Maeva i Moorea! Or, welcome to Moorea in Tahitian.
Moorea, a small neighbour of Tahiti from which it is only a few miles away, Moorea, like many of the Society's islands, is a perfect blend of the breathtaking and green mountains of the Marquesas, and the idyllic lagoons of the Tuamotus.
We were warned, Moorea, it's Whale Island from August. They come in droves around the island to breed and beat. We thought, "Great, we'll be able to see some geysers!" But our timid hope very quickly turned into a forced observation of gigantic sea monsters gushing out a few metres from the bow, leaving us barely enough time to turn, our legs fluttering with fear, before disappearing and reappearing a few metres away. For those who wonder why be afraid of whales that are harmless animals, I like to remind you that they are also the largest mammal in the world and that if you hit one, it could hurt a lot! But despite the fear, it is an incredible sight to see these creatures evolve in their natural environment. We feel really small in front of them: a good lesson in humility!
Moorea is also the pineapple island, a culture that contributes greatly to the island's economy. This is the first time we have seen real cultures in Polynesia. In the Marquesas, fruits grew in an anarchic way along the roads, in the gardens or in the mountains, but here we could observe many well organized pineapple fields, the opportunity to discover that pineapples grew in the ground and not in the trees...
On land we did some wonderful hikes between the passes and the many peaks that Moorea's heights offer. At anchor we enjoyed the continuous spectacle in the lagoon where we observed many species of fish, but also rays and some sharks!
In short, Moorea was a great warm-up that made us want to discover the rest of the Society's archipelago!
