A Great Day For All Even Without the Sun


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Oceania » French Polynesia
November 3rd 2015
Published: September 5th 2017
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Geo: -16.8229, -151.447

It's 6:30am. I know because our wake up call. Outside I can see it's cloudy with drizzle. We are scheduled today for another snorkel tour, this time with Bruno's. These last half dozen stops are prime spots for water activities and great opportunities to see sharks, rays, turtles, eels and all kinds of tropical fish. Since Mom likes boats and we both like the warm, clear ocean water, it made sense to book the majority of our ocean activities during this time. Of course, the weather is something we can't book in advance and today, like yesterday, it's not ideal snorkel weather. The temperature is cool, less than 80F, breezy, threatening rain and no indication of any sudden change in the works. With no deposits paid on these excursions booked over the Internet, we could just blow it off but that's not our way so we have breakfast and, toting our swim gear, towels and cameras, make for the gangway at 8am. No tenders today or tomorrow.

Raiatea, which translates to "faraway heaven," was once the cultural and religious center of the Society Islands. Known in legends as "the homeland," many cultures believe that this is where the great Polynesian migration began, from which large double-hulled sailing canoes set out to colonize Hawaii and New Zealand. The largest of the Leeward Islands, Raiatea is totally surrounded by a reef but has several navigable passes and the only navigable river in French Polynesia. Raiatea shares a protected lagoon with the island of Taha'a. Raiatea is the second largest of the Society Islands, next to Tahiti. Discover fascinating underwater scenery within Raiatea's deep lagoon, which is rich with fish and surrounded by mountains. The island offers lush green valleys, numerous waterfalls and pineapple and vanilla plantations.

Ken & Sue are organizing this tour and we meet up with them and board the boat. Our skipper for today, George, lays out the itinerary for the day. A drift snorkel through coral gardens at two locations followed by a shark and ray swim out by the reef with a French Polynesian lunch on a private motu which will finish out the day's activities. We all agree and depart the harbor. It's a long ride to our first stop, a channel between two motus where the tide rushes through in its struggle to equalize ocean water levels. This area is rich in coral formations and, while there is no bright sunlight to highlight the beautiful colors, the soft light through the clouds is sufficient to allow us to make out the different colors in shallow waters. We walk from the boat into water only about a foot deep, exit onto a motu and then follow a path to the other side where we enter the water again. Here the current is moving about 5 mph. We follow our guide, keeping about 3 seconds in between snorkelers. I like it. There's no swimming, just float through the coral. The only problem is that you have little control of your speed or direction, riding along with the current. Coral rises from the seabed to within a foot of the surface so you must lay flat to glide over it. I find I catch up with the people ahead of me and I can't slow down without lowering my legs to brace off the coral, a great way to get cut up. Still traveling through the reef at a good clip. I carefully manage to slow down just enough to put some distance between myself and those ahead and we come out in the shallows near our boat where Karen is waiting. Want to try again? OK, I say. Hey, I'm a professional now.

Down we go again, this time it's a longer run. I wait longer this time, even after others are saying, "Go in. He said go in". Now I have a bigger gap and it's perfect. I turn on the GoPro and fly through the coral gardens, skimming over coral formations like Superman over skyscrapers. I even bank my turns a bit, now more like Tom Cruise in Top Gun. Alas, I soon catch up to the pair ahead so, placing my feet in front of me, I push off some Brain coral and slow myself to a crawl. Great. They've all passed me. Now I start again, all by myself. Getting somewhat out of the regular route, I slow some to reset my course when this huge moray eel comes out of the coral, takes a good look at me, then retreats. I continue shooting with my camera, then hightail it out of here to join my comrades. Responding to my eel sighting, others say they saw it too. The dangers of tangling with the sharp coral become all too apparent. George, an older gentleman from the ship, got caught up in the coral and his legs are scraped up, one of his water shoes ripped in half. Meanwhile, Mom has been playing with her own stingray since she stayed by the boat in the shallows with Betty. The crew tends to George's wounds and suggests he get some antibiotics when he returns since staph can reside in coral and create nasty infections.

Betty and her husband have been sick since yesterday when they went to the Hilton to spend the day. They think they ate something bad. To think we eat all over the islands, at houses, beaches, boats and restaurants and they get sick at a Hilton Hotel. Wow. Mom says Betty has a diarrhea problem. Watch out! I'm staying at the other end of the boat.

For the next drift snorkel run, we need fins and I didn't bring mine today. There are a few on the boat but the last pair I grab is ripped so I sit this one out with Mom, Betty and the guy whose legs are torn up. It's short and over within half an hour. Next stop, sharks and rays.

It's a long ride back toward the ship and the sea is a bit rough, spraying all of us as George shoots through the lagoon at high speed. We're all asking the question, "Do we really have to ride across a lagoon teeming with aquatic life to find sharks and rays? Aren't they everywhere?" So we arrive at this "secret spot". I see there's a small buoy where they tie up which tells me they come here often. Over the side most of us go as George chums the water. The bleeding guy stays aboard which is better for all of us. It turns out that this a great place. The coral is beautiful, despite the cloud cover. The rays glide about at the bottom, about 10' down, while the sharks begin circling, growing in numbers. I have both water proof cameras with me and my fingers move between them, sharks, stingrays, tropical fish and coral. It's a great spot. Then, from underneath this large coral formation, a large moray eel pops out, looking right at me. I take more pictures while he peers out of his den, extending his body several feet, then retracting again. Without fins, I can't dive down for a closer look and settle for pictures taken at the surface, about 10' away. Lots of fun here.

Our time is about over here when I realize that there's a problem. My GoPro is gone! I was alternating between the two camera, shooting stills on one and video on the GoPro and somehow the GoPro drifted off, untethered to my wrist. I see it floating above the coral about 15' away and cautiously make my way in its direction. Suddenly, George passes me up and yells,"I'll get it". He has fins so I defer to George and return to the boat. George is out there for a while and when he finally returns to the boat, he reveals that he was shooting a large moray eel in its liar. A quick check of the camera proves his video abilities and all aboard are quite impressed. Of course, I take all credit for the amazing footage.

When all are aboard again, we head to the motu for lunch. It's a similar lunch consisting of mahi mahi, pork, taro, noodles, fruit, salad and a great drink made from rum and tropical fruit. Mmmmm. We spend an hour here on the island and then return to the pier. We thank George and his buddy for a great time. Now, it's just a short walk to our ship.

We opt for a later dinner time since we can't take another show with that juggler guy. We're seated at an 8 person table and only one other couple join us. This lady, whom we've dined with once before, is all stuck up. I would call her a "Prune Face". She asks Karen if she's feeling better and tells her that she needs to find her "happy spot" which we don't understand and then they don't speak to us after that. They order special meals and when they're served, take a couple of bites and just leave, saying to each other that they'll have desert in the Lido. The waiter asks us what happened and we have no answer. I think the husband is OK, just that the women has a problem. I wish I could get a picture of her face. It's just like a cartoon, a little like Presidential candidate Carly Fiorina.

The show tonight is a combo act, Clarissa Spata, the high pitched opera singer and Adrian Dean, the funky magician. Both are repeat acts and we pass on the show. We check out our pictures taken the other night in our Halloween costumes and then call it a night. We have no excursions or plans for tomorrow in Papeete except to sleep in.


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13th November 2015

Swimming with the Sharks... Really ?? Who plans these trips ... I'd be afraid to even be on the boat as the Sharks circle little loan in the water taking picture. Wow you guys do some pretty amazing stuff . Glad your having fun!! Qu
eenie

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