Day 56 & 1/2 - Night Dive In Bora Bora

Okay, I know I've said it before, but were you listening when I said that Bora Bora is amazing? I think everyone should have the opportunity to come here to appreciate it with their own 5 senses. My word, it is incredible.

Now, where were we? Oh, yes, the night dive. I've never done a night dive before. I was nervous, yet excited to explore the water world with nothing but a light & bubbles. It was so much better than that!

I had got to know several of the passengers who were also keen divers over the past few dives & I was relieved to see some of them on the night dive with me. Gary & Nina, from Anchorage, AK, assured me that I would either love it or hate it & they were guessing that I would love it. They were right.

The same diving crew picked us up at 1750 at the pier. They took us to a new location in the opposite direction of the dives from earlier in the day. We stopped near the Hilton & the Hotel Bora Bora, which is now closed as of this year. It was the first over water hotel to open of its kind in 1961 & closed due to the economic changes taking place globally. Apparently Bora Bora is a steal of a deal these days, but with the Hilton charging $1000/night, I'm not convinced. Supposedly that is cheap. One of the hotels has a suite for $30,000/night. That includes your own chef, masseur, helicopter, etc, etc... Let me know if you need company... :o)

So there we sat, watching the sunset in Bora Bora, preparing for our dive. It was perfect. A moment I will never forget. The sun dipped out of sight, the sky became dark & we fell into the water. Our lights aglow, it was a whole new world. I must admit, it was a a little unnerving to have poor visibility & a dim torch, compared to the other divers. But, I made do. I ensured I stayed close to the guide & kept close watch as to what/who was around me. Don't worry, there weren't any sharks! :o)

We did see some pretty amazing sea life though! My very first Nemo! A real live Nemo! I was so excited! There they were, chillin' out in the Anenomes! Just like in the movies! I couldn't help but have 'P. Sherman - 42 Wallaby Way' repeat over & over in my head... :o) We saw these 'Cow fish'. I am not to certain on the validity of my fish names, but this Cow Fish had horns, more like a bull than a cow, but hey, that's what they called it! We saw a crazy looking crab with this insane 'helmet' on his head. He looked like a Rastifarian with 3 sections of dreadlocks... or maybe it was just more like the one 'tentacle' pirate from Pirates of the Caribbean - in either case, it was crazy! We saw plenty of puffer fish & scorpion/lion fish. But the scariest sighting of the night dive was the massive moray eel. I was thinking I was having an 'Ocean Anaconda' experience. This creature was HUGE! It's head was the size of a basketball. I don't know how long it was because it was curled up amongst the rocks, but the girth on it must've been at least 24"!!! Yikes!

It was a beautiful experience & once we were out of the water, it was time to admire the stars. Oh what a beautiful night. The dive boat took us straight to the ship & we hopped onto the Pacific Princess. My first day in Bora Bora now complete. Well, that is until I find my husband & gush about a the crazy adventure I've just had! He needs to get certified!

Sleep tight & I will see you back here tomorrow!
xxxx
Maria & Jaco

Heading out to the dive site

Do I look excited?!?

Ahh, life in the tropics!

The Hilton Bora Bora - $1000/night (only)

The last few rays of sunshine before we descended in the abyss... or something like that!