Bora Bora Manta Ray Dive -- Help

[marly]

I'm having trouble making a decision. Top Dive seems to be everybody's favorite dive op in Polynesia, so I would like to book with them. However, our ship arrives at 8 a.m. and their manta ray dive is at 8:15. I'm afraid it will be cutting it too close. They require full payment up front.

 

The ship offers a manta ray dive at 9 a.m, but I thought that may be too late since they say morning hours are the best time to see them.

 

We are also interested in renting a jet ski and going around the island. Top Dive offers that as well. And it also looks like we can use the beach on their resort. Has anybody done this?

 

Any input is appreciated!

Marly

[Gonedownlately?]

I did this dive off the Tahitian Princess last May, and I'm really glad I did it. It is a fantastic dive.

 

You will not be able to meet Top Dive by 8:15. In this port -- as in most ports in FP -- the ship has to anchor away from shore and tender the passengers to the dock. You'd have to be the first person on the tender, and the tender would have to leave the ship right on time. Tenders can be delayed as more passengers come on board, and if the water is too choppy the ship will hold the tenders. I wouldn't risk it. You don't want to miss this dive!

 

Another note: I did all my dives in FP through the ship. I know that other divers on the ship booked their dives directly with indie dive operators. In a couple cases the passengers using the indie operators were unable to make contact with then at the pier; the operator just plain didn't show up! These folks were unable to dive on those days as it was too late to make other plans!

 

So -- if you're so inclined -- go indie at the other stops, but for this dive I'd strongly suggest you book through the ship.

[marly]

Thanks so much for your input! I am taking your advice. By any chance, did you also do the afternoon dive in Tapu or Toopua? I can't decided between that or renting a jet ski to go around the island. I'm just full of indecision these days!

Marly

[Gonedownlately?]

Our itinerary did not take us to those spots, so I can't speak with any credibility. My only thought is this: we booked a jet ski thing during a trip to the Turks and Caicos islands, thinking we'd be able to cruise around the island, maybe stop at a secluded beach for a picnic... But it turned out that we were only allowed to run the jetskis in a very limited area near a busy marina. We were not allowed to wander all over the island. Turns out much of the area surrounding the islands is a protected marine sanctuary, and while I'm very cool with that I certainly wouldn't have booked the excursion having known about the limitations.

 

Of course that's the Turks and Caicos; not FP. Just make sure you know that the excursion you book really provides the entertainment you're expecting.

[Latitude 20]

Thanks so much for your input! I am taking your advice. By any chance, did you also do the afternoon dive in Tapu or Toopua? I can't decided between that or renting a jet ski to go around the island. I'm just full of indecision these days!

Marly

 

ABSOLUTELY do Tapu and/or Toopua. We did both as a two-tank trip one morning and they were the highlights of our dives in Tahiti. As a matter of fact, we'd do these two instead of the manta ray dive which, if there aren't any rays around (as in our case), ends up being a long swim over a boring sandy seafloor.

 

Kathi & Leo

[AWOL]

We booked with Top Dive when we were in Bora Bora and because there were several divers off the same ship, they waited for us so you may want to ask them if this would be possible. They were great to dive with

Regards

Roger

[aqua2]

We just returned on Tuesday from the Tahitian Princess cruise. The absolute highlight of the trip, for me, was the 2-tank dive. We booked through Princess, and had terrific divemasters with Bora Dive Center. It was such an incredibly rainy day in BoraBora, some of the indie outfits (for snorkeling, particularly) canceled out on the passengers. We took the first tender off the ship, were on shore by 8:20a.m., but the dive boat didn't actually pick us up until around 9:00 because of a couple of non-cruise divers who were late. :-( But anyway - first dive was inside the reef, viz was only OK because of the rain, but beautiful reef structure, lots of tropicals, a large turtle, spotted eagle rays. The second dive was outside the reef - wild ride through the pass amongst huge breakers. Terrific surge but oh what a dive! Sharks, sharks and more sharks.

 

We were SO glad we had booked the 2-tank dive - the rain prevented lots of passengers from what the thought they would have done on Bora Bora on that full day in port. We had toured the island the afternoon before, when the sun was shining! Lucky us!

[marly]

I've decided to book the manta ray dive in the morning and then also the Toopua/Tapu dive in the afternoon through the ship. We have a limited time there, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We won't get to see much of the island, but I guess we'll save that for another time! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we'll get to see the rays. Our cruise is in May, I hope that's a good time of year.

Thanks everybody for your advice!

Marly

[nansi]

We went to Fr. Poly in 2000.....the ships tours do not go to the GIANT MANTA RAYS...and I mean GIANT. Wingspan of over 20 feet. If you do book through Top Dive you have to request specifically that you want the Giant Rays included. There are very few of them and they are in a specific spot. Also, Top Dive will definitely accomodate your ships schedule if you tell them about your dilemma.

[Gonedownlately?]

A school -- group? pride?: what do you call a collection of 8 rays? -- swam right through our dive group. If we'd held our hands out the rays would have brushed right over them. They may not have been 20-footers, but they were pretty darn close! At the time they seemed like dinosaurs!

 

The dive operation off the Tahitian Princess for this dive was Dive Bora.

[marly]

I did contact Top Dive and they told me I had to be on the first or second tender off the ship. They request full payment in advance. I was told that if we didn't make it off the ship in time, we could go to the 10 a.m. dive. But I don't think that's a manta ray dive. This is why I'm having the dilemma! From what I'm reading about the tenders, I don't know that I'll make it on time. I thought I'd have a better chance seeing them if I went with the ship. Top Dive would be my first choice, but I just hate having to worry about anything on my vacation.

 

I also really wanted to jet ski around the island, but we don't have enough time to do it all. The choice is jet ski, or do the Tapu/Toopua dive. Anybody have a recommendation?

Marly

[Latitude 20]

The choice is jet ski, or do the Tapu/Toopua dive. Anybody have a recommendation?

Marly

 

We've never actually jet skied so we can't pass judgement but Tapu and Toopua are once in a lifetime experiences. IMHO there's not even a dilemma here. Go Diving!

 

Kathi & Leo

[marly]

thanks! :)

[aqua2]

Marly, it's not clear why you would not make the first or second tender. In our recent experience, the first one left the ship prettly close to 8 a.m., and there were only about 15-20 passengers on board. We were still sitting dockside waiting for our dive boat when the second tender arrived, and there were probably 30 or 40 passengers. The tenders will hold a lot more than that. If waking up is what you mean, you can set up a wake-up call in your cabin - you program the telephone yourself to beep at you. ;)

 

I, too, don't see the dilemma between jet ski and scuba - go for the scuba!! The Tapu & Toopua dive sites were great if you do the Princess excursion.

[nansi]

A school -- group? pride?: what do you call a collection of 8 rays? -- swam right through our dive group. If we'd held our hands out the rays would have brushed right over them. They may not have been 20-footers, but they were pretty darn close! At the time they seemed like dinosaurs!

 

The dive operation off the Tahitian Princess for this dive was Dive Bora.

Our Polynesian boat driver/guide called them a FAMILY of Giant manta rays. He said his grandfather had discovered them years before and supposedly in present day there were a mother, father and some children rays. Hence the "family."

[marly]

Aqua 2: I've been reading how Princess gives out tender tickets. From what I understand, the first tenders are for those who book excursions through the ship. Then I guess the rest are given out to whoever gets there first. Maybe I'm misinformed, but that was my understanding from other posts.

I have the Tapu dive booked!

Marly

[wystiria]

Marly,

 

I was on the TP for a back to back in October and there were no tender tickets. Many times what we found was princess's "rules" don't apply to the TP. It is such a small ship and for the most part you never have lines etc.

 

I did dive with their operator but that is becasue I was doing an intro dive :) now I am getting certified. Bora bora even their beginner dive was FABULOUS! I think as long as you dive in FP you will be one HAPPY girl!

 

Also if you are inclined to snorkel there are some unbelievable drift snorkels in the barrier reef of Tahaa.