There was so much adventure to be found on Moorea, and I think we got to most of it!  We had a great experience with Moorea Activities Center, the company that took us jet skiing, feeding the giant rays and the sharks, and on a 4-wheeler tour around the island.

Our salty friends from Flite Deck in Taha’a shared information about an area north of the island where you could go feed rays and sharks. I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to go to a place that wasn’t “natural animals in the wild”, but I wound up absolutely loving the experience when our jet ski tour made a stop there. Giant rays that would normally terrify a child were swimming all around us and even cozying their way up on our bodies. At one point, I was just standing there and I thought one of the kids walked up and was hanging on my shoulder, but it was actually a big ray!! We could pet them and feed them. We learned that they can eat through their “ears”. After a little research, I found out that this hole at the top of their head is called a spiracle and it allows them to breathe out of the top of their head when their mouth is buried in the sand. And yes, we did see them eat through this structure! I wound up returning To Moorea with the kids when we stayed in Tahiti (Annika left her friend’s belt bag in one of the restaurants so we had to return to pick it up!). The second time we were able to get a last minute reservation with Moorea Explorer and we had an equally good experience with them! The young guy who was our guide even got Rory to pet a sting ray when we returned… but Rory did not want to kiss them - just watch the video! In reflection, my hesitation to go was related to taming wild animals, but I can tell you the experience was likely transformative for my kids perspective of rays and sharks and is a huge plus for education and conservation.

The four wheeler excursion was breathtaking in a different way. We went from the main road on the highway to pineapple farms, to driving through creeks, to climbing to a peak of a mountain for a fabulous view. Thankfully, our tour guides were always willing to take a child since we have three of them. Some amazing learning as we wound our way around the inside of the island through pineapple farms and creeks.

Another day, the kids and I went ziplining at Tiki Parc, including a 600-foot stretch that was not for the faint of heart… so of course the kids and I loved it!! It was especially nice that they also had activities for the littles. Even Rory did some independent ziplining!!