Sharks and other beautiful things

Moorea (pronounced MOE-oh-ray-uh and meaning golden lizard), another French Polynesian port, and another tender port, too.  Thursday, April 27, would be a good day for me here. 

A great way to start the day with jet skis winding their way through the water.

It’s a beautiful port, and we were anchored with a spectacular view of rugged mountains, beautifully-colored water, and a sailing ship right in the middle of all of it. 

No more gorgeous port have I seen.

Plus I had gotten a spot on a snorkeling trip … to be swimming with black-tipped sharks, rays and other fish.  I was excited to get to go, but there was daylight burning and my excursion wasn’t until the afternoon.

Stef and I got off the ship and wandered around.  What a beautiful place.  We walked a bit … beautiful flowers and streams.  Lots of lush greenery. 

The bougainvillea flower was named for European explorer Louis-Antoinne de Bougainville.

I have no idea what these are, but they sure are pretty.

And road side stands selling fruit and trinkets.  There were also some pretty buildings, and I was thinking about the difference between here and some of the other places we’ve visited.  I’m glad this was our last island before heading off to Hawaii, as this one certainly is my favorite.

I love all the little roadside stands.  There's so much character, and no one tried hard-pressure salesmanship.

Every direction is a postcard.

We walked by a fancy house.  I especially liked the decorative shells on top of the wall.

Dog fix.  But I didn't pet him. 

I did buy a pineapple from the dog's owner.  He cut it up for us and we ate it right there.  Yummy and so very sweet.  Would we get sick?  Nope, sure didn't. 

No trash in this little stream.

This was inside a little church ... beautiful.

This little dog was so cute with his dainty paws curled up. 

Clean and pretty.

Many think that the fictional island of Bali Hai in the movie, “South Pacific” was based on Moorea.  It’s small, 51 square miles, and I think it’s the most beautiful one of the Polynesian ports we’ve been in.  It was also exceptionally clean.

This young lady was watching the entertainment near the cruise port.  She was pretty in pink.

Then it was time for me to get along to my excursion.  I met up with the folks at the dock, boarded the boat and off we all went.  We rode by some fancy beach shacks where you could swim right outside the door.  They were pretty nice.  Maybe another time.

Beautiful turquoise-colored water that you couldn't wait to get into so you could enjoy all it has to offer ... snorkeling, paddle boarding, kayaking.  Wish we'd had more time to many more things here.

 

This is a place I wouldn't mind staying.  Unless there was rough water or a tidal wave, of course.

We came to a stop out near a kayak and when I looked down there were rays and sharks swimming toward us.  They feed the rays, but not the sharks.  Maybe we were their food? 

I got in the water.  It’s not comfortable for me, and I’m a bit slow to do it, but I did.  I wanted to swim with the sharks.  I guess I should have been nervous, but I wasn’t.  I was more concerned with a ray smacking me with its tail.  The guide was holding one and I went over to him so I could feel it.  He wanted me to put my fingers in its gills.  No thanks.  Just didn’t seem like something I wanted to do.

What beady eyes he has.

 

Shark heaven.

The rays and sharks swam all around and in between us.  None seemed bothered by us being there … of course, this wasn’t their first rodeo.  It was very cool, and I enjoyed it a lot.

Leg or thigh?

 

There were rays and sharks in abundance.  What a treat.

 

I even happened to get a shot of some other fish, one of 500 species in these waters.

Then we were off for the next part of the trip.  We were going to another area by a reef so we could swim around and see the coral.  We were told to be careful as the current is stronger, so I was always aware of where I was around the boat and the reef.  It was also fun, and I sure do like that warm water.

Goofy girl.

 

It seemed like I could right through this fish.

 

Lots of coral out here, and they say it's growing.  That's a good thing.

Then it was back to the ship.  Well, not quite.  There were a few pearl things I needed … earrings, little necklaces.  It was quite reasonable, and I do love my jewelry.

Then we were sailing away, Moorea in our rear view mirror.

We sailed alongside the reef.  There's a paddle boarder out there, waiting for a wave.

The sunset was spectacular, and just as thrilling as the island itself.

Our time here was up, and we had to get on the high seas to head to our next adventure, five days away … Hilo, Hawaii.