#17351 - 10/14/02 06:48 AM
Shark/Ray feeding
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Demi
Member
Registered: 09/17/02
Posts: 35
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My Fiance has booked a shark and sting ray feeding for us while on our stay in Moorea. I must say I am a little concerned about the shark part of it. Can anyone pass some reassurance my way that I will come home with all limbs intact. Thanks!
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#17352 - 10/14/02 07:24 AM
Re: Shark/Ray feeding
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dc girl
Member
Registered: 10/14/01
Posts: 148
Loc: Potomac, MD, USA
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Demi,
Believe me, I think everybody has these fears before doing it. The tour operators most likely would not be offering these excursions if they lost a tourist here and there! And remember, the guys who get in the water to feed them probably would not be in there if they were scared they were going to be the fish food! Relax and enjoy. They are awesome creatures!
[This message has been edited by dc girl (edited 10-14-2002).]
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#17353 - 10/14/02 06:17 PM
Re: Shark/Ray feeding
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TigerLady
Junior Member
Registered: 12/17/06
Posts: 0
Loc: Gvatemala
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I did the same tour but in Bora Bora, I too was slightly apprehensive. But once I was in the water I was having so much fun I didn't even think about it. The water is very shallow and clear, which makes me feel safer. The sharks are not intimidating what so ever. They were not that large, maybe four to six feet at the most, and you weren't so close that you got nervous. Don't even worry about it, this excursion was my favorite part of the trip, your going to love it 
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#17354 - 10/16/02 05:28 AM
Re: Shark/Ray feeding
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Patty
Junior Member
Registered: 06/19/03
Posts: 3
Loc: ottawa OH USA
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Not to worry, the sharks know who has the food. The sharks are small black and white tip reef sharks. They are accustomed to being fed several times a day. They are as well trained as any shark can be.
You can feed the rays. They also are used to being fed. All you need to do is slap the water with your hand and they will swim right up to you expecting food. They are harmless unless you step on them; so just watch where you walk.
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#17355 - 11/05/02 11:13 AM
Re: Shark/Ray feeding
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bustamelon
Member
Registered: 03/16/02
Posts: 92
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The sharks you'll be feeding are Black tip Reef sharks, which, to my knowledge, are only passively curious when it comes to human beings. I did this tour on Moorea, and of course all the guests were a little nervous, but you just hang onto the rope, they throw the food a good distance away from where the people are. Also, as somebody else mentioned, these sharks are fed by humans (not "fed humans" -- "fed BY humans") several times a day, and they are in essence, trained, or at least conditioned, like dogs to eat the free fish that's being tossed at them. Even if they wanted to, they are too well fed to desire human flesh. Tips to ensure your safety: don't wear any bright jewelery when you go, and much like with dogs, don't show your fear. Just stay calm and move slowly.
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#17356 - 11/05/02 12:11 PM
Re: Shark/Ray feeding
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Jaeger
Member
Registered: 11/01/02
Posts: 33
Loc: long grove, il usa
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I understand in Tahiti that there is a greater risk of being killed by a falling coconut than by being eaten by a shark. 
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#17357 - 12/07/02 11:01 AM
Re: Shark/Ray feeding
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Anonymous
Anonymous
Unregistered
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My wife and I just returned from Moorea. We did the stingray / shark feeding trip. Believe me, the sharks were not the hazard. Bad advice and a strong current were. Just before entering the water, it appeared that our activities would be in a relatively small area. Knowing that donning fins and removing them again before climbing the boat ladder is a bit of a hassle, we asked the wife of the tour operator if she thought we needed fins. "NO NO, the water is shallow", was the reply. No mention was made of any strong current or the need to stay in contact with the bottom. We both entered the water wearing our booties, but no fins. This turned out to be the worst possible combination once we found ourselves in deeper water with approximately a 1/2 mile per hour current dragging us off. The tour operator had no dinghy in tow with which to recover drifters. It would likely have taken them 15 minutes to heard the gaggle of tourists back to the boat, up anchor, and go after any drifters. Fortunately, I was able to gain slightly on the current and get close enough to the boat to grab a line that they had thrown. In spite of 15 years experience as a snorkeler, my wife panicked and may have drowned were it not for being helped by a strong swimmer with life saving training.
Our advice: Don't trust anyone else's advice. Check current speed and direction before entering the water by tossing in some stale French bread. Don't get in without fins. If the current appears strong, don't get in with fins. If current does make it impossible to get back without exhausting yourself, don't panic. Relax and let them come and get you. If the current is that strong, the tour operator should never have allowed his clients in the water at that location anyway.
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#17358 - 12/09/02 09:28 AM
Re: Shark/Ray feeding
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SusanS
Member
Registered: 04/17/02
Posts: 659
Loc: San Diego, CA, USA
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slmdebill--Where did this happen?
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#17359 - 12/19/02 06:35 AM
Re: Shark/Ray feeding
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Dara
Member
Registered: 08/23/02
Posts: 80
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Do you have any contact info for shark/ray feeding tours?
Edited to add--Hey, I graduated! This is my first "member" message. Up until now, I've always been a "junior member".
[This message has been edited by Dara (edited 12-19-2002).]
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#17360 - 12/19/02 09:06 AM
Re: Shark/Ray feeding
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Jim
Member
Registered: 12/27/01
Posts: 85
Loc: Los Angeles, CA
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We booked our Shark/Ray feeding tour with Maco, out of the Sofitel. This was a great trip, and I highly recommend it. I don't know if he is still doing this, as we did it a few years ago. If so, I believe he works out of the Sofitel Ia Ora, but I know that guests at other hotels may also book the tour, as we dropped off some people at the Beachcomber on the way back.
The tour included a barbeque lunch with beer/wine, as well as Maco's running commentary, which is worth the price of admission.
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