Moorea--Opunohu Bay--French Polynesia

On to Moorea, one of the windward islands and just a few miles from Tahiti. Although we did not encounter rain during our few hours on land it was windy so the water was not as crystal clear as on Bora Bora. Also the earlier rain washed debris from the mountains into the lagoon. The debris was all organic--coconuts, fronds, leaves, a few logs. We saw no trash in the water or on land. The Polynesians are very protective of their islands.

Judging from the houses of the natives the standard of living is not very high. Schooling through the 9th grade is available on the small islands. To go further the children have to go to Tahiti. Some are close enough to commute by ferry but most must board. We got differing answers about whether it was free. Besides tourism there is quite a market in black pearls. They are cultivated in large, quiet lagoons and sold internationally.

Our boat guide told us that his father buried his (the guide's) placenta on the family property and the guide did the same thing with his son's placenta to solidify their relationship to their land. Interesting concept!

I am attaching a video of the Ray we saw yesterday.Read more