Very soon the Polynesian women developed a true passion for this new know-how of which they truly made an art, appropriating it completely. The patchwork has thus become “tifaifai” (“tifai” meaning patching or mending in the Maohi language). The history of tifaifai is atypical because it is that of the evolution in genuine art of a simple technique of recovery of the tissues, which originally was only intended to avoid the waste and thus to make savings … Yet, the tifaifai have quickly become real creations, to the point that each realization is transformed into some space of expression, even in a vector conveying the world vision and the sensibilities of its creator.

It must be borne in mind that this technique of assembly was already mastered by the Polynesian women long before the arrival of the Europeans. In these times, women already could make a “plant tissue” called “tapa”, using tree bark. Beyond its functionalities, tapa was often treated artistically with motifs representing fauna, flora, sea, stars … This probably explains the immediate enthusiasm aroused by the patchwork, like the fact that the Polynesian women have proven to be extremely gifted and creative in making tifaifai.

Today, the art of tifaifai is part of the Polynesian cultural heritage, of which it is a strong symbol. The reputation and notoriety of tifaifai have spread to the whole world, as these works are truly unique because of their authenticity, the touching ingenuity of their naïve inspiration and the width of their colors range that include so subtle shades. In Tahiti and the Austral Islands, it is the “mamas” (affectionate and familiar term meaning “grandmothers”) who usually make tifaifai. The pieces of fabric are sewn by hand, thus respecting the tradition. The realization of these works often requires nearly 100 hours of work and can occupy one, two or three craftsmen working together and simultaneously on the same work. The motifs on the tifaifai are very diverse and usually based on figurative themes such as plants, fruits, sea, fish, animals … But today, some works go far beyond the figurative style to give free rein to imagination and artistic creativity: these “non-figurative” tifaifai take on symbolic tattoo motifs or tell in an encrypted way the history of an island or the history of a life …

The finest achievements are highly sought after, as much by the Polynesians themselves (for they love to decorate the interior of their houses with tifaifai of good quality), as by the amateurs and connoisseurs of the entire world. The art of tifaifai is now threatened by copies of Asian origin that imitate the patterns of our finest achievements on printed fabric. That threat appeared so unfair and serious at the time, that it ended up forcing our local craftsmen to react, mobilize and organize in committee defending the Polynesian label.

Traditionally, tifaifai is offered on great occasions, such as birthdays, weddings, departures … So, you’ve got only one good decision to make: just come to Tahiti and her islands; there you can choose a unique present for your relatives and friends. Also, do not forget to spoil yourself a bit and get a superb one to take back home… Sure that this colorful art masterpiece will stay with you forever as a live memory of your stay in paradise and as an eternal invitation to travel and dream …

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Around the world, sea turtles are regarded endearing and vulnerable, just like dolphins and whales. It is undoubtedly our imagination and what remains in us of our past children’s sensitivity that lead us to consider the marine turtles with so much sympathy. The stories and tales we read in our childhoods’ days certainly helped to shape this perception and affection to the specie. But the adults we have become, also want the marine turtles to survive … And this is not only because we recall our children’s’ dreams in which turtles played the role of some unforgettable personages: It is mainly because our consciousness as responsible adults, leads us to ardently wish effective protection of the marine environment and endangered species, along with radical condemnation of the cruelty, inhumanity and irresponsibility of poaching of which turtles are still victims, just like other species …

In Tahiti and her islands, the marine turtle is affectively ingrained in the collective imagination. Turtles often are at the heart of many legends and they attract both sympathy and empathy. In the Polynesian culture, marine turtles are emblematic of the incredible biodiversity of our waters: If turtles return to us each year to frequent our lagoons, then it is considered that the ocean and the fauna that inhabit it are still in good health. Moreover, in the culture of our islands, the tortoise (“honu” in the Maohi language) symbolizes peace of mind, family harmony and fertility. The ancient Polynesians also saw in turtles some navigators inspired by the gods and even guides to the “world of beyond”; this because the tortoise represents the link between the earth (that symbolizes humans) and the sea (that symbolizes the “other world” and the “afterlife”). Thus, the Polynesians of the ancient times believed that the sea (which their survival was entirely dependent upon) was the “beyond” and the “afterlife”. Therefore, they trusted that if the turtles could keep on moving freely between land and sea, there would still be guides to lead them one day to the world of eternal rest …

In Tahiti and her islands, turtles are threatened by the scarcity of nesting sites (isolated beaches are fewer in number than in the past) and poaching that unfortunately, continues; although it is strictly forbidden to hunt turtles or to consume and market their flesh. The egg-laying sites are the islands of Tupai, Scilly, Bellingshausen, Mopelia and Tetiaroa. There are 5 species of turtles in French Polynesia. The time when turtles are most vulnerable is the laying period that begins in October and ends in March. All species of marine turtles in Polynesian waters are protected. But it remains difficult to enforce the law in such a large territory (4 million square kilometers, or about the size of Europe). Since 1971, the French Polynesian government has acquired the human resources and legal tools necessary for the protection of marine turtles: The Polynesian sea turtles observatory was created. It is an independent body of which management was granted to the “Te mana no te Moana” (“the spirit of the ocean” in Language Maohi) association. The Polynesian marine turtle observatory is a well-structured and effective participatory management tool: It trains local populations and involves them in the collection of data, while regularly launching awareness campaigns and exemplary actions in collaboration with major public or private structures (the hotel “Le Brando” in Tetiaroa has thus accepted to filter its lights by night, to limit considerably its noise nuisances and to sensitize its customers to the respect of the turtles coming to lay on the atoll beaches) …

In Tahiti and her islands, marine turtles have come to symbolize the survival of life in the ocean. They are a marker of the resilience of the species that our deleterious and suicidal life-style has almost condemned. They also symbolize the hope of a better life in which man would understand that his own survival and that of his civilization are dependent on respect for the environment and maintenance of biodiversity. The protection of marine turtles is a strong act that goes far beyond the simple concern of preserving the environment, it is an act of civilization … We in Tahiti and her Islands like to know that our emblematic marine turtles are protected. And we do protect them with proactivity, voluntarism, efficiency and scientific professionalism.

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The ritual is so mysterious and impressive. And that’s what makes it so captivating. We do not know why, we hardly know how, but we know that each year during the full moon of June and with a metronomic regularity, thousands of individuals meet in several passes only of the Tuamotu archipelago. A unique phenomenon in the world, attracting all the species around by this mysterious nuptial dance…

All the fauna in trans

The parade lasts only a few hours, but a few hours of intense activity in passes already famous among the fish filled places in the world … In Fakarava, Rangiroa or Ahe, we observe, at the same time, the females spiking towards the surface to free their eggs. Below, just as many males, abundant and punctual, having responded to this mysterious invitation that scientists have still not deciphered, to fertilize the thousands of eggs dispersed in scattered clouds!

If spawning and fertilizing eggs is a performance in itself, it is a general frenzy that wins the pass during the grouper’s breeding ritual making this wedding surreal. For a few hours, a camouflage grouper, of solitary nature, attracts all the fauna of the pass. Just before the outbreak of hostilities, riflemen arrive by the hundreds. Followed closely by all the sharks of the pass. Lemons, black tips, white tips, gray sharks … not one is missing … and everyone wants their part of the treat. For a diver, patient enough and lucky to be there at this very moment, it is a guaranteed treat, a magic show, of which only the Tuamotu archipelago keeps the secret …

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From the dive boat that runs along the reef at low speed, we may be already half in the water with our zipped suits, our shod fins and our mask around the neck … we are still far from imagining the emotional discharge that we are about to receive. The eye sweeps the horizon in search of the “spray”, a characteristic geyser of the whale when it empties its lungs by going back to the surface. It can reach three meters in height! Logic for a megaptera that actually measures more than 13 to 14 meters long, for about 25 tons …

On the surface, the divers respect an absolute silence which is imposed only by the solemnity of the expected  encounter. Under the hull, it’s another atmosphere. In the blue depth of the Pacific, the symphony begins in early July, when the song of whales from the South Pole has colonized French Polynesia for this great annual concert that will end only four months later …

Here they are!

Betrayed by their sonic jets and movements of elegant tails, the whales are finally here, just a few fathoms away. The boat stops quietly, at a good distance, while heart is beating faster under the suit. Mask and snorkel in position, it’s time to jump into the water. As usual, clear water offers visibility of several tens of meters. What follows next is something more than could be told. We can just write that what you observe in the huge eye of the whale or its calf has nothing to do with all that you know about the interaction between humans and animals. We can just tell you that this meeting will remain forever engraved in your memory …

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All divers will tell you: even if we start by being afraid of it, at the end we always are not able to do without it. This is the reason why so many enthusiasts are wandering their dive logbook across the planet with the hope of seeing one or two more boxes from the “shark” category to be ticked on the next vacation. Among these boxes, there is that of the tiger shark, magnificent species, so powerful and massive, so feared and coveted …

Super discrete super predator

Let it be said, the tiger shark knows how to be discreet. More accustomed to the depths during the day, it usually approaches the surface and the reef only in case of a good night meal … However, only for a few of us, this discretion is not a problem! The tiger shark is classified in the shark category as being dangerous for humans. And this reputation, it gets in particular to a nutrition escaping any selectivity. Fish of all kinds, dolphins, turtles and even whales … the tiger is part of the very closed circle of “superpredators”. With its silver livery barred with vertical black lines, its impressive size (usually 3 to 4 meters) and its powerful square muzzle, the tiger shark imposes. And that’s what makes it so appealing to shark “ hunters”.

Tahiti, a sanctuary

The shark admires will be more than happy and rewarded in Polynesia, that ALL the existed species are sanctuarised, and are observed in conditions of safety and serenity unlike any other … During your dive in the famous Vallée Blanche, not far from the airport of Tahiti, no observation cage, no window, no filter is needed. No, there is nothing more between the tiger shark stripes and your epidermis, than the skin is twitching with your emotions … unforgettable.

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For a long time, the Polynesian capital has been seeking a soul, this subtle identity that emerges over the city streets, its buildings and its inhabitants … This was not easy, as the construction of Papeete had to face difficult challenges in combination. Observing from plane during our landing in Tahiti, we quickly understand that we had to push mountains a little bit in order to make a place for the main Polynesian city in this small strip of land along the beautiful lagoon of Tahiti. Around its vast commercial port, its shopping streets, its historic market, its offices, its terraces and the homes of the many city dwellers bringing it to live form a patchwork that will surprise the traveler in search of exoticism. How to make the connection? Throughout its editions, the international festival of street art Ono’u, has brought an appealing response by giving carte blanche to the largest international street graphic designers.

Ono’u, the color to forge a bond

From street to street, wall to wall, it is another Papeete which is revealed along with the inspirations of the invited Tahitian and international artists. If the festival is an event that attracts a large crowd for a whole week, at the beginning of October, it is all the year that residents and visitors benefit from this permanent exhibition and outside the walls, of which Papeete has become the canvas. From year to year, the city is enriched with new frescoes that gradually invade all its neighborhoods, reflecting a quoted patchwork that finds its most beautiful expression.

In Tahitian, Ono’u is the result of the fusion of “ono”, to make the connection and of “u”, the color. A whole program, which we invite you to discover during your next visit!

The Ono’u Festival

Every year, dozens of local and world artists gather for a week in the whole city of Papeete, Tahiti, and now in Uturoa, on the island of Raiatea. With many introductory workshops open to the public, sound and light mapping entertainments that animate the most beautiful graffiti, performances at the museum of street art in Tahiti …

All information on tahitifestivalgraffiti.com

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