Benitiers Island

Our final trip within Mauritius was a visit to the uninhabited Benitiers Island. We contemplated several organised outings to Benitiers Island, but we opted for a full day excursion with Vitamin Sea Ltd. I must confess that I didn’t fully realise what the trip itinerary was when I booked. It is conceivable that I was distracted by our newfound, lazy, beach life. I listened to some advice to book with this company. Booking on a whim is not my usual modus operandi. As we talked with our new friends at the hotel bar on the eve of our final trip, we began to question why we needed to be up so early for a relaxing boat trip to Benitiers Island.

      

We arrived at the La Balise Marina around 0445!! Night was turning to day with every second that passed. Eerily peaceful, we were greeted by a Vitamin Sea representative. Customary paperwork completed, toilets visited, we were straight out on the jetty and climbing into our boat. Our crew (Brice & Whitney) were to look after us for our trip to Benitiers Island. We made a prompt departure. Obeying the speed restrictions, we followed a few other Vitamin Sea boats out of the marina. By the time we were clear of the marina, the sun was breaking through and lighting up the sky. We veered off to the north rather quickly. So much for our relaxing boat trip. Accelerator to the max it seemed we were in a rush for something. Nervously excited, we wondered what the rush was about.

We slowed down as we arrived to where other boats had gathered along with a group of kayaks (this was the same area where we had kayaked earlier in the trip). We were blessed to see a pod of spinner dolphins playing in the water. Our delight at seeing these playful mammals in their natural habitat was evident. As we were enjoying this special moment, Whitney started to talk to us about snorkeling equipment and kitting us out. Puzzled by the disruption to the display given by the dolphins, it soon became apparent she was preparing us so that we could go in the water and swim with them. We looked at each other in shock at what was happening. I mentioned at the beginning that I hadn’t fully read the itinerary. Lesson number 1 – read carefully before signing on the dotted line!! We had time to process the news and prepare for this monumental occasion as Brice said about heading south to find a better spot. Sit back, hold on, the morning sea breeze blowing through our hair (well, Hannah’s certainly, and mine, what’s left of it!!) as the accelerator was pushed to the full.

In just a short time our fast boat brought us south around to Morne Le Brabant (scene of our first trip within the trip) just as a rainbow appeared over the ocean. This area must be a magical spot for the dolphins (these ones were bottlenose) who approach the coast here to socialize, relax and play. The waves here were certainly bigger and the clouds had rolled in. We were told to sit on the back of the boat and, when instructed, to slide in. Masks and snorkels at the ready we spent the next couple of hours climbing in and out of the boat as we tried to keep up with the dolphins that were swimming all around us.

   

What…an…experience!! We politely slipped in and out of their world, the cold water not being a problem. Beauty was all around us, and our fears and anxiety immediately dissipated to be replaced with high levels of adrenaline. I must have read the bit on the Vitamin Sea blurb that says, ‘Life is about collecting experiences that take your breath away’. Well, this was certainly one of them! We were blissfully unaware of time (it didn’t seem to exist), but all good things must come to an end. By the time we left, we were exhausted. Mouths filled with salty water (we weren’t the best snorkelers), hearts pumping, tiredness in our eyes, but excitement pouring out of us. We had such a smile on each other’s face that could not be wiped off. We collapsed into our seats again as we went back the way we came and towards Le Morne. We thought that was the end of our snorkeling until Brice shouted out, “Sea turtle!” We still can’t believe how he was able to see this creature beautifully camouflaged in the reef. He brought the boat to a stop and allowed us to swim around with said creature. He/she was completely unfazed by our presence. We finally left the turtle to enjoy its surroundings, and we made our way a little further up the coast where we dropped anchor.

 

This was where we were to do the snorkeling that I remember being told about in the booking process. As we slid into the water the number of fish that greeted us was surreal! All sorts of fish of different shapes and colours swam around us. We mustered what energy we had left to swim around admiring these colourful creatures. The azure waters, coral reef and pristine sands were the perfect back drop to the array of colour. Hannah managed to stay in longer than I did as I was worn out. The adrenaline of the previous moments had left me, and the borrowed kit was starting to hurt. Hannah eventually decided that she had seen enough and got back on board. We then made a slow and leisurely trip towards Benitiers Island which passed through the lagoon near Crystal Rock.

   

Crystal Rock is a geological curiosity. Rising majestically out of the water, like a large crystal sitting on the surface, it certainly draws a crowd. The rock is a photographer’s dream. The rugged rock, crystal clear waters, blue skies, white puffy clouds create the perfect picture postcard shot. We circled it a couple of times to capture ‘the money shot’, before heading to Benitiers island and an eagerly anticipated lunch. The boat stopped close to the seashore, and we disembarked and walked through the low levels of water to the beach. Whitney and Brice assisted with the BBQ whilst we took a moment to stroll along the beach, all the while taking time to realise what an incredible morning that we had just experienced. Our 4 o’clock wakeup call had been completely forgotten about. We savoured the moment, just the two of us, hand in hand, walking in the sand. Splish, splash as we walked along the pristine sands and not a care in the world. No better feeling than sand between our toes. We reached the end of the isle, where Morne Le Brabant seemed to look at us. We said to each other, rather proudly, that we had conquered that mountain. We turned back, slowly realizing that the end of the trip was nigh – all good things, etc… We got back to the part of the beach where the smell of the BBQ of marinated meat and fish filled the air. We sat back and enjoyed a glass of wine watching our boat bob with the slight waves in front of us.

   

Dinner was served – a homemade Mauritian barbecue that included fresh fish, shrimp skewers, chicken, garlic bread and salad. Hats off to the chef – this was BBQ brilliance. I’ve certainly stepped out of my comfort zone in tasting and eating fish this holiday. This is something I may continue when I’m back home – we shall see! The meal finished off with grilled banana flambé straight off the grill. Again, all good things, etc…. We jumped back on the boat, said goodbye to Benitiers Island before Brice put the accelerator to max again. Brice got the music pumping as we sped our way back to the marina. It was with sadness that we had to say goodbye to Brice and Whitney (they were great representatives of Vitamin Sea), but we left with memories of a lifetime.

Île aux Bénitiers, La Gaulette VCA, Black River, Mauritius