my adventure & volunteer trip to Tahiti – day 3, Mo’orea

This post is the third in a series of 10 (one for each day) where I’m reliving this amazing adventure. Ever since travel has come to a grinding halt (like everything else) I’m very grateful to have had this experience and look forward to future adventures.

Ahh, another day in paradise. I could get used to this. Here is day 3 of my adventure & volunteer trip to Tahiti.

It took us a while to get back to sleep after lasts night’s incident. If you are wondering what I’m talking about, click here to get caught up and read day 2 of my adventure & volunteer trip to Tahiti. To catch up from the beginning, click here for day 1.

We packed up our gear and headed to the meal house to have breakfast before our snorkeling adventure. It was a perfect day to be on a boat with sunny skies & 80-degree temperatures. Still laughing about the previous night we boarded the boat and secured all of our gear.

At breakfast, Arii, our guide, informed us that a French film crew would be tagging along documenting our adventure. They made a documentary about travelers’ opinions & habits regarding climate change and wondered what role we took to help the cause. When it was my turn, I was asked about sunscreen. I stressed the importance of using it for health reasons and that I chose a reef-safe product since coral reefs are dying worldwide because of pollution. One of the reasons I chose this trip with Bamboo was their international travel options and that they believe in giving–back to the communities they visit along with eco-adventure initiatives. You have power over how & where you spend your consumer dollars. Choose companies that align with your beliefs.

one of the best snorkel spots in south pacific

One of the best places to snorkel in the South Pacific is at the northwest tip of the island of Moorea. On our way there, we saw whales & a few dolphin pods. When we reached the sandy lagoon, we got in the waist-high water and soon were surrounded by stingrays and blacktip reef sharks. I was a little freaked out but was assured that if you stay still & calm they glide right past you. We were warned not to touch the underbelly of the stingray and it actually tickled as they brushed your ankles & feet. The water was so clear & beautiful.

island lunch

We worked up quite an appetite after a wonderful morning of snorkeling and it was time for lunch. We made our way to an island to have a feast. Again Arii outdid himself, feeding us a delicious array of Tahitian favorites. On the menu was ceviche (of course!), which he made fresh right there on the spot, along with grilled chicken, fresh fruit, and coconut rice with pineapple. Can’t forget the island punch. Everything was so fresh & delicious!

Remember I mentioned the incident from last night? Well, we discovered that afternoon that if you yell into your snorkel while you are not in the water, it sounds EXACTLY like what we heard the previous night. Really! Hilarious. Needless to say, we made that sound the rest of the trip.

After a fantastic day of snorkeling along with dolphin & whale watching, we headed back to our bungalows. We had a simple yet delicious dinner at the meal house then relaxed with drinks watching the sunset. Another wonderful day in paradise.

I hope you enjoyed my adventure & volunteer trip to Tahiti – day 3, Mo’orea. Stay tuned for day 4 when we go to a turtle refuge and learn about restoring the local coral reefs. Thanks to Leni & Arii for sharing their GoPro movies!

Until our next adventure my friends, be well & stay safe!