Private Picnic

We were picked up in the outrigger boat at 9:45 by Pierrot, the owner of the small tour company. We headed out into the lagoon to feed and swim with the Sting Rays and Reef sharks.

The day couldn't have been better, sunny and calm. The water is unreal. Never have we seen water so beautiful and clear.


The perfect view.

It was about 10 minutes by boat from our hotel to where the sharks and rays are. All the way there, the water looks like this. Even before we were at the spot Peirrot pointed out some rays swimming below the boat.



You can see a couple of sharks, and the darker spots are the Sting Rays. We have some underwater camera pictures as well, but they are not deveopled yet. They will be even better.
Pierrot tossed some fish bits in the water and next thing you know, there were 8 sharks and over a dozen rays. I could not wait to jump in the water!! The rays look like they are flying in the water. The feeling of being in the water and surrounded by sharks!! I could hear the Jaws music in my ears.


Next stop was some snorkelling in a "coral garden" 15 minutes or so away. The water was much deeper there and with a strong current. All it takes is a little bread in the hand and you are surrounded by 1000's of colourful fish. The snorkelling here was some of the best we've experienced. Topped only by the Red Sea in Egypt. It just seemed so untouched, no suncreen clouded water, no dead coral and tour buses to fill the lagoon.


We toured around the entire island, and checked out all the other hotels and their bungalows. In the next year there are 3 mega hotels opening up. I think we planned this trip in the nick of time. With each of those hotels probably capable of 300 guests a day( in water bungalows) plus staff, the island with be packed!

We hung out in our private "pool" while Pierrot prepared our lunch. We feasted on fresh salad, and tuna cru (raw tuna "cooked" in lime juice and coconut milk) , then prawn skewers and a lobster tail, then steaks, mahi mahi and potatoes and finally fruit for dessert. Of course we washed it all down with champagne!