Excursion Conflict - is Shark Gallery a "don't miss"?

[scotlady]

Just got the actual excursions schedule for our May 16th PG cruise. We wanted to do the Shark Gallery and the Moorea photo adventure - but they are in direct conflict.

 

Is the Shark Gallery a don't miss or would Ledges be just as good?

 

We are beginning divers - will have finished our certification just before the cruise, but as snorkelers - we have generally been more interested in the undersea life than the coral . . .

[Bearnaise]

I'm also interested in any replies as we're going in July and I hope to be making our excursion reservations soon if that &%$^# website ever starts working!

 

One thing I noticed that was noted on the description for Scuba Shark Gallery - Certified Divers is "This tour is recommended for very experienced divers in good physical condition." Yet they offer a Beginner dive presumably at the site and the Certified dive promises no deeper than 50 feet. What gives?

 

I have a friend that dove Ledges and thoroughly enjoyed it, thought it the best he'd ever seen until he dove Palau, but I don't know if he dove Shark Gallery. I should ask him.

 

We were planning on doing Ledges, because my friend raved about it, but that "very experienced divers" part in the Shark Gallery description sort of intrigues me. Sometimes, that can just mean more current and a less pleasant overall experience; other times, that can mean something special. I wonder if there's anyone available at RSSC or on the PG via e-mail to answer such questions in advance?

[scotlady]

Bearnaise -

 

What I have understood from previous posts is that when they offer a certified & beginner dive to the same site, they are trying to group the beginners together so they can keep an eye on them better & maybe go a little slower?

 

I asked some questions about the dives & what made them easier vs. harder. The answers I got said it was mostly the depth of the dives, except at Rangiroa where there is definitely current involved.

 

I'm hoping someone more experienced can help with these questions :)

[Bearnaise]

Bearnaise -

 

What I have understood from previous posts is that when they offer a certified & beginner dive to the same site, they are trying to group the beginners together so they can keep an eye on them better & maybe go a little slower?

 

I asked some questions about the dives & what made them easier vs. harder. The answers I got said it was mostly the depth of the dives, except at Rangiroa where there is definitely current involved.

That would normally be my experience. Ordinarily I'd avoid dives where beginners and certified divers are together in the same boat because the beginner divers will end up limiting the dive for the certified divers unless the groups split up underwater and dive different areas of the site.

 

What struck me as odd is that for the certified divers on this dive they advised "very experienced" and not just certified, while on Ledges, no such qualification is advised beyond the certification and dive experience within the past two years, especially since the dive probably lacks the currents of Rangiroa and the description limits depth to 50 feet. Perhaps it's an unintentional typo from cutting and pasting the verbage from the Rangiroa description when they prepared the excursion booklet.

[cwc]

If memory serve me right, you will overnight in Moorea, therefore you should have twice the opportunities to do the shark dive. Double check when you are on board, but the shark Gallery is not to be miss (if you want to have 5+ sharks swimming around you). I loved it but my husband, he didn't really like it.

[drifting_away]

The reef where the ledges dive is, is just OK. We were a little disappointed in the ledges dive. The shark gallery dive was the second day and it was great. We were very happy to end on that dive and not ledges. They did ledges one day, and shark gallery the next when we went last June/July. If I had to choose it would obviously be the gallery. That is where Barry the giant barricuda hangs out! ;) They also let us feed the turtle "janine" there. She mugs you as soon as she sees you! Great pics!!!

[spookyzen]

The shark gallery is absolutely amazing. You enter the water while sharks are circling around--it's called Shark Gallery for a reason--and if you are lucky the sea turtle is around and very friendly. The other sea life is wonderful too. It's a very good dive. I haven't done the Ledges so I can't compare.

[scotlady]

CWC - what did your husband not like about the Shark Gallery - just didn't like the sharks that close to him?

 

And unfortunately, according to the schedule, the Shark Gallery dive is only offered one of the two days on Moorea.

[cwc]

Yep... he didn't like the big animal next to him. He prefer little fishes and sea anemones.

 

Well, I am not sure, but we did Trail of the Ancients and shark dive when we were on the 10day cruise. And I think there is 2 shark dives, one for beginner and the other one for certified divers. Just go find out when you are on-board, you might be pleasently suprise you can do both excursions.

 

Have fun!

 

Cindy

[hrprof]

We did both Shark Gallery and Ledges - S. Gallery is, by far, the more interesting dive and neither one is particularly challenging.

[hrprof]

I dug out my dive log to check out what I said about Ledges and SG

 

Ledges - perfect conditions, 4' swells - water temp 82 - max depth 64 - vis. 80 - BT 60 minutes

6 divers on boat with guide Pierre - rough ride to outside of reef - pleasant dive with good fish life - black tips.

 

Shark Gallery - perfect conditions - 3' swells - some surge - water temp 81 - max depth 55 - vis 80 - BT 55 min.

site is near ledges outside the reef - down to bowl shaped area - with lots of sharks - BTs, Lemon (big) and other species - very mellow turtle - 4 on zodiac with Pierre - feeding at end of dive - this was one of the best dives ever for marine life.

 

So, my recollections were correct!

[Bearnaise]

Shark Gallery seems to be "the winner" by unanimous consensus.

 

We're on the 11-day, so only have one day in Moorea. Our excursion times should be posted and available for booking by Friday, or maybe even by tomorrow, so this thread has certainly come in handy! I'm less picky about the topside excursions than the underwater, so I guess I'll book Shark Gallery instead of Ledges and then see what else we can fit around that on land.

[drifting_away]

Sounds identical to my experiences hrprof.

 

The certified dive is usually the earlier of the two so you will still have plenty of time to do something else on the island.

[Bearnaise]

Just booked Shark Gallery. 7:20 a.m. (ugh!) on 7/14/09. On our 11-day cruise, that's the only SCUBA site offered (beginner or certified). No Ledges available, so I didn't have to toss a coin :cool:

[rickandpat]

We just got back from our first Regent cruise, on the PG - which we LOVED. Just after we got in our room we went and talked to the dive people at their desk by Reception/Travel Concierge and got all the paperwork out of the way. And though all the excursion lists for our week did not include any diving in Moorea, all the usuals were offered after all, and Rick had no trouble adding them. (And this was with a full ship - must have not been many divers that week.) His favorite dive of all was a last-minute add-on, a night dive in Bora Bora, though he was very pleased with all of them.

[drifting_away]

So happy to hear you enjoyed yourself!!!! We are going to try the night dive this trip as well!!!