Manta Rays and Reef Sharks
“Madam, remember there are no hospitals on the island,” said Captain D. I was perched on the side of the boat, wearing my mask and snorkel, all set to climb into the water when our captain tells me this. I paused. Does he think he’s funny? Was that really necessary? I plunged in and within seconds a shark swam past my mask and I screamed into the ocean. The scream just came out. I didn’t even think. It just happened. A primeval gut reaction I would say.
This is the guy with the pretty black tips. There were 7 or 8 of them. I was surprised at how big they were. All of them were approximately 5 or 6 feet long. I tried to touch them but they swam just out of my reach.
Lemon Sharks in Bora Bora
The captain told us that we could also expect Lemon sharks. These are the sharkiest-looking sharks I have ever seen. They grow to more than 10 feet. We didn’t see any that day. I asked him where they were and he said, “on the bottom”. That’s probably the best place for them.
Juliette and her Children
Moe was undaunted by the sharks but very agitated by the rays. They made her nervous.
The big ray was named Juliette. The little ones were her children. I had fun grabbing them and pushing my fingers into their white, spongey, squishy bellies. The grey top was smooth and hard. The edges were rough like an emery board. And I kept an eye on the long, black, barbed tails. Sometimes they rushed up to me and quickly sucked or chewed my body. That was strange. They were funny and cute. And they have eyes!
When we left this area the captain threw food into the water and the sharks all went into a frenzy. It was fun to watch…from the boat.
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