Day 253, Year 1: Fun in Opunohu Bay
Date: Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Weather: Pinch me. I must be dreaming! II (sequel to yesterday)
Location: Opunohau Bay, Moorea
Today was simply the most beautiful day you can possibly imagine. Bright sunshine with not a cloud in the blue sky, moderating temperature (it’s only 74 F tonight), crystal clear turquoise water, and great company. Having Mark’s sister Mary Ellen and her husband Lee aboard has been great. We are having a wonderful time learning more about French Polynesia by reading and experiencing it together. We got up early this morning but didn’t rush into the day. We took it slow and easy, admiring Mt. Mouaroa that looms above Opunohu Bay here in Moorea. It is the craggy peak that is the symbol of the mythical Bali Hai and is sometimes called “the saw tooth or shark’s tooth”. It is fascinating to watch it as the sun rises higher in the sky and casts different shadows across the mountain. While we were doing this, Lee made coffee for us and we then had scrambled eggs with fresh tomatoes and toasted baguettes. Good start to the day. By 10 AM it was time to go to the beach to snorkel the inner reef. We took the dinghy to the sandy beach just across from the anchorage. Beyond the beach is a well-maintained coconut plantation. We got permission from the caretakers to leave our dinghy ashore and then we snorkeled out among the coral “garden” and enjoyed the tropical fish. The fish here are not the most colorful we have seen, but there are lots of brightly colored butterfly fish, different kinds of trigger fish, moray eels, strange sea stars, sea cucumbers, trumpetfish, and enough other creatures to certainly keep your interest. There is a variety of coral and enough color in the fish and other creatures to leave you with the impression of fantastic snorkeling experience.
We must have been in the water for almost two hours and then headed back to Windbird for lunch. We are giving the new grill that Lee and Mary Ellen brought to us a real workout. We have grilled out for every dinner and today we grilled for lunch. We were going to relax a bit after lunch before heading to the outer reef for an afternoon snorkel, but Tom from Quantum Leap was out wind surfing and he came over to invite us to give it a try. First Mark, and then Lee, gave it a go. It was a windy day and a bit challenging for beginners, but both were able to get up on the board and at least surf along for a few seconds. I think they both really enjoyed it. I have a new screen saver for my computer-Mark windsurfing underneath Mr. Mouraroa.
After wind surfing, we took the dinghy out toward the outer reef and snorkeled there. We saw the same variety of coral and fish as we had seen on the inner reef, but the eels were larger and there were lots of Christmas tree worms. These little creatures are one of my favorites, so I really enjoyed the afternoon. I snorkeled all the way back to the boat and had a special swim with a spotted eagle ray on the way. I had hoped to swim with the turtles, but none showed up this afternoon. While Mark was out wind surfing and I was out in the dinghy as his support team, Lee and Mary Ellen stayed on Windbird and watched a turtle swim back and forth behind the boat for quite a long time. Evidently they are too shy to stay around once humans are in the water.
Another thing that happened today is that we made water with the new water maker and started filling the tanks. That is fantastic news!
We sat around this evening planning our next few days. We will head to Cook’s Bay early tomorrow morning, rent a car and tour the island, attend the traditional dance show at the Bali Hai tomorrow night, and go to dinner with Quantum Leap. On Thursday, we will do some low key exploring of Paopao in Cook’s Bay and in late afternoon leave here to sail overnight to Raiatea. We should arrive there on Friday morning and by Friday evening we will join a group of sailors who will race to neighboring Tahaa on Saturday morning. The sister islands of Raiatea and Tahaa are having a celebration for sailors and we will join in the fun.
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| 060627 Day 253 Society Islands, Moorea–Opunohu Bay |
