I was told that when we arrive at Bora Bora that the ship will take you to a Motu as a courtesy. We are taking an AM excursion with the ship but have the afternoon open. Will the PG take us there in the afternoon? Does anyone know if the Motu they take you to is Piti Aau where the "coral gardens" are? Thanks, Linda

Hi Linda - I see you are a new poster to LCT - welcome! The tenders run back and forth all day so you will have no problem going to the motu after your AM excursion. (Some folks go to the motu in the AM, then back to the ship for lunch and then back to the motu again in the afternoon.) The PG section of beach on the motu is next to a hotel property (I think it is the Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort). If I have it correct, that would be on Motu Tevairoa. Sorry, but I can not find anything about Piti Aau in any of the books I brought home.

Thanks for your welcome, Kathy.

We're leaving on Monday and I still have so much to do! We're spending 4 days in Moorea pre-cruise. My husband and I am really looking froward to some R&R.

I got the name of the Motu from someone on Fodors chat site. I think it's where the "Coral Gardens" snorkel area is. I'm not fixated about going there - I just want a spot that has good snorkeling in the lagoon. Do you know if the place where PG goes to has that?

Hi Linda:

We just returned from the June 10 PG cruise in the Society, Tuamoto, and Marquesas'. The Bora Bora Motu snorkeling is a great opener. If you go to the far side of the channel near the other island there are octopus, etc. Since it is used quite a bit the coral right off the beach is a bit trampeled, but if you head right toward the reef it is beautiful.

The drift snorkel option is really a blast, and you will see all manner of fish and coral. By far the best snorkeling was on Rangirora: large moray's and black tipped reef sharks. It was even better than several of the dives.

Also, be sure to do the moray option on Moorea. Really fun. If you dive, the shark gallery is also fun.

Cheers,

Dan Clements

Dan -- We are also going on Marquesas cruise (on August 12). You mentioned that the snorkeling in Rangiroa was even better than some of the dives. We're signed up to dive in Bora Bora (Tapu), Nuku Hiva, Rangiroa (reef and Tiputa pass), and Moorea (Shark Gallery). Did you do any of these other dives? Any comments on our selections? Was there time to hit the dives in Rangiroa and do some snorkeling?

Also, were there a lot of divers on your cruise? Was anyone not able to dive because the excursions were full? (We waited a week or so after the online booking opened to send in our choices and I hope we don't get shut out from any dives).

Thanks much for any help! And sorry for all the questions! (I'm just so excited about the trip!)

Hi Dan,

Thanks for the advice. Did you do the drift snorkeling in Bora Bora or Rangiroa? Was that when you saw the sharks and morays? I read that the amount of fish in the pass in Rangiroa on the drift snorkel is amazing but that there can be a lot of current to contend with. Othertimes it can be like a lake. What did you find? I love to snorkel but I don't like to do it fighting current. I'm just not that strong of a swimmer. Do you think it's manageable for someone like me?

What is the moray option in Moorea? We are spending 4 nights pre-cruise and hope to do a lot of stuff like that then. Thanks!! Linda

We were signed up for the drift snorkel in the pass in Rangiroa last year but it was changed at the last moment to snorkeling in "the aquarium" due to conditions not being safe for the drift snorkel. We had done "the aquarium" the previous day and were disappointed to miss the drift snorkel but know that it is best to be safe.

We were happy enough with the snorkeling off the beach (in two areas) from the Bora Bora motu but if I had read about going to the far right prior to our trips I sure would have also explored that area.

Hi Jen & Kathy:

I made all the dives, and most of the snorkels, since my wife does not dive. They were all great.

We saw great fish everywhere: hammerhead and moray on Nuka Hiva, black tipped, lemon, and gray sharks at Rangiroa and Moorea.

During the Aquarium snorkel on Rangiroa we saw several variety of sharks, many tropical fish, three moray, and beautiful giant clams. The current was running the wrong way so we did not get to do the Tiputa Pass drift or snorkel. However, my parents did it a couple of years ago and said it was an absolute blast and a must for this area. SInce you are going with the current you would not be fighting it.

I did the shark gallery twice, as I do a lot of photography, and wanted to make sure I had good shark shots. Too many. You can also get some nice shark shots on the ray snorkel on Moorea: also a lot of fun.

I will get some pictures posted on my web site later this week and it will give you an idea of what is going on.

We had about 25 divers on the June 10 trip, and they were great. There were several kids, and we had a super time. You will really enjoy the trip, and be sure to dive in the Marquesas, as it is really unique.

Cheers,

Dan