BORA BORA – FISH, FIRE, and FOOD: PATRICK’s TOUR

Ever since we first cruised to the South Pacific, we have heard of the Maohi Nui Excursion better known simply as “Patrick’s Tour”.  As soon as you join a Cruise Critic roll call with Bora Bora on the itinerary, someone will probably have already taken charge of coordinating participation on Patrick’s tour.  The tour usually sells out instantly and if you are not one of the early bookers, then the waitlist is your only chance.  The tour usually operates with four boats each holding 12 people.

By the time we booked this cruise, Patrick’s tour was long sold out and people were discussing their boat assignments and the details of the excursion.  We don’t normally book snorkeling tours, but since this cruise was predominantly in the South Pacific we took the plunge, went to a local San Diego dive shop, and picked up everything we would need to enjoy snorkeling:  Mask, Fins, and Snorkel.  We also got some dive boots, but when you wear fins, you don’t really need the dive boots.  And before the cruise had started, we had cleared the wait-list.

A few days ago on Taha’a (Raiatea) we jumped into the water for the first time and had a wonderful time on Bruno’s tour.  Nevertheless, we were looking forward to “Patricks Tour” as everyone we spoke with LOVED this tour and some said that Patrick’s Tour was simply the best cruise ship tour EVER.

That’s a high bar.

A PERFECT SUNRISE FOR A PERFECT DAY

Bora Bora is a tender port, and the Tour starts early, around 8:00 AM.  Normally this requires getting up early to queue up for the first tender tickets.  This was our second day in Bora Bora so there wouldn’t be the usual rush for tender tickets on the second morning of an overnight visit.  Fortunately, our tour coordinator was able to arrange for our group of about 50 people to assemble in the Lincoln Center and then go ashore on a single tender.  You can’t always expect HAL to help get private tour groups consolidated onto a single tender, but they did in this case, and we appreciated it very much.

Once ashore, we all met near the water directly across the Bora Bora Visitors Center sidewalk.  Colorful Catamarans, with yellow hulls and red trim, raced across the harbor and moored alongside the dock.

PATRICK

Heifara “Patrick” Tairua jumped onto the dock, and we all gathered around.  Smiling and gesturing, Patrick flashed a wide smile and welcomed us to Bora Bora and his tour.  We quickly separated into our prearranged groups, and everyone found their Catamaran as they all moored at different spots.

We were in boat #4 with Driver, Terri, and his son, Pano.

Here is a map that shows the 6 stops along with the time at each stop.  Here is the breakdown of how we spent our time (times are approximate):

TOUR MAP

NOTE:   Total Time in boat transiting to the various stops:  3 Hours
Maximum time in the water at three snorkel stops:  1 ½ Hour
Maximum time in the water for two other water stops:  1 Hour
Time on the Motu:  1 ¾ Hour

STOP 1: BLACKTIP REEF SHARKS, BUTTERFLYFISH, AND MANTA RAYS

A few minutes before 8 AM Terri aimed our boat west and our outboard motor pushed us thru the water toward our first spot.  Patrick advised us earlier that due to sea conditions outside the reef, we would be staying closer to shore and would not see the larger Lemon Sharks.  Twenty-five minutes later Terri slowed our boat and started to circle, looking down into the water for sea creatures.  We meandered in the same area for about 15 minutes until Terri spotted some Manta Rays, slowed, and tossed out the anchor.

The water in this area was around 4-10 feet deep, very warm, and had a noticeable current.  I recommend wearing fins as they will help you move around and tread water.

Blacktip Reef Sharks, Threadfin Butterfly Fish, and Manta Rays surrounded the snorkelers but ignored our presence.  Later I noticed that Terri was tossing some baitfish into the water which encouraged the fish to swarm around our boat.

Terri attracted a Manta Ray and invited us to get near and run our hands along its back.  It was very firm, yet soft.

There wasn’t a fixed time for us to stay in the water, but everyone seemed ready to get back in the boat after 30 minutes.

STOP 2: THE FISH ARE MY FRIENDS

Terri drove our boat in a counterclockwise direction around the island for about 45 minutes.  When we were established on a steady course, he would sing a song while playing his ukulele.  Unlike our first stop, where we circled for a while looking for sea life, for our second stop we headed directly to a predetermined location where we moored to an anchored buoy.  As we were preparing to go into the water, Terri passed out small chunks of French bread.  At first, I thought it may have been a midmorning snack, but then realized that we would feed this bread to the fish.

I stuck one piece of bread in my pocket while holding the other and climbed down the ladder into the water.  The water was between 5-15 feet deep and crystal clear – you could easily see the bottom.  The fish knew it was time to eat and we were swarmed with Threadfin Butterfly Fish and Blackspot Sergeant fish.  I was immediately the fish’s best friend – at least until I ran out of bread and then they were off looking for new friends nearby.

After the fish moved on but were still in the area, I had more time to examine the seabed.  Someone had spelled out “I LOVE BORA BORA” in stone on the bottom – neat!  We were back in the boat after 25 minutes and moved on to our next stop about 10 minutes away.

STOP 3: MANTA RAYS IN DEEPWATER

Unlike our first two spots, the water for our third stop was much deeper, over 20 feet in spots.  There weren’t any fish close to the surface, but I did spot a formation of Manta Rays moving quickly along the bottom.  I gave chase for a few minutes.  Another snorkeler was able to get a little closer as seen in this photograph.

NOTE:  All of the underwater pictures were taken using a GoPro Hero 7 Black shooting video at 2K – I was able to grab some frames for still images later.

With such deep water and so few fish, we were all back in the boat after about 15 minutes.

STOP 4: THERAPEUTIC SAND BATH?

Our 4^th stop was in waist-deep water with a silky sand bottom.  We were told that this location was not one of their regular stops but since we had to cancel going outside the reef, they substituted this stop instead.

There weren’t any fish here, but we did get out and stand in the water and use the fine sand as a poor man’s therapeutic sand bath.  Terri handed out beer and soft drinks that we enjoyed while standing in the warm, crystal-clear water under a perfect Sun.

Twenty-five minutes later we were back in the boats and motored off to Patrick’s private MOTU for his special lunch and entertainment.

STOP 5: FOOD

We could walk off our boats onto the MOTU without getting our feet wet.  Patrick’s team had been here for hours getting ready and their activity picked up once we arrived.  Beer, wine, and soft drinks were available under a shelter.  People who had been here before were starting to chatter – “He’s going to open the oven!”  Patrick called out – that it was time to open the oven and everyone should gather around a covered pit, better known as a Tahitian Oven.  After some explanation of what happened earlier in the day, Patrick removed the large banana leaves covering the oven and exposed the suckling pig, chicken, plantain bananas, and more.  Patrick’s team gathered up the hot food and set up the buffet on long tables nearby.

Lunch was served and we all grabbed large woven ‘plates’ with a banana leaf on top and started to move thru the buffet line.  “Eat with your hands” Patrick shouted with a smile and we all stopped looking for silverware.

Plenty of picnic tables surrounded the covered beverage area and we all enjoyed the fresh cooked Polynesian delicacies.  Wine, beer, and other beverages were available at no extra charge.

Plenty of food was available if you wanted to refill your plate – but most people were satisfied with the large helpings served during their first trip thru the line.

STOP 5: FIRE

It was time for the highlight of the Motu experience – The Fire Dance.

Patrick appeared bare-chested, with his hair pulled back taut, carrying a baton with wicks at each end that were soaked in a flammable fluid.  Patrick ignited the ends of the baton and started to twirl and dance, with a little fire-eating along the way.  As the flames began to dwindle, a helper from the audience helped him position the baton on his feet while he was lying on his back.  He extinguished the baton in the sand as he concluded the show with the audience’s enthusiastic applause.

Time for a little more wine before we headed back to the boats for our final stop.

STOP 6: WINE AND WATER

Our final stop was another shallow water wine tasting event.  The water was too shallow for snorkeling and there weren’t any fish in the area.  Patrick enjoyed pouring sparkling wine and telling stories of Bora Bora to a rapt audience.  All 4 boats were close enough so everyone could mingle in a central area.  Warm water, gentle breezes, nice wine, and great company were the perfect conclusion for our last water stop.

Thirty minutes later, Patrick’s four boats glided back into the harbor where we started, and our Maohi Nui Experience was sadly over.

CONCLUSION?

The Maohi Nui (Patrick’s Tour) was wonderful and exceeded our expectations.  Even if you don’t snorkel, you will have a wonderful time riding in the lagoon and enjoying the shallow water stops.  The food and the MOTU along with the Fire Dance were a bonus.

Patrick’s Tour?  A perfect blend of food and fun – Don’t miss it!

WELCOME HOME

Exhausted from a wonderful day, we headed back to the tender landing for our ride back to our ‘home’ on the Zuiderdam.

FUSION VOCAL GROUP

The Fusion Vocal Group, two women and a man performed on the World Stage this evening, singing a variety of hits from Broadway and Opera.