Tons of coral

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Of course we knew it theoretically - our islet is a reef. But it is still a special feeling to stand with your bear feet on a beach that obviously consist of tons of corals.

The island of Bora Bora itself is an extincted volcano. Around it corals built a ring that turned into a reef and became more and more massive. Millenniums passing by the volcano sunk into the ocean creating distance to the reef. The reef on the other hand got so wide that plants and animals saddled down on it. This way the beautiful geography of Bora Bora developed into its current formation with the shallow, turquoise lagoon and the ring of islets (motus) around it. From our bungalow on the motu we are directly looking onto the main island with its amazingly rough, double peaked silhouette.

Turning around we reach the outer beach on the pacific side after 150 metres. Here the picture is completely different. Dark blue ocean. Foaming waves. The strong noise. And then you are wondering somewhat annoyed why someone put this chunk of concrete on the beach, and another one there and there and - wait a minute! It's corals!! Yes, it is corals, age old, grey-brown corals stretching along the cost as one massive bit. Coral polyps built this structure during generations, leaving dead limestone behind them when dying. On the lagoon side it is not at all obvious but here on the outer coast there is no fine sand. Above the massive, old reef part there are tons of lose corals, also those greyed and pretty worn out. This is nothing you would normally see in a tourist brochure.

For us coral was always associated with something fragile and beautiful. Seeing it like this it's hard to keep that image. The massive structure reminds you more about bricks and stones. Also the lose bits are extremely stable. You throw them on the ground, nothing happens.

Of course the structure continues under water - the living reef. Here is all the color and beauty you can imagine. But more about that in another blog post.

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