed somewhat on each side, and unlike some parts of Raja Ampat, which have strong currents, neither side had a noticeable current.
It was difficult to decide which side of the beach to enjoy. If Deb and I had a tent, food, and drink, we could have stayed there for weeks and been as happy as clams. Yes, there were lots of giant clams there, too. And they all looked blissful!