Today we stopped in Bora Bora, and Dan and I went on a snorkeling expedition. Dan found this excursion through Trip Advisor, and it was one of the most highly rated activities in Bora Bora, so we were really looking forward to it. The day involved taking a boat to three different snorkel sites (with different types of fish at each one) and a traditional Polynesian lunch feast on a private little motu (a tiny island that was created when a spot of coral died). There was a group of 12 of us on the excursion and, like yesterday, it was fun to meet others from the ship.
Bora Bora and other Polynesian islands are surrounded by coral reefs that serve to protect the islands from storms, typhoons, etc., but to get to the really deep water, you have to go out beyond the reef. That was our first stop of the day, to swim with sharks.
Dan was really excited about this part, but I was less so. I figured I’d just stay in the boat and watch. Maybe take a few pictures. Our guide, Patrick, assured us all that the sharks in that area (black-tipped reef sharks and lemon sharks) were scavengers and that as long as we didn’t die in the water, we had nothing to fear from them. Well, I couldn’t pass up this opportunity, so I hopped into the water too. Even though it was about 30-35 feet deep, you could see all the way to the bottom. There were big lemon sharks swimming along the bottom, maybe about 7-8 feet long, and smaller black-tipped sharks swimming closer to the top. After spending so much time watching Jaws and Shark Week, it was really disorienting to be right there in the water with actual sharks, but it was such a cool experience too. I’m so glad I did it!
The second stop was to a much shallower spot, maybe about 3-4 feet deep, where we could snorkel with stingrays. As we were getting there, Patrick pulled out his ukulele and played us some traditional Polynesian songs while driving the boat with his legs.
The sun was out, we were cruising around Bora Bora, and it was just a surreal experience. The stingrays were a lot of fun. There were a ton of them, and they were probably between 3-5 feet wide. Patrick had little sardines that we could feed them. For someone who really only ever saw stingrays at SeaWorld, this was a lot of fun. The black-tipped sharks showed up again and swam around us before it was time to head over to stop #3.
The third and final snorkeling stop was to a lovely coral area where we could really see the wildlife underwater. There were all kinds of fish, in all different colors, and it was really peaceful underwater with just the sound of your breathing and the sight of all the fish. Until Dan tried to get my attention by touching my foot and I thought I’d brushed up against some kind of giant fish and started to frantically swim away. That was less peaceful! Patrick let us snorkel for as long as we wanted to, and it was nice to not feel rushed in any way.
After that, we climbed back into the boat to head to lunch. We took the scenic route, past all the ritzy hotels with their overwater bungalows (some of which looked more like mansions than bungalows) and got to enjoy the beautiful day some more. There was a minor mishap when the engine stopped, but we figured out that it needed more gasoline, so once that was fixed, we were on our way.
At Patrick’s family’s private little mini-island, or motu, we enjoyed a traditional Polynesian feast of roast pork, breadfruit, plantains, chicken with spinach, and assorted root vegetables, all steamed in a traditional Polynesian fire pit, along with grilled mahi mahi and tuna. Everything was completely delicious. I had to forgo the champagne, beer and wine that they served, but I did snag a Coca Cola Light, which was a treat.
After lunch, we had time to relax and make new friends with some hermit crabs before it was time to head back to the ship. One of Patrick’s cousins came along this time to play the ukulele for us while Patrick drove the boat. All in all, a perfect day in Bora Bora.
Back on the boat, it was time to clean up and get ready for dinner. After my abrupt departure from the dining room the previous night, we were looking forward to seeing Mimi and Robert again and actually having a conversation with them. They are such a nice couple, and it was entertaining to hear about their lives in Canada. After dinner, we caught a comedy show. The bulk of the audience thought it was hilarious, but I think we need to wait about 30 more years before we find it as funny as they did. Our day of sun and swimming wore us out, so it’s time for bed now. Tomorrow is our first full day at sea, so we are looking forward to exploring the ship some more and doing some relaxing!
