South Pacific Cruise 2025 Part 3: French Polynesia

 

Tahiti Monarch

After our visit to the Cook Islands, we embarked on the last leg of our South Pacific cruise, visiting four islands in French Polynesia. In the late afternoon following our visit to Rarotonga, 24 December, 2025, I saw a Polynesian Storm-Petrel feeding on the ocean surface close to the ship at 17.98506S, 154.32524W. Views were brief but adequate for this distinctive species for the couple of minutes I had it in view. Soon after I saw a Black-winged Petrel, which at least allowed an image, albeit of poor quality.

Black-winged Petrel

On 25/12, Christmas Day, we were off Bora Bora Island for another tender transfer from the ship. The splendour of the mountains behind the capital, Vaitape, was something to behold (below). This island and the next we were to visit, Huahine, are in the Windward Group of the Society Islands and home to two regional endemic birds.

One of the first of these, Raiatea Fruit Dove, was seen flying up a back street on the outskirts of Vaitape, with others calling. We caught a taxi to Rohutu Fare Lodge a few kilometres to the south where we were greeted by the loud, distinctive calls of a Chattering Kingfisher. Four or five of these secretive kingfishers were about, with one offering brief views. Mountains surrounding the hotel (below) were again stunning.

Moving on to the port of Maroe on Huahine on 26/12, Lesser Frigatebird and Great Frigatebird were about in small numbers, as they had been during most shore visits.

Lesser Frigatebird

Wandering Tattler was again encountered and this proved to be the most numerous shorebird, along with Pacific Golden Plover, that I saw in French Polynesia.

Wandering Tattler

During a walk down the road from Maroe, I had good views this time of several Raiatea Fruit Doves and a better view of another Chattering Kingfisher, though didn't manage an image of either. The scenery of Huahine Island (below) was adequately photogenic. As we departed in the early evening, large numbers of Tahiti Petrels were seen from the ship, all flying in an easterly direction, as if to nesting sites.

On 27/12 we visited the island of Moorea in the Leeward Group of the Society Islands, dropping anchor in the picturesque Opunohua Bay. We negotiated a lift to the Belvedere Lookout, which offered sweeping views of this beautiful island. A warning about organising taxis and other transport on most islands visited on this cruise: drivers will try to rip you off, every time - even when you negotiate a price beforehand.

Moorea Island, from Belvedere Lookout (above and below)

Here there were two regional Society Islands endemics to chase. On rainforest tracks near the lookout we found a trio of the distinctive Moorea race youngi of Society Kingfisher in the canopy. We heard plenty of the second endemic, the race frater of Grey-green Fruit Dove, but none were seen.

Society Kingfisher

We arrived in Papeete, the capital of Tahiti, on 28/12, and disembarked the following day, ending a fruitful and pleasant cruise. On the morning of 29/12 we visited Maruapo Valley south of Papeete where a single Tahiti Swallow – one of six Society Islands endemics including the two mentioned above for Moorea – was perched on a transmission wire. Two more Tahiti Swallows were seen on a wire in the nearby Papehue Valley.

Tahiti Swallow

We drove all around the island visiting Jardine D'Eau de Vaipahi, where locals were hard at work (below) removing aquatic weed pests from garden lagoons.

More fruit doves were calling here and plenty of White Terns were adorning towering figs and other trees. A single Tahiti Swiftlet was see flying along a cliff face.

White Tern

We checked out the lovely Grottes de Maroa and the black sand beaches of Teahupo'o.

Teahupo'o Beach

Grottes de Maroa

We were fortunate to have a fine verandah view (below) from our Papeete apartment in the Residence Diva Nui complex.

On 30/12 I visited Papehue Valley and Vaihiria Valley, south of Maruapo. I saw the Tahiti Island races of Society Kingfisher and Grey-green Fruit-dove at both sites. Papehue is the go-to site for Tahiti Monarch, another Polynesian flycatcher which, like its cousin on Rarotonga in the Cook Islands (see next post), had been brought back from the brink of extinction by controlling nest predation by the introduced Black Rat. 

Visitors to Papehue are required to be accompanied by a guide from the Tahiti ornithological society, MANU. I found MANU decidedly unco-operative, denying me permission to enter the site or to provide a guide. MANU refused to offer advice about other birds and sites. Unusually, they had zero interest in my offer to publish word of the good work being done to protect the monarch: I suspect a case of French arrogance writ large.

MANU information sign - Papehue Valley

This was in stark contrast to the warm welcome I was given by the Cook Islands authorities in my search for the Rarotonga Monarch. The Tahiti Monarch is also found in Maruapo Valley, not far from Papehue. I was able to track down the monarch easily – seeing a pair high up in the canopy and two singles low down, including one on a nest. Interestingly, they ignored playback of their own species' call but responded vigorously to that of an Australian White-eared Monarch. About 10-15 Tahiti Swiftlets were flying overhead.

Tahiti Monarch

I found the last of the Tahiti endemics, Tahiti Reed-Warbler, in the Vaihiria Valley about 2.2km north along Route 20 from the main coast road in the south of Tahiti. It was in the first large bamboo clump - a favoured habitat - that I encountered. A dark phase bird – by far the most rare of two colour phases – was seen well as it responded to playback of an Australian Reed-Warbler call, again showing little interest in playback of its own species' call. I fail to understand why tour groups invariably direct birders to a valley road in the island's north for this species which is notoriously rough and flood-prone, when this cryptic reed-warbler is so viewable and accessible at the Vaihiria site.

Tahiti Reed Warbler

Here I also finally nailed good views of Grey-green Fruit Doves, with about 8 feeding on a cluster of fruiting trees.

Grey-green Fruit Dove

Our last couple of days were occupied with relaxing and some fine snorkelling at Vaiava Beach. We departed Papeete on January 2, 2026.

Sunset from the deck of our cruise ship, the Riviera