Swimming with Sharks and Stingrays in Moorea
One among many actions we’re most keen about on our journey to French Polynesia is swimming with sharks and stingrays in Moorea. That is doubtless one of many biggest areas on this planet to snorkel with blacktip reef sharks. The water proper right here is remarkably clear and warmth, and it’s teeming with underwater creatures and wildlife.
Earlier to this journey, our boys had not snorkeled inside the ocean sooner than. We understood that asking them to leap inside the water and swim with sharks would possibly go each method. Sharks might be intimidating.
The realm in Moorea the place the sharks and rays ceaselessly go to is named Sharks Sandbank. It is pretty shallow proper right here, which makes it acceptable for all ranges of swimmers.
You could actually stand on the sandbank in some spots, relying in your prime.
Guests on the Moorea snorkeling tour is not going to be obligated to get inside the water if they aren’t comfortable. The sharks and rays are seen from the boat, so it’s doable to stay on the boat and nonetheless see them of their pure habitat.
Our oldest boy was large excited and splashed inside the water seconds after the boat anchored. Whereas our youthful boy desires additional time to course of and assemble up his braveness. He stayed on the boat and watched everyone else swim with the sharks first, sooner than transferring into the water.
Related – What does it truly value to journey to Bora Bora with youngsters?
Snorkeling excursions in Moorea
There are a variety of selections regarding snorkeling excursions and swimming with sharks and stingrays in Moorea. Most of them observe the an identical itinerary and go to the an identical spots.
On account of this, it could be powerful to decided which Moorea tour agency to information with. The huge players on the island are Moorea Tiki Excursions, Albert Excursions Moorea and Moorea Miti Excursions.
We booked the tour using Viator only a few months sooner than our journey because of we heard these Moorea snorkeling excursions can promote out.
We’re glad we did. Not solely did it give us piece of ideas that our tour is confirmed, nonetheless we did uncover some firms displaying no additional availability.
We moreover similar to the cancelation selections with Viator.
One factor to note – massive cruise ships go to the island periodically. There was an enormous cruise ship anchored inside the bay all through our time in Moorea. Excursions will promote out shortly on cruise days because of the native tour operators hit functionality with their boats.
When researching this journey, we study that it’s cheaper to information immediately with the tour operator or by means of your resort. Nonetheless, we did not uncover this to be the case. The worth was principally the an identical, give or take only a few {{dollars}} in each route.
Look for Moorea snorkeling excursions proper right here.
Moorea Miti Excursions
We chosen the 6 hour tour with Moorea Miti Excursions that options lunch. As well as they provide a shorter 3 hour lagoon snorkeling tour that doesn’t embrace lunch.
You could information the three hour tour proper right here or the 6 hour tour proper right here.
We went with Moorea Miti Excursions for only a few causes. First, they use a Polynesian outrigger canoe. We similar to the smaller boats because of they max out at 12 passengers. We want smaller group excursions.
The company moreover has good evaluations on-line, which gave us additional confidence.
Whereas on our snorkeling tour, we seen completely different tour operators with big groups and bigger boats. Albert Excursions appears to be the most important tour operator on the island. A number of of their boats had 30-50 people, which is simply too big for us. Notably when touring with our boys.
Information your Moorea snorkeling tour proper right here.
Is it safe to snorkel with sharks and stingrays in Moorea?
Certain. It is safe to snorkel and swim with the sharks and stingrays in Moorea.
Nonetheless, a reminder that you simply’re swimming inside the ocean, so it’s essential to placed on a life jacket in case you’re not a sturdy swimmer. And it’s always a very good suggestion to swim with a affiliate.
The blacktip sharks is not going to be very big, comparatively speaking. Not lower than, not these we witnessed. They’re curious, however moreover timid. There’s no need to swim after the sharks because of they steadily swim throughout the sandbank in circles. Merely concede to keep your distance and don’t seize or startle the sharks. Merely be cool and watch these fascinating creatures swim.
Be taught additional about blacktip reef sharks proper right here.
We realized that stingrays might be pretty playful. They could brush up on you within the occasion that they assume you could have meals, so don’t panic within the occasion that they technique you.
We seen some guides feeding the stingrays (I’m undecided they’re supposed to do that), which might be going why these stingrays might assume individuals have meals.
Related – Bora Bora journey strategies for first time visitors
What to anticipate on the 6 hour snorkeling tour
Moorea Miti Excursions picks up passengers from most of the people dock positioned beside Manava Seashore Resort. Fortunately for us, that’s the place we had been staying, which meant we did not need to rearrange resort transportation.
Nonetheless, moreover they provide resort pickups from varied Moorea inns, along with Sofitel Kia Ora Moorea and Hilton Moorea.
The tour begins at 8:00am. Our data, Mana, arrived correct on time.
Moorea Miti Excursions had two additional boats going out that day. We predict they separate groups based on language spoken, because of the other two groups adopted us on the an identical tour. We had been on an English speaking boat. The other boats had been Spanish and French speaking groups.
Evaluation additional Moorea actions and excursions proper right here.
Mana suggested our boys, ages 9 and 11 on the time, to take a seat down on the very entrance of the boat to get the simplest view. They beloved this “personal half” and felt like that that they had the simplest seats on the boat.
The boat handed by means of Prepare dinner dinner Bay and Opunohu bay. Mana shared tales about Moorea and its historic previous as we handed each location.
We saved a look out for sea turtles because of they’re usually observed proper right here. Sadly, we did not spot any turtles that morning.
We collected coconuts from the water and Mana confirmed us strategies to confirm if the coconuts are good. We saved only a few of the good ones for lunch.
Snorkeling with sharks in Moorea
It wasn’t prolonged sooner than we arrived at our first stop, a shallow sandbank. We immediately observed sharks and rays circling throughout the boats. It’s an thrilling second when you witness the sharks for the first time.
Mana shared some elementary safety strategies sooner than transferring into the water. He requested us to not contact the sharks and be careful to not step on a stingray. Carrying water footwear is extraordinarily actually useful.
The depth of this sandbank is about 4 to 5 ft. Adults can merely stand on the sand, which is nice. Our boys had been comfortable inside the water proper right here.
French Polynesia’s Moorea Lagoon boasts crystal clear water that’s home to varied marine life. The clear water makes it easy to view the marine life. The water is calm because of it’s shielded from outer reef.
The sharks and rays on this area are used to human encounters. They are not afraid and may swim close to you. Sometimes they might even brush up in the direction of you with their fins or tails.
A refreshing Hinano Tahiti beer after swimming with sharks and rays in Moorea.
Drinks are included with the 6 hour tour. Nonetheless don’t anticipate an limitless open bar – we had 2 beers on this tour.
Snorkeling at Coral Yard Tiahura
After swimming with the sharks and rays, we continued to the following snorkeling spot. Coral Yard Tiahura is positioned in a channel between two small islets. These coral gardens are teeming with fish and underwater creatures.
We observed various vibrant reef fish of all sizes, along with angelfish, butterflyfish, parrotfish, and triggerfish. Moray eels and octopus may additionally be found proper right here, nonetheless they aren’t merely observed and don’t favor to be found.
The water is apparent and the visibility is nice. You feel such as you’re swimming in an precise life aquarium.
We captured a great deal of GoPro footage from this coral yard, nonetheless not as many footage. Video coming shortly.
Lunch at Motu Fareone
After snorkeling the coral gardens, we obtained once more inside the boat and made our answer to a small island for lunch. It’s solely a two minute boat journey from the coral gardens snorkeling spot.
Moorea Miti Excursions has a personal seaside on Motu Fareone that is designated for its guests. A motu is the title of a small islet that surrounds an even bigger island (Moorea on this case).
Correct beside the Miti Excursions seaside is the Albert Excursions personal seaside. They merely had 5X as many people as our group. We want the smaller, additional intimate experience with Moorea Miti Excursions.
Freshly prepared Poisson Cru
Our data, Mana, confirmed us strategies to place collectively the well-known ‘poisson cru’, the nationwide dish of Tahiti. It’s similar to ceviche, with raw sushi-grade fish, crunchy raw greens, modern pineapple, lime juice and coconut milk.
First, Mana confirmed us strategies to accurately peel a coconut. We used the coconuts that had been collected from the ocean earlier that morning. After we each took a crack at opening the coconut’s outer shell, we realized strategies to shave the coconut meat the traditional Tahitian method.
The coconut juice was used for the poisson cru and the coconut shells had been used as bowls.
Then, as you’ll see inside the {photograph} above, Mana prepared the dish alongside together with his ft inside the ocean!
He put a desk inside the water and began together with the substances to an enormous bowl. A variety of the substances had been already prepped ahead of time, nonetheless he added the modern coconut and lime.
One issue I was not anticipating was that he soaked the coconut shavings and fish with the ocean water. In step with Mana, the salt water is the important thing ingredient that makes poisson cru so good.
As Mana was preparing the dish, a curious and hungry stingray tried climbing up his leg to get some meals. Really! It was performing like a pet canine. I’ve certainly not seen a stingray do this sooner than.
Poisson Cru served in a coconut shell.
We love sushi and ceviche, so this dish is right for us. We each had two bowls!
After the poisson cru, a buffet mannequin lunch is served. It’s prepared inside the shelter pictured above.
The lunch is okay, nonetheless not overly spectacular. The small buffet serves hen, fish, rice, fruit and a few sides.
Juice and water is obtainable on the tour. And, Mana moreover shared a spiked juice for the adults.
We realized strategies to make a standard Tahitian hat (pictured above and beneath). Mana patiently weaved 5 hats for guests to take with them.
For those who want to convey the hats once more home, we’re suggested that it is best to ask the resort to put the hat inside the freezer in a single day. Whereas inside the freezer, the inexperienced hats flip brown. Then the hats are allowed to be transported internationally.
We spent about two hours on the motu. This accommodates preparing the Poisson cru, shucking coconuts, weaving hats, consuming lunch and gratifying on the seaside.
What to convey on the snorkeling tour?
We advise you convey your private snorkeling gear because you’ll seemingly use it day-to-day. Make sure you get one which has a coated snorkel (like this one) so that water doesn’t get into the snorkel.
For many who don’t convey your private snorkeling gear, most inns and tour operators have snorkeling gear obtainable. Nonetheless, remember the fact that these snorkels have been in a number of completely different people’s mouths and the googles probably have spit in them. I’m merely saying, it’s kinda gross to utilize neighborhood snorkeling gear.
You need to to convey your private fins because of Moorea Miti Excursions would not current fins. That said, we had been utterly great with out fins. You gained’t be swimming far on this snorkeling tour. And the water is shallow.
They do have lifejackets obtainable, along with one for our youngest (9 years outdated). He prefers to placed on a life jacket inside the ocean (and it provides us piece of ideas that he’s safe).
Convey reef safe sunscreen. We similar to the mannequin Blue Lizard.
Convey a hat, shades, a waterproof shirt (we want the prolonged sleeves for photo voltaic security), reef or water footwear, and a water-proof digicam.
Towels are supplied. Nonetheless, you proceed to might must convey one because of the towels get moist.
It’s essential use a water-proof case in your cellphone (I used this one for my iPhone), nonetheless in case you really want good underwater footage you truly must put cash right into a GoPro. Although GoPro’s are expensive, they’re the simplest for pictures and underwater video.
A cute pullover is nice to have after getting out of the water. I like Cupshe for every seaside garments, bathing matches and pullovers. Go proper right here to get an Additional 15% OFF CA$99+.
The tour embrace drinks, along with native beer and water. We moreover launched two huge bottles of water.
You possibly can must convey some cash for a tip (strategies are appreciated, nonetheless not required).
Closing concepts in regards to the snorkeling tour
We had an beautiful Moorea day journey with Moorea Miti Excursions and we’d counsel them. It’s a gradual paced tour that allows you to settle down and profit from the second.
We want the smaller group dimension. The 6 hour tour was an important time period. At first, we thought it could be too prolonged, however it absolutely actually passed by shortly.
Our suggestion is to information your Moorea excursions sooner than arriving in Tahiti. Dates and cases will information up, so don’t go away it until the ultimate minute.
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Are you planning to go to Moorea? Depart a comment beneath when you may have questions.
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