Stingrays Swimming
The stingrays were active and graceful. They did not seem to mind a little human interaction.
Black Tipped Reef Sharks
There were also about twenty black tipped reef sharks that hung out with us. They were rapid swimmers so you could not swim up to them. You had to wait quietly until they came close to you.
Jackfish
Quite a few large jackfish also hung out with the sharks. The bright blue along their back and tail looked almost iridescent in the sunlight.
Shark & Stingray Shenanigans
Check out some wonderful video of sharks and stingrays in action. Other fish that you may notice are the long, thin, needle nosed houndfish hanging out near the surface of the water, the ring tail surgeonfish hanging out at the bottom, and the jackfish swimming near the sharks.
Feeding the Fish
After breakfast the following day, we spent a very peaceful morning feeding bread to the fish off our deck. The water was so transparent that we could see them as clearly as we had when snorkeling the previous day. We were again amazed by all of the different colors, shapes, and varieties of fish. Some of the fish we saw were the undulated triggerfish, pennant bannerfish, a rabbitfish, some pinjalo snapper, and Picasso triggerfish.
Different Patterns
The vivid colors and distinctive patterns on the fish were amazing. We couldn't believe how many different varieties were out there. We had a delightful morning which simultaneously provided food for the fish and food for our souls.
Fish Feeding in Action
The fish enjoyed their morning snack as we sat on the edge of our deck and fed them bread. Check out the video.
Island Hopping
We flew from Moorea to the island of Raiatea where we were met by a boat to take us to Tahaa. The sunset that we saw along the way was a beautiful sight.
Le Taha Hotel
We stayed in a wonderful over water bungalow with a private patio and deck. It was very quiet and peaceful. There was a built in box at the foot of the bed with a glass lid that we could lift to view the fish.
Looking over the Edge
Sitting on our deck, looking over the edge, we saw lots of fish. Many were new ones we had not seen before, but others were like old friends. We got a kick out of the squaretail mullet because its pectoral fins were oriented upward which gave the fish the appearance of floating on its back. We also saw blacktail snapper and pinjalo snaper with their distinctive bright yellow markings. The convict tang made another appearance as did the Picasso triggerfish.
