Day 38: Bora Bora (First Born)

Bora Bora has an interesting heritage - starting with its name. The island was originally called Vavau in older times before changing to Pora Pora, which means firstborn. The first European settlers misheard the name (there is actually no B in the Tahitian language) and called the island Bora Bora instead.


Bora Bora is formed by an extinct volcano over 3 million years old, surrounded by a lagoon and a fringing reef. Its summit is Mount Otemanu, located in the center of the atoll; another summit, Mount Pahia, on the main island, is over 2,000ft high. The main island has four open bays overlooking the lagoon: Faanui Bay, Tuuraapuo Bay, and Povai Bay to the west, and Hitiaa Bay to the northwest. Tuuraapuo Bay separates the main island from two islets of volcanic nature: Toopua and Toopua-iti. Necklace-shaped coral reefs surround the central island and protect it from the open sea like a dike. It is a barrier reef with only one opening to the ocean: the Teavanui Passage, located west of the main island, which allows most large cargo ships and cruise ships to enter the lagoon. That's where we were supposed to moor offshore and use tenders to reach land. Note the supposed as the seas continued to be too rough and the winds too strong for us to make it. We made a drive-by ("sail-by") of the island this morning, approached the single inlet to the Bay on the West, and turned around. At least, from our cabin, we did see the island, Motu Toopua and Mutu Tevairoa. 

Nowadays, the island has about 10,000 total inhabitants, of whom 50% are under the age of 21. It is, much like Tahiti, a French Overseas Territory, after being annexed in 1888 as a colony when its last queen, Teriimaevarua III, was forced to abdicate. It basically exists as a monument to natural beauty and for tourism.

 We'll be back in September and hopefully will get to experience the blue skies and turquoise waters. 

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