Sharon had arranged a tour for our group of 17 to take a boat to the Blue Lagoon on the other side of the atoll from where our cruise ship had set anchor. It should be noted that tenders (small boats that shuttle passengers – the ship’s lifeboats are typically used) are required to get people ashore from the cruise ships on most all islands in French Polynesia because there are very few docks large enough to accommodate the large cruise ships. We would have to meet every morning in the lounge to collect tender tickets for everyone in our group so we could all arrive at the same time. The tour company, Arava Excursions, was at the pier to meet us when we got off the tender. They had two boats for our 17 people and our guides were all family members who seemed to really love their job and showed us a great time throughout the day. Sharon made a great choice with this tour operator, and we plan to use them in the future if possible.
We quickly left the dock, and they took us outside the atoll briefly to see the only large water way to get outside the lagoon where our cruise ship had entered. The waters were a little rougher outside the lagoon, but we were able to see a few dolphins in the area. We then went back into the lagoon where we picked up speed and started racing towards the other side. There was one very small islet in the middle of the lagoon where we stopped briefly just to get a quick glimpse of some Manta rays in the shallow water. We then headed off and didn’t stop until just outside the Blue Lagoon where we were able to see many black tipped sharks in the clear water. About half of our group did some snorkeling with the sharks but these sharks didn’t seem to want to get too close to the swimmers.
The guides then took us into the blue lagoon with our motor mainly up since this Blue Lagoon was only 2-4 foot in depth and you had to follow a very specific path through the deeper areas. We stopped about 100 yards or so from one of the Motus and waded to it in water that was a foot to two feet deep but had some coral patches you had to avoid. Once on the Motu people went out to explore other areas of the Blue Lagoon which was very large with a light green color due to the shallow depth. It was like a little atoll within an atoll and this inner lagoon was extremely shallow. In one area of this lagoon was a picnic table with a thatched roof where people sat and took their pictures. You could see some fish swimming around and some patches of coral. After exploring the area, a little we were led to another Motu, once again wading through the very shallow water. While we had been exploring, our guides had been starting to cook lunch. They had tuna and chicken roasting on the grill and there was something else being cooked that we weren’t sure what it was. It turned out to be coconut bread and it was delicious. Everyone there must have eaten at least one full loaf of this bread. In addition to the fish and chicken, they had previously prepared a salad and a raw fish dish. They served all of this up with the local Hinanu beer which is very good. The meal was excellent, and everyone really enjoyed it.
Prior to sitting down to eat some people had noticed an area right off the beach where there were 30 to 40 black tip sharks just swarming around an area that only had water that was about 2 feet deep. After taking many pictures, some of the group wandered into the water to get some more pictures with the sharks. After dinner we even brought some of the raw fish salad that wasn’t eaten and fed it to the sharks to get even better close ups of us with the sharks. Our group was obviously getting very used to these sharks, but it still probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do. They still can bite if provoked or enticed.
After lunch our guides did some demonstrations of making straw hats and straw purses. Also, some of our group were enticed to try some Polynesian dancing but we must admit that no one in our group was really too good at it. While we were eating, some of the guides played the ukuleles and sang. They were excellent performers and really seemed to love entertaining us. We certainly enjoyed watching and listening to them.
It was then time to go, and we went back out to the boats, wading again through the Blue Lagoon. On our way back to the ship we made one other snorkeling stop at place they called the “Aquarium”. The more we cruise in French Polynesia the more we find snorkel spots that are called the “Aquarium”. This particular spot did not have a lot of colorful color, but it had fish – a lot of fish! There were hundreds and perhaps thousands of different types of fish there. You didn’t even need to get off the boat to see them. You could see hundreds of fish swimming around and under the boats. This was a popular place to go and there were at least 10 boats in the area. The tender dock was only a 5-minute boat ride away and there were boats shuttling cruise passengers to and from the dock and snorkel area frequently. This was one of the few tour options that ship had at this island. The ship had no tours to the Blue Lagoon which was a shame since it was a nice area to visit. That is why we arrange our own independent tours. Our tour probably cost less than the ships tour that spent an hour snorkeling at the “Aquarium” while we spent the entire day on a great tour. It is a shame what cruise lines charge for there tours and what you get for it.
We had a great time and would certainly do it again if we have the opportunity. Seven of us will be coming back to this island on the second half of the cruise and we are supposed to tour with this group again to a different area.
Regards,
Sharon and Greg