Raiatea – Swimming with the sharks (Post #14)

SUNRISE

Our first port in French Polynesia started with a fiery sunrise and included us swimming with sharks.

A red glow filled our cabin as I woke up around 5:30 AM.  Fortunately, our route put Taha‘a and Raiatea on our port side so the various shades of red that filled the sky were on display from our verandah.

Raiatea and Taha‘a’s lush green foliage covers fairly non-descript hills  These islands are similar to many others in the South Pacific without any distinctive features as compared to the iconic Mount Otemanu on nearby Bora Bora.

Gliding by Taha’a we were close enough to watch people leaving their houses, scattered along the coast, and start their daily activities.  There isn’t any real town on Taha’a, but this is the island where most of the snorkeling tours take their guests.  Pearl farms, vanilla farms, and a rum distillery are popular tourist stops.

UTUROA

The Zuiderdam cut between Taha’a and Raiatea, turning to port, before slowing as we approached Uturoa, the main town, where we spun around our axis before mooring at the dock with our bow facing north.

Local authorities quickly cleared the Zuiderdam and we were on our way at 8 AM, to meet our 8:30 AM tour with L’Excursion Bleue, more commonly known as Bruno’s tour.  Tour details are on his website HERE.  The price is 13,000 CPF (about $120 USD) and is payable in advance.

BRUNO’s TOUR PLANNING TIPS

NOTE:  The normal capacity for his tour is 48 people (4 boats with 12 people each).  Bruno answered emails quickly and once we were confirmed we paid via a special credit card link he provided.

The meeting place is near the Shell Station, a couple of hundred yards away from the Zuiderdam.  You will be assigned a boat number, but your name will be on a clipboard if you forget, and you will be directed to the correct boat.  You don’t need any tickets.

The tour runs from 8:30 to 5 PM.  If everyone on the tour agrees, they can return by 4 PM by cutting down the time for snorkeling at the last stop.

Some masks and fins are available on the boats, but I recommend bringing your equipment to ensure a proper fit.  Fins are not required, but I recommend bringing short fins as they help to tread water, follow speedy fish, and avoid drifting into coral in areas where there is a current.  You will be in deep water for the first stop when you swim with the 6-foot sharks, but the rest of the time you will be in waist-deep water and can stand up at any time.  The water is warm, and you don’t need a wet suit.  The sun will be intense so plan accordingly.

You will be dry when in the boat and cameras and phones are secure – but I would put them in a bag to keep them dry as there is a possibility of a wave splashing into the boat.  Your possessions will be secure on the boat.  The weather was very pleasant during our tour in March – low humidity with a gentle breeze.  The boats don’t rock very much, and I don’t think seasickness would be a concern.  Our time on the boat was interesting as we had great conversations and enjoyed the scenery.  Most of our day was spent motoring around Taha’a and visiting the Vanilla Plantation, Rum Distillery, and Pearl Farm.  Our maximum time in the water was about 2 hours over three stops.  One guest who was on this tour on previous cruises said that on his other visits, the specific spots and order was different, so the stops I describe may be different but probably similar to your tour.

Bring some packaged snacks as you may eat late.  Bottled water is available on the boats.

LEAVING THE SHIP

We noticed that the HAL Tours left from a separate gangway forward as we left the ship.  This exit was where the official arrival party met the passengers who were departing on HAL tours.  Independent guests left the midship gangway and walked behind the official ceremony.  The ship’s photographers were present, but due to COVID restrictions, they didn’t have any local models available to pose for pictures, as is often the case on other cruises.

THE TOUR BEGINS

We were in Boat #4, with 10 other guests, and left promptly at 8:30 AM.  The boat rode smoothly, powered by twin outboard motors, and we raced off to our first spot off the coast of Taha’a at 30 mph.

SWIM WITH THE SHARKS

The water here was 10-20 feet deep and most of us dove right in, with a few people staying behind on the boat.  The water was filled with Blacktip reef sharks.  About 4-6 feet long.  They swam near but they ignored our presence.  A few other tropical fish were in the area, but the main attraction was the sharks.  There was a noticeable current and having short fins helped me tread water and move around more quickly.  After about 30 minutes we were all back in the boats and heading off to our next stop – The Vanilla Plantation.

VANILLA PLANTATION

Our small boats moored at a long pier, and we walked about 300 yards to a covered shelter where the owner of the Vanilla Plantation described his operation.  Then we walked into the field and he explained how vanilla flowers must be pollinated by hand, both labor-intensive and tedious.  The production cost is much higher than in other countries, so the vanilla produced here is mainly sold to tourists as oils and lotions.  We didn’t find any vanilla suitable for cooking on sale here.  There was a restroom available.

SNORKEL AT THE CORAL GARDEN

Our second snorkeling stop was called the Coral Gardens.  The water here was very shallow – varying from knee to waist deep, with a few spots up to our chest.  A few manta rays were in the area and the guides helped entice them to approach so we could feel their smooth skin.  Clumps of coral were everywhere and even though the coral looks soft and very inviting to touch, I had to remind myself to avoid touching the coral as it can be very sharp.  There were some tropical fish here, but not as many as you might expect.

PARI PARI RUM FACTORY

After about 40 minutes we were back in the boats and off to our next stop – The Pari Pari Rum Distillery. The Pari Pari Rum Distillery is across the street from the pier.  We broke into two groups.  One group took a quick tour of the production facility while the other listened to a sales presentation of the various types of rum and had a chance to give them a taste.  I didn’t buy any rum, nor did I see anyone else buying rum.

THE PEARL FARM

The La Orana Pearl Farm was 15 minutes away.  We moored at a pier and the Pearl Farm was a small building over the water on this pier.  We listened to a brief description of how pearls are cultured and then watched a demonstration of the seeding process.  Afterward, we had a chance to shop for pearls and pearl jewelry in the small boutique next to the demonstration area.

LUNCH ON THE PRIVATE ISLAND

It took us almost an hour to continue our clockwise journey around Taha’a to the small private island of Motu, on the other side.  We had to wade into shore in about knee-deep water to land here, so keep that in mind as you plan your day.

Our buffet lunch was waiting, and we ended up at the back of the line which took about 15 minutes.  Tropical fruit juice was the main beverage along with water.  Beer was $5.  There wasn’t any wine.  The buffet included Bonefish, Poisson Cru (Fish marinated in coconut milk), Rice,  Chicken with BBQ sauce, and coconut bread.

We sat at one of the 4 top plastic tables and enjoyed the food and the company of other guests.  Afterward, we had the option to relax in the sun or shade or snorkel in the water, with the water ranging from knee-deep to over 20 feet in spots.  There was a swift current and I appreciated having fins, which made it easier to swim back once I drifted some distance away.  Small schools of colorful fish were here and there, but there weren’t huge numbers or large schools.

After two hours they blew a conch shell announcing it was time to leave.  Once again, we waded back to the boats and headed off to Raiatea and the town of Uturoa where we started.

TOUR SUMMARY

Here is a recap of our various stops along with the precise times.

Depart 8:30 AM

We would make a total of 6 stops and the schedule we followed is listed here:

• Snorkel with Sharks (Stop #1) – 8:45 to 9:20
• Vanilla Farm (Stop #2) 9:45 to 10:50
• Coral Gardens Snorkel with Rays (Stop #3) 11:20 to Noon
• Pari Pari Rum Distillery (Stop #4) 12:15 to 12:55
• La Orana Pearl Farm (Stop #5) 1:10 to 1:45
• Lunch and Snorkel (Stop #6) 2:40 to 4:40

Finish – 4:55 PM

WRAPPING UP

After saying our goodbyes to our driver Francis, and his assistant, Teiva, we headed off to the Banque Socredo ATM where I withdrew some CPF to use in our remaining ports in French Polynesia.

MONEY EXCHANGE

Here is a rundown of the exchange rate available from various sources.

French Polynesia Exchange Rates
Price to buy 500 CFP

• Official Bank rate: $4.462
  Credit Card Purchase: $4.64
  Raiatea ATM Machine: $4.71
  Local Tour Operators: $5.00
  Holland America Guest Services: $5.04  (They will buy back your CFP at $5.12)
  Local Grocery (Champion): $5.88

WELCOME CEREMONY

The Zuiderdam was the first cruise ship to call on Raiatea since the COVID pause and this was the first time the Zuiderdam ever visited.  To celebrate both events, local politicians and civic leaders hosted a ceremony where they gave our Captain a plaque that will be displayed in one of the ship’s stairwells.

Young girls performed a traditional dance followed by some speeches.  The ship’s officers enjoyed a private reception under a nearby shelter while the rest of us were invited to sample a fresh fruit buffet.

Many passengers observed the ceremony from the ship while others came down to the pier to get a closer look.

The ceremony was almost over by the time we arrived, but we were able to catch the end and enjoy the fruit buffet.

Back on the ship, we joined Marty and Gail in The Pinnacle Grill for dinner.  We had a wonderful time.