Exploring the Golden Lizard

Last weekend was, in one word, spectacular!

Xav and I spent all Saturday with another couple (Stephanie & Antoine) on what is dubbed the sister island of Tahiti – Mo’orea Island. Mo’orea, Tahitian for ‘golden lizard’ is only 30 minutes by ferry from Tahiti. An aerial view of Mo’orea will give you an image of a large three-toed footprint with two beautiful bays (Cook’s Bay & Opunohu Bay) carved in between. Now an extinct volcano, Mo’orea is simply lush with vegetation and colourful marine life. Short stretches of sparkling white sand beaches line the island’s perimeter while tall coconut trees sway with the constant cooling breeze.


We started the day early. Climbing aboard the 7.30 a.m. ferry, we were thrilled to feel the sun shining on our faces and see nothing but cloudless blue skies far ahead and beyond. Lately, weekends in Tahiti have been marred by dark skies and heavy rain, so we were exceptionally pleased that our weekend in Mo’orea would be undisturbed by the threat of bad weather.

Right off the ferry, we drove around Mo’orea to look for a place that served breakfast. Most of the little ‘snacks’ (small restaurants serving fast food) were closed. We finally arrived at a quaint commercial center and found one Chez Carameline open. Xav and Antoine took a Tahitian breakfast with poisson cru (raw fish salad in coconut milk dressing) while Stephanie and I opted for the more conventional French breakfast – croissants and café au lait, where instead of cream, we poured in coconut milk. It tasted a tad too sweet and very liquid – I didn’t fancy it too much as I prefer thicker cream in my coffee. Nevertheless, that’s the beauty of being in a foreign country – to test the palate with exotic food or drink we never had before :D.

After Chez Carameline we proceeded to the highlight of our trip – the lagoonarium. Antoine and Steph had raved about it so much, so Xav and I were all gung-ho to discover it. Actually, the lagoonarium is on a motu (very very VERY small island) across Mo’orea. It takes about 10 minutes to cross over by boat. We paid the fees at a shack by the road (honestly, it would be very easy to miss this place) and were on our way.

As soon as we arrived, we changed into our swimwear. Xav and I did this in what I could only call as the most primitive toilet I have ever known in my life! One tin box of toilet paper rolls, one urinal, one sitting toilet and NO FLUSH. There is no plumbing whatsoever running into or out of the two toilets. Looking down into the toilets, we found two big holes leading right into the water, where fish of all types and sizes were swimming eagerly. All this built into a rectangular shack made of coconut leaves and supported by wooden planks. UGH, you may think, but it’s by far one of the cleanest toilets I’ve seen :D. On top of that, it has a great view too! Take a look......

Once changed, we joined the others on the short white sand beach. Everything – from cups of hot cocoa to goggles and snorkeling gear – was free. We grabbed what we needed and headed into water. We could see grilled barriers and buoys in the water, marking a small area of the lagoon. Despite these barriers, there are natural gateways for marine life to swim in and out of the lagoon.

Calf-deep in water, I was amazed to see huge stingrays gliding smoothly towards us, dusting sand over their sides as they stopped, as though anticipating our touch. Eyes wide in absolute magical wonderment, we stroked their silky skin, careful to avoid their long tails. As we caressed the rays, their sides (like fins on a fish) moved continuously. If we could liken the rays to cats, I bet they were purring in pure contentment at our soft touch! After a while, the rays swam away to welcome others who had just stepped into the water.
The magic didn’t stop here.

Moving slowly through the water, we spotted turtles swimming in circles around the corals. Donning our snorkeling gear, we swam underwater for a clearer view. Almost instantly, life in itself altered. It was as if we had opened a door to another world completely untouched by humans and all modern developments. In that moment, we were one with Mother Nature, swimming alongside mysterious species never before exposed to us.

It was one of the moments where I wished I had an underwater camera.


Except for the stingrays, we could not risk our small digital camera in deeper waters. And we had to swim further out to touch the turtles and chase meter-long sharks. Nevertheless, I have managed to scour the Internet for pictures of the various sea life we saw at the lagoonarium. Through these pictures, you’ll get a rough idea of the multitude of colours that surrounded us.


We spent half a day there. Truthfully, we could have passed a whole day just swimming with these creatures. With a heavy heart, we left around 2 p.m. to meet some other friends for a late lunch at the Sheraton Hotel. A fellow Tahitian Sheraton staff member regaled us with a mystical story about a cursed prince who eventually married the most beautiful princess in all of Polynesia. I couldn’t follow the story very well, as he spoke in rapid fire French with a Tahitian accent (for those French people who have been exposed to the Tahitian French accent, you’ll understand what I mean).

This staff member also taught us how to differentiate between a female and male coconut (yes, there actually is such a thing!). The female coconut has a smooth, rounded tip, whereas the male coconut (like its human counterpart ;D) has a sharper, more pointed tip. Knowing the gender of the coconut helps determine how to break it. This guy was kind enough to cut down two coconuts (one green, the other brown) and tear open its skin with his teeth. This was an impressive performance, really. He just got down on one knee and started biting into the skin of the brown coconut. When it was done, he presented it to Stephanie. Honestly, it looked like a marriage proposal of a tribal kind – man brings home an extraordinary kill to be presented to the village King as a gift in an effort to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage! :D.

The evening ended with a quick swim in the beach at Sheraton. There were some corals here too, so we could snorkel in neck-deep water. Despite the whole morning at the lagoonarium, we never tired of looking at these watery wonders. We rushed back to the ferry wharf and caught the last ferry out at 4.45 p.m. The sun began to set just as we were leaving Mo’orea.

By the time we reached Tahiti, the clear sky was painted with bright orange, yellow and red hues of the setting sun. And Mo’orea stood regal, bathed in these colours of the twilight.