#17986 - 06/01/04 01:29 PM
Lagoonarium in Bora Bora
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d&s
Junior Member
Registered: 05/29/04
Posts: 9
Loc: San Francisco
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Hi all!
My fiancee and I are planning to go to Tahiti for the first time for our honeymoon in December. I was reading the thread about the Lagoonarium on Bora Bora. We will most likely be staying at the Bora Bora Nui for a few days. My first question would be, how do you get there from the Nui? It looks like they're on totally opposite sides of Bora Bora!
If I'm not mistaken from reading posts, you get to actually swim with sharks and dare I say, touch them?? How much time do you have to do this?
Also, about snorkeling equipment, is it pretty unanimous that it's better to bring your own snorkel equipment? And if we're interested in scuba diving, I take it that equipment there is available for rental and of good quality?
Thanks again everybody!
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#17987 - 06/01/04 02:07 PM
Re: Lagoonarium in Bora Bora
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Pacific Andy
Supreme Advisor
Registered: 10/16/01
Posts: 4278
Loc: Los Angeles, CA
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Bring your own mask and snorkel for sure. At the Lagoonarium they will arrange for pick up from your hotel. The hotel can arrange this.
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Once You Go You Get It
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#17988 - 06/01/04 08:48 PM
Re: Lagoonarium in Bora Bora
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d&s
Junior Member
Registered: 05/29/04
Posts: 9
Loc: San Francisco
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Pacific Andy,
Thank you for reply!
Do we actually get to swim with and touch the sharks? Or is it just holding on to a rope and watching?
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#17989 - 06/01/04 09:12 PM
Re: Lagoonarium in Bora Bora
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rcastillon
Member
Registered: 12/20/01
Posts: 57
Loc: Los Angeles, CA USA
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Don’t be disappointed. They have a small fenced off area (inside the lagoon); kind of like a large fish tank. You can snorkel in that area and they have different species of fish trapped inside the fence. If I remember correctly, there are a few sea turtles. If you’ve never snorkeled before, it’s probably a good introduction to what you will see on the rest of your snorkeling adventures.
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#17990 - 06/02/04 07:54 AM
Re: Lagoonarium in Bora Bora
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Pacific Andy
Supreme Advisor
Registered: 10/16/01
Posts: 4278
Loc: Los Angeles, CA
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You actually swim with them or should I say float with them. Its located in a pass so you have a strong current. You get in at the top and float about 200 yard with tropical fish, rays, sea turtles and sharks. Mostly black tips and silver tips but they do have a few lemon sharks. The swim with you and it pretty cool. I like it much better than the shark feed excursions because you are part of it. Also, when they go off and do their little show of coconut opening etc.. you can go back to the top and float down again. We did it about 4 times and it was great because nobody was around.
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Once You Go You Get It
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#17991 - 06/02/04 06:54 PM
Re: Lagoonarium in Bora Bora
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crazydog
Member
Registered: 04/21/04
Posts: 34
Loc: Chicago
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d&s,
My wife and I stayed at the Nui for our honeymoon the last week of April. Do you have your excursions pre-arranged through a travel agent? If so, the Nui should have that information. If not, give it to them. You should always call the activity desk the day before your event (preferably in the late afternoon) and re-confirm. That way they know that you are going to be going on that tour/excursion, just in case you are running late for the shuttle, etc. The shuttle boat drops you off at the pier in Vaitape and then someone from the Lagoonarium will pick you up, in either a bus or a little 4x4. You don't have to worry about it, and it's included for free.
There are three parts to the Lagoonarium visit. The first part, your guide takes you out to a part of the bay where he drops a rope. You stay behind the rope and look underwater while he feeds the sharks. Somehow the sharks know not to cross the rope.
The second part, you go to a coral garden which has awesome snorkeling.
The third part, you go to that caged off area where you can actually swim in enclosures with three different kinds of sharks - black tip, white tip and lemon. In no part of the tour did we actually touch sharks. There's no part where the sharks are in a touch pool or anything of the sort. I guess you could if you really wanted to and are fast enough, but I wouldn't for the sake of your hand. Reef sharks are harmless, but who knows what they would do if provoked. You do get to touch a moray eel at the enclosed part of the lagoonarium, though.
And yes, bring your own snorkels. The ones they provide for you are those straight tube ones with no safety valve.
As far as scuba diving, you won't do it on the lagoonarium tour. Hope that helps.
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#17992 - 06/04/04 07:46 AM
Re: Lagoonarium in Bora Bora
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d&s
Junior Member
Registered: 05/29/04
Posts: 9
Loc: San Francisco
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Thanks everybody for your help.
I spoke with my travel agent today and he said that he has done the lagoonarium 4 times and has never seen a shark!!??
Is this true?
Or is he talking about some different lagoonarium?
Thank you!
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#17993 - 06/04/04 08:06 AM
Re: Lagoonarium in Bora Bora
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Pacific Andy
Supreme Advisor
Registered: 10/16/01
Posts: 4278
Loc: Los Angeles, CA
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Must be something different since I have been at least four times and the only reason I go is to see the sharks. I usually do not do the entire day thing like crazydog, I just go to the lagoonarium for a few hours. Maybe its time to see a new agent
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Once You Go You Get It
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#17994 - 06/17/04 07:51 AM
Re: Lagoonarium in Bora Bora
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Anonymous
Anonymous
Unregistered
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We just returned from BB and we did the Lagoonarium and what Crazydog described is exactly correct! You get to see sharks during the first part and the third part of the tour. While the sharks are being fed, for some reason, they don't really come that close to you. The biggest one we saw was about 4 or 5 feet long. I was a little apprehensive about doing this at first (and I still am!) because I'm still not sure how they guarantee your safety during this thing!
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#17995 - 06/17/04 07:57 AM
Re: Lagoonarium in Bora Bora
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Anonymous
Anonymous
Unregistered
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Oh, I forgot....during the first part, yes, you are holding on to a rope (so you can float on your stomach better and not move around) and you watch the sharks and all the other fish and stuff. The sharks didn't come that close to us, but I suppose if they did, you can touch/pet them if you dare to. I don't think they told us not to. Also, as far as the snorkel gear, it's just a matter of preference. Do you prefer using your own or do you mind using the standard ones they provide?? Some people prefer to use their own gear ALL the time. Just remember, it's something else you have to pack though. They provide the gear (no fins though) and life jackets. We stayed at the Sofitel and they provided snorkel gear for us too.
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