Another Snorkeling Day

March 8, Friday 

We signed up for this tour on the recommendation of our landlord.  And he was correct, this was a very fun day even though we had done part of this area before.  There were 11 of us on the outrigger boat plus Captain Wilfred and mate/chef Elvis.  As we cruised the shoreline they entertained us with ukulele, drum and singing.

We paused in one large bay to view the mountains of Mooréa. One peak has a hole at the very top that’s not easy to see and if you use your imagination there’s a face peering into the heavens with the hole as it’s eye.  In broken English Wilfred told how Mooréa got its name from a legend about a yellow lizard whose yellow belly lit up the sky.  Mooréa means yellow (rea) lizard (moó).

We snorkeled with stingrays and sharks again but, since they were being fed, other fish showed up like jack fish and parrotfish.  Our second stop was at the ‘coral gardens’ after we dropped off Elvis so he could cook our lunch. Again we were feeding the fish so many more fish appeared. 

Lunch was on a Motu or small island.  Wilfred demonstrated opening a coconut, scraping out the meat and squeezing the scrapings through cheesecloth to get the coconut milk.  Together with lime juice he mixed it into raw tuna with onions, tomatoes and cucumbers, which produced ceviche served in a coconut cup. Elvis had grilled chicken and baked plantains along with rice and pomelo to round out the meal.  Then brownies for dessert.

Wilfred had a couple of coconut fronds that he wove into hats then he showed us medicinal plants along the shore to use to cleanse the body on the outside and inside.  John napped.  We enjoyed more music on the way back.  

Beautiful day!