Arrival early through the reef, stormy skies. As we rolled in we saw an motu off to the side and started taking pictures of it. Little did we know that it was where we would be spending our day. When Sara and I thought of Tahiti, we were in search of crystal clear water that was colored coral blue and green and this island gave us all that and more.
We took the first “Tender” boat going to this island excursion in this motu off of Taha’a and we ended up spending the whole day there soaking up the sun from the water.
The snorkeling reef around the motu was awesome. The water was extremely clear and the depth of the water was about 2-4 feet for about 2-300 yards from the motu. We just floated out here snorkeling for literally hours. The trick was to get in an area and become really still and then watch the fish come back to the coral or peak their heads out of the coral. We saw all kids of tropical fish and I even saw a small octopus about 5 inches long move from one hiding place on a coral bed to another – very cool.
Not only did we get to play on this beautiful island but the ship brought lunch to us as a Beach Barbeque. This was not just some blanket on the sand. We were treated to grilled chicken, fish and pinapple, a full salad bar and it all took place in the beautiful hut below.
The boat had two double kayaks and a windsurfer for us to use any day we wanted. Kayaking in this water is amazing because we could see all sorts of fish and coral as we stroked though the water. We named the two points where there were beaches on the island Sara Point and Kari Point and we definitely want to come back here to play again. We also kayaked out to where there was a very clear line between the reef and a drop off into deep water. It was like a line drawn on the water where the reef ended in clear coral green color and where the deep blue water started in the deep outside the reef.
I had taken some windsurfing in the past and it is HARD. I didn’t really think I would get up with the sail, but it was fun to try. Besides who cares if you fall in the water it is so warm and welcoming.
Hoisting the Sails: To be on deck as the sails were raised is romantic, magnificent and humbling at the same time. Most of the sails are on a mechanical winches, but were still very labor-intensive to manage. The ship sails quietly and is faster with sail power than with it’s motor.
Picture Gallery
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