Swimming with the rays at Moorea
11 July 2008
Jean-mi, Karine et Nath
Nous avons profite de notre sejour a Papeete pour visiter la ville , nous rendre au marche artisanal et decouvrir les couleurs et odeurs du marche couvert. Mangue, papayes, petites bananes et legumes encore inconnus sont venus completer notre ravitaillement commence au Carrefour local. Les deplacements sur Papeete se font en "truck": mini bus ouvert et colore. Mardi soir nous avons assiste a l'ouverture du heiva ,fete polynesienne ou se melent chants danses et musiques traditionnels ....
Jeudi matin nous profitons de nos derniers instants a la marina pour laver a fond le bateau, faire les reserves d eau avant le depart vers Moorea: La premiere ile de notre periple a travers les archipels de la Societe.
2 Heures de bateau et nous arrivons dans la baie d Opunohu,mer translucide et turquoise ou plongent les pics aceres de l' ile. L' apr�s midi nous partons nager avec les raies, les requins pointes noires, et autres poissons tropicaux.Dans cet environnement assez suvage , les raies sont tres familieres et nous frolent des notre arrivee......a croire qu elles attendent quelques remerciement alimentaires pour leur docilite.
The first few days in Papeete were spent visiting the open market, the artisan's show, going around with the truck (sort of minibus), washing the boat a last time and filling the tanks with water and diesel before the departure towards Moorea. The trip was quick (around 2 hours) and the weather was beautiful, the arrival at the anchorage of Opunohu in the turquoise transparent calm water of the lagoon was a dream come true. In early afternoon, we went to see the stingrays, they are in hip deep water and very friendly.... Jean-mi had five of them right around him as soon as he got in the water and they were almost climbing on him!!!! We pet them and they are so soft...
The blacktip sharks luckily for us were a little more shy but looked majestic in the clear water, It was a lot of fun! We came back to the boat and had Orca III and Malachi came over for an aperitif (We tried the new Martini Blanco and all the girls loved it!), it was so nice to be altogether again, we kind of lost sight of each other during our stay in Papeete and we miss them a lot.... I am so glad we caught up with each other again.