Baie D'Opunohu

Opunohu, at 3 kilometers long and 80 meters deep, is one of two large bays in the island of Moorea. A magnificent site which has featured in numerous films (Mutiny on the Bounty, A love affair, Les faussaires…).

The pass into the bay is called “Tareu” which means “shelter”, because it leads to a deep harbor protected from the winds.

Opunohu means “stomach of the stonefish” and indeed, the bay is home to many of these venomous fish.

On September 30, 1777, Captain Cook’s two ships, HMS Discovery and HMS Resolution, came through Tareu pass and he described the bay as one of the best natural harbors in the South Pacific.

This magnificent bay is an important historical site which also features in many Polynesian legends.