Little Lolly's Small Adventures: Diving and island life.

Moorea Fun Dive dive sites

We did 2 dives on Saturday, back to back, with Moorea Fun Dive (http://www.moorea-fundive.com/en/). The first being at 'Les Roses De Corail', second dive at 'Couloir des Raies' was in search of spotted rays but we didn't find them - they hang out in a particular channel because of the current but there was very little current on Saturday late morning.

Afterwards we drove along the coast and visited a market with arts and crafts but not much was happening. It was lunch time so it wasn't busy and there were only a few stalls - v. We also drove part way to Belvedere Lookout but from the other direction so we had a different view of the scenery.

After that we continued around the island and stopped at an ice cream shop. Yummy... Then onward to the house, stopping to get groceries on the way.

On Sunday we went to the beach and did a bit of snorkelling out near the edge of the reef; and then relaxed. Paul read and I slept with the fan on full blast.

We have been disturbed by a rooster crowing during the wee hours of the morning - usually around 4am. It is not a time for us humans to wake up even if he thinks the world needs to arise at the hour that he 'dictates'. This morning I got up and went to the bedroom sliding door - and there he was, standing with his beak open and chest puffed up, ready to let rip full throttle again. I told him, not very politely, to f@#! off. Well, he did but started crowing either from next door or around the other side of the house 😠

Monday and today we did 4 more scuba, 2 dives back to back on both days, and they were very nice. For those interested in diving, the sites were 'Eden Park', 'Rotui', 'Canyon' and ''La Virgule'.

The dives today had an unexpected 'twist' to the story. There was a couple who were newly qualified divers (February this year) who had bought brand new diving gear but were clueless about it and they had also seemed to forgotten all they had learnt on their diving course. They seemed to have egos with no sense. The woman also had a fear of water/having her head under water. (eh??!!) Guests on either side of the boat were assigned a dive master who would join up with us in the water. We were assigned to go with the newly qualified couple and a dive master.

There were many teething problems with the couple and in the end another dive master (Christian) got us to join his experienced group. Just as well - the other couple didn't last long in the water and their dive was short. Our dive at with Christian was about 46 minutes long and to a maximum depth of 25m. My diving licence doesn't allow me to dive so deep but I was comfortable about it and as there were other very experienced divers, as well as the dive master and Paul.

After a good surface interval during which time we had tea/coffee/water/biscuits we went to the next dive spot, 'La Virgule'. The second dive went to about 20 metres for 57 minutes. Again we were 'invited' to join the other more experienced group - again the other couple weren't in the water for very long so we were glad we went with the other group.

Overall it was a nice day. We saw 2 turtles, plenty of black tipped sharks and much more. We weren't afraid of the sharks - they were curious, circling around us now and then but that was it. Christian, our dive master, had a following of fish friends which was really sweet. He didn't feed them at all, he was just surrounded by them, as if he was one of the shoal. One fish even swam under Christian's belly and stayed there for ages.

During the dives today there were two very curious black tipped sharks which followed us and funnily enough they swam to where we were on the second dive site - their markings were very striking and one had a chunk taken out of its fin so we knew the sharks from the earlier dive.

Pre-booked dive packages (6, 10, etc., dives) work out much cheaper but we took each day as it came, not wanting to commit. The owners of Moorea Fun Dive (Christian and Marie) took into consideration how many dives we had done with them, even though not a pre-booked package, and gave us a discount for our last dive. It was kind of them and very unexpected. Also each dive we did - they made sure it wasn't the same sites that we dived at.

On the topic of diving... I'm quite a short woman - about 4ft 8in high. Apart from the fact that diving

Dive finished, equipment rinsed off and people heading home

tanks are heavy, most of them are quite long for my short body length (shoulders to bum). Once the air tank is attached to the BCD (buoyancy control device) I invariably get helped to put the gear on because it is so heavy that I want to fall over backwards. If I'm not helped, I am careful about how I sit the tank on the seat while putting on the BCD. When it comes to trying to get onto the edge of the boat once again the weight on my back just about topples me over before I'm even ready. I have to take into consideration that the tank is longer than my bum line so I have to heave myself up higher so that the tank clears the edge of the boat then I can lower myself onto the edge with the base of the tank hanging over the outside; and cling on to the ledge with my legs for dear life until I had my mask on my face and regulator in my mouth. Generally Paul or one of the dive masters have had to help me onto the boat ledge properly so that I've not gone overboard before being ready. (I've had shorter, dumpy, tanks and they are easier for me to work with but on these dives I've not been given a dumpy tank). After our very first dive we did with Moorea Fun Dive, when we got to the shore, we jumped to waist-high water and our was gear lowered over the side of the boat for us to carry it back to the office/gear point and rinse it off with salt water. Unfortunately there were about 4 high-ish steps leading up from the beach to the office and I nearly fell over backwards going up the stairs. Marie saw my predicament and rushed to help. Since then one of the men in the diving group (either Paul or someone else) has been given my tank to carry (once detached from the BCD) and I've carried the BCD and octopus regulator. I consider myself to be quite tough but sometimes I have to admit defeat.

Our time on Moorea is sadly coming to an end. Tomorrow we fly back to Tahiti and will meet up with the Maasdam on Thursday.

VIDEOS

Paul goes overboard

Underwater

PHOTOGRAPHS

A bit of driving