Things to Do in Tarawa in February

February's calmer lagoon winds and reduced runoff mean the water clarity is often extraordinary. You'll float above gardens of staghorn coral where parrotfish crunch audibly and the electric blue of triggerfish flashes like neon. The midday sun, fierce at a UV index of 8, penetrates deep, illuminating the sandy bottom 10 meters (33 feet) below. The trade-off is that afternoon squalls can whip up the surface quickly, so morning trips are non-negotiable. Set the alarm.

The cooler early morning hours, before the heat haze shimmers off the coral rubble, are the only sane time to walk Betio's battle sites. The rusting hulks of Japanese coastal guns at the water's edge feel hotter than the air, and the sound of waves on the reef mixes with the chatter of myna birds in the ironwood trees growing through tank traps. February's lower humidity makes this exposed, poignant walk more bearable than in the deeper wet season. Start early.

This is the time of year when veteran navigators, or *tia borau*, often share knowledge, as the weather patterns are shifting. You might learn to read the subtle swell patterns on the lagoon or tie the complex lashings of an outrigger canoe (*bauro*) under the shade of a breadfruit tree, the scent of freshly sanded *kanawa* wood in the air. It's a hands-on, textured experience far removed from any museum. Listen hard.

The rain-filled ponds along the Tarawa causeway become magnets for migratory shorebirds in February. At dawn, the air is cool and filled with the high-pitched whistles of wandering tattlers and the softer calls of Pacific golden plovers. The light is soft, the mosquitoes are minimal, and you can stand quietly on the crushed coral roadside watching birds that have flown from Alaska and Siberia. Bring binoculars.