Friday, 5 Sep 2008
The Fish Beneath My Feet
September 4, 2008
We wake up early around 7am to eat breakfast early. This morning’s 8:45am excursion includes shark feeding and as we would find out later sting rays and also snorkeling in coral reef.
My primary concern was the temperature of the water first and then the potentially dangerous animals with which we would come into contact. The temperature concern stems from touching the water from directly underneath our bungalow which was surprisingly cold to the touch. My estimate puts the water around 74 degrees. Preferably I would have a 1/2 skin suit but as luck would have it I left it at home…
As we dove into the water, the water was chilly as we had expected, but our attention was immediately diverted to the school of sting rays that had gathered by our boat as a result of the fish we were feeding them. They were about 2-3 feet in width and all floating effortlessly through the water. My surf-sense kicked in and immediately I was doing the “sting-ray shuffle” as I was afraid of stepping on them since the water was only chest-high. Only moments later, at lea one of the rays brushed against my feet/legs as I was moving around. Teeth-chattering we swam with the rays and after one of the guides caught one and held it tight, I even touched one and kissed one…
30 minutes later we were outside the atoll of Bora Bora and in deeper water. Diving in I was awe-struck by the amount of sea-life directly beneath my feet. The guides had already begun feeding the fish and I was in the presence of about 10 black-tipped reef sharks. These guys weren’t big, only about 3-4 feet in length. Lurking about 20-30 feet below however were several Lemon Sharks. These guys are supposedly 2-3 meters in length and have mouths that can envelope my shoulders as I’ve been told. Luckily for us they stay at the bottom of the ocean. Should they ever come to surface, we’d be in deep trouble. In addition to the black-tipped reef sharks were the remoras and various other fish that they brought along for the ride. This was the first time I had ever been knowingly in the presence of sharks. Ironically however, I was much more at ease with these guys than with the sting rays. We swam with the sharks for about 15-20 minutes before we headed off.
Our last stop brought us to a section of the Bora Bora atoll where there were more coral reef. As I got into the water, I was careful not to step on the reef, scrape my knees on the reef, or come into contact with any sea urchins. I saw reef-life galore! I found Nemos (clown fish), puffer fish, sea cucumbers, and dozens of other fish for which I don’t even know the names. They were gorgeous and I was having tons of fun swimming in their presence. With the underwater disposable camera that we bought, I pretty much “emptied the clip” with pictures of the coral reef.
All in all this was an unforgettable excursion. The guides were great; friendly and humorous. I would totally recommend this experience to anyone who is in Bora Bora or Tahiti!
