We woke up in Moorea around 5:30am, and it already was 75-80 degrees out with a breeze. That never happens in San Francisco, so already the trip could be considered a great success. From the back deck of an over-water bungalow, the sunrises are amazing. On a small island, you can start the day in one place to catch the sunrise, and end the day on the other side to see the sunset.
But at our first real stop, the Pearl Resort in Moorea, we were lucky enough to be facing the ocean in such a way that the sun rose on the right, and set on the left, all in front of our eyes. You could literally sit on your back deck all day and watch the sun move across the sky.
Dan and I are generally far too active for that sort of behavior, but in Moorea we did spend a lot of time watching the sky. The morning was my favorite time of day, hands down. We’d wake up to pink light coming through the window, and go outside to see completely still lagoon water, stretching all the way out to the coral reefs (a few hundred yards away) where the waves broke.
The lighting at that time of day allows you to see under the water for several feet. You can see the details in the coral reefs, and the striped, electric blue, and yellow fish swimming underneath you. The overwater bungalows are essentially like being on top of an aquarium, and you even have a hole in your floor that allows you to see what’s going on below—any time of day.
My favorite of the three mornings was when Dan noticed a manta ray gliding by our back porch. It looked like it was on its way to work. Other than the occasional canoe, scattered birds, and the muted sounds of the ocean hitting the barrier reef, the mornings are quiet. Even the roosters, which crow inland starting at 3am, are too far away to really be heard.
If anything, it feels like you—the tourist—are tainting the scene with your presence. The islands are just a speck out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and you feel so lucky to be there—along with the rainbow of fish, and the sharks and the rays.
When the sun comes up, nothing really changes, but somehow things get louder. The surf sounds louder, the colors of the sky change from sea green and baby pink to blue, the sun comes up and the heat is on your face, and the water becomes mysterious again.
