Photo Gallery: French Polynesia -- National Geographic Traveler

Pier in Fakarava
Photograph by Aaron Huey
Young swimmers leap into turquoise waters off a pier in Fakarava.
Writer Andrew McCarthy journeyed to Moorea and nearby isles to dive for a black pearl for his mother’s birthday. Photographer Aaron Huey documented the journey. Their feature story for Traveler, “In Search of the Black Pearl,” appears in the October 2010 issue.
Moorea Dancer
Photograph by Aaron Huey
One of the traditionally dressed dancers at the Tiki Village Theatre on the island of Moorea pauses to pose for a photograph.
Read “In Search of the Black Pearl” in the October 2010 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Fire Dancers
Photograph by Aaron Huey
Dancers perform at Moorea’s popular Tiki Village Theatre. The village is a Tahitian cultural center where visitors can watch demonstrations of weaving, tattooing, and other local arts, as well as seeing a dance show.
Read “In Search of the Black Pearl” in the October 2010 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Fakarava Diver
Photograph by Aaron Huey
A diver checks the oyster line at the Havaiki Guest House and pearl farm on Fakarava, one of the atolls in the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia.
Read “In Search of the Black Pearl” in the October 2010 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Black Pearls
Photograph by Aaron Huey
Black pearls, which actually grow in a variety of shades, shimmer in the hands of Ron Hall, a shop owner on Moorea, an island in French Polynesia.
Read “In Search of the Black Pearl” in the October 2010 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Shark on the Prowl
Photograph by Aaron Huey
Sharks prowl the waters off the Fakarava atoll—home to a laid-back Polynesian community where visitors can escape the hubbub of modern life—as the tide carries a circus of reef fish through the South Pass. Divers and snorkelers equipped at local dive shops time their swims for these tidal surges, when the lagoons are at their liveliest.
Read “In Search of the Black Pearl” in the October 2010 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Surfer by Mount Moua Puta
Photograph by Aaron Huey
Mount Moua Puta dominates the Moorea horizon. The island has a mountainous, nearly impenetrable interior, white-sand beaches, and famous blue lagoon defined by an offshore coral reef. Moorea is often seen in video footage depicting the ultimate South Seas paradise.
Read “In Search of the Black Pearl” in the October 2010 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Tahitian Tattoo
Photograph by Aaron Huey
Hugo Dariel, a Fakarava diver, chose an apt tattoo, which, typical for Tahitian men, covers a large area. Hugo’s father, Joachim Dariel, is a Frenchman who opened a small-scale pearl farm here in 1990. He arranged for the author to dive for his own pearl.
Read “In Search of the Black Pearl” in the October 2010 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Fakarava Cottage
Photograph by Aaron Huey
On Fakarava, where the night skies are dark enough for stargazing, a bike and bungalow are visitor essentials. “Nothing on this atoll—not its crushed coral lanes or groves of swaying palms—remotely recalls my New Jersey upbringing,” Andrew McCarthy writes. “Yet I feel at ease here and free to be myself. The locals, mostly Polynesians, welcome an obvious stranger with a curious glance and a nod.”
Read “In Search of the Black Pearl” in the October 2010 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
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Horse on Moorea
Photograph by Aaron Huey
On Moorea, a white horse browses a lush glen. Moorea, one of the Society Islands, is shaped like a south-pointing triangle cut by two deep bays on its northern side.
Read “In Search of the Black Pearl” in the October 2010 issue of National Geographic Traveler.