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We donned our snorkel masks and flippers, entered the warm, crystal-clear waters of the Bora Bora lagoon and began swimming. This wasn't the snorkeling trip usually found on cruises, the kind where you snorkel over an underwater world filled with colorful fish and exotic coral. This time we were snorkeling at the Lagoonarium, a five-acre enclosed refuge where we would share the water with sea turtles, sting rays, colorful fish and one other form of marine life -- sharks.
"The sharks are well fed," our guide assured us. "They will not bother you." Then he added, with a giggle, "We hope."
Only slightly reassured, we explored the refuge, admiring the small fish -- rays, jackfish, turtles, parrot fish -- while keeping an eye out for the yellow and black tip sharks, some of which reached 4 or 5 feet in length.
And then we saw them, a pair of the dreaded predators swimming lazily along a fence on one side of the enclosure. We swam slowly toward the sharks, closing to within a few feet when the predators cast a wary eye at us, flicked their tails and disappeared. It was an exciting moment, but one that left us with the unnerving thought, "Now, where are they?"
This encounter with the sharks was just one of many exotic and frequently exciting activities we enjoyed during our week-long cruise on the Radisson Seven Seas Cruises' Paul Gauguin, a 320-passenger luxury ship that began sailing the waters of French Polynesia in early 1998. The 513-foot vessel took us to world-famous islands -- Bora Bora and Moorea, the island long believed to be the inspiration for James Michener's "Bali Hai" -- as well as the world's second largest atoll and an island that ancient Polynesian legends say is the birthplace of the gods.
Our cruise started in Tahiti, the island that has captivated generations of adventurers, from mutineer Fletcher Christian to the artist Paul Gauguin to modern jetsetters like the actor Marlon Brando.
We boarded the Paul Gauguin in Papeete and sailed after a spectacular sunset turned the sky into a cauldron of reds and orange. Our first port of call was Rangiroa, an atoll composed of low-lying islets that formed a lagoon that was 46 miles long and 14 miles wide. The islands are so low --only 10 feet above sea level at most -- that this atoll, the world's second largest, cannot be spotted until we were very close to it. After cruising slowly through a narrow passage into the calm waters of the lagoon, the Paul Gauguin anchored for an overnight stay.
The shore excursions here, as on the other islands, were limited, and focused on the natural wonders of the island and sea: snorkeling, parasailing, a glass bottom boat tour, a visit to a black pearl farm, scuba diving or a tender to the beach. We chose the glass bottom boat tour and enjoyed the scenery, particularly when our guide speared a fish and started a feeding frenzy, compete with small sharks, just under our boat.
Our next stop was Raiatea, a beachless island where legend says the god of war, Oro, was born in the extinct volcano that dominates the north end of the island. Our adventure here was a great sailboat ride to the outer reef, followed by snorkeling and beachcombing on an uninhabited island.
This focus on water sports was a major theme of this cruise. In addition to the snorkeling and scuba excursions offered on each island, the ship also had a water-sports platform on its stern. The platform was lowered in the sea while anchored, so guests could take out a kayak, small sailboat or enjoy other watersports.
And unlike Caribbean cruises, where shopping is a major component of the island stops, there were few shopping opportunities in these isolated and thinly populated island, save for an occasional craft market, beach shop or black pearl farm. And if your idea of a heavenly cruise is one with lavish entertainment and a busy casino, look elsewhere. The Paul Gauguin did have a small casino, though local laws prevented the ship from opening up the slot machines, and the nightly entertainment was low-key-- a magician or a musical show lead by the cruise director. The best diversion on the ship was the Carita Spa, a branch of the celebrated spa in Paris, where you could get a massage, manicure, salt water bath or other pamperings.
Despite the lack of captivating entertainment, the ship was a pleasant way to travel. The cabins were spacious and beautifully furnished; 50 percent of them had private verandas. The layout of the ship was thoughtful; at no time did we feel lost or confused.
The final two islands on this cruise are among the more celebrated islands in the world. Bora Bora, a stunningly beautiful island with two towering central mountains soaring almost a half-mile into the clouds, surrounded by reefs and smaller islands. The island's beauty is breathtaking, and it's easy to see why such writers as James Michener called it the "world's most beautiful."
After a half-day exploring the few small shell and beachwear shops and a crafts market on the island's main road, we boarded a van, which took us around the island to a small marina. There we boarded a outrigger canoe (motorized, so we did not have to paddle) for the ride across the lagoon to the Lagoonarium refuge, where we swam with the sharks. Our second adventure on Bora Bora was a helicopter ride, a great way to the see towering center of the island as well as spotting sharks and rays swimming in the lagoon.
Our final stop was Moorea, an island with a rugged profile of jagged peaks, the remnants of an ancient volcanic explosion. By this time, six days into the cruise, we limited ourselves to just one shore excursion -- a trip to the Tiki Theatre Village, a cultural center that recreates what life was like on the islands before European explorers discovered them in the 18th Century. The village is interesting, but has the feel of an attraction built to lure tourists rather than to preserve culture.
After this one trip, we spent the day, our final of the cruise, on deck, watching the sea and shore change colors as the sun dropped. As sunset came, the island slowly changed from bright green to a deep blue-purple. With the clouds above exploding into brilliant reds and orange, it was the final magic moment on a cruise filled with them.
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Radisson Seven Seas Cruises' Paul Gauguin makes seven-day cruises of French Polynesia year-round. For more information, see a travel agent or visit the website: www.rssc.com.
(c) 1999 Larry Fox and Barbara Radin Fox