We had been waiting for the wind to abate for weeks and ironically, it died down on that day. However, it would have taken several days for the sea to follow suit, so we wouldn’t have been able to dive immediately.

The good news arrived before midday. The Transall was repaired and available so we would leave on the following day. We had to cancel the presentation of our results planned for the following day at the end of the afternoon, but we maintained the press conference in Saint Pierre, at the Terres Australes et Antarctiques (Austral and Antarctic Lands) head office on Friday. Michel Champon, prefect of the TAAF in charge of the management of the Indian Ocean scattered islands, sent a message to congratulate us.

« Dear Mr. Guérout,

Every day I read your reports avidly. Let me thank you and congratulate you and your team on this wonderful historical and human adventure.

What you’ve done is remarkable and fascinating. I was very willing to tell you that.
Congratulations to all of you and I look forward to meeting you again.

Saint Pierre, The Reunion.»

The team started to tidy their stuff up and think about the resumption of their usual activities. I walked past the television and saw with surprise that there would be 4°C in Paris on the following day, whereas here we were suffering in the midday heat. A pull-over would be necessary.

We had to accept the idea that we had to leave the island where we had lived a wonderful experience together. I was certain that many of us wouldn’t forget so easily the time when they got up early to watch the turtles laying their eggs. Neither would they forget the blue water at the limit of the reef slope, where they could sometimes see a grouper, a turtle or a shark.

Thomas Romon was in the kitchen preparing slated fritters for supper.