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Air Tahiti Magazine 53
destination > motu de vaingatika, un autre secret nous attend. bien avant que tepoe et ses ancetres ne viennent ici pour l exploitation du coprah, la legende veut que d autres creatures feminines y aient elu domicile. les sirenes, les mokorea, s y reposaient au bord du trou d eau douce du motu, le komo mokorea. elles rejoignaient ainsi le monde des humains, jusqu au jour ou l une d entre elles fut surprise par des pecheurs alors qu elle pleurait. ils l attraperent et lui demanderent la raison de son chagrin. elle pleurait car une de ses amies sirenes etait sur le point de mettre au monde un enfant, et du meme coup allait mourir. les pecheurs apprirent que chez les sirenes, dans «le monde d en bas», la naissance d un bebe se faisait en eventrant la mere. ils proposerent a la sirene en pleurs de lui apprendre comment accoucher son amie. la legende veut que, depuis, les sirenes «d en bas» savent enfanter, grace aux hommes «d en haut». aujourd hui les sirenes ont disparu, reste le trou d eau douce - et stagnante - dans lequel plus personne ne se baigne. mais demeure cette legende et d autres encore. peut-etre vous en racontera-t-on sur un autre motu, napa here, qui signifie amours brillantes. un lieu surnaturel forme de deux motu relies par une bande de sable rose, un lacet pose sur l ocean. ses plages et son ombre offerte par des cocotiers accueillent aujourd hui les habitants de makemo. ils viennent en famille y passer quelques jours lors des fetes de fin d annee ou pour les vacances. et pas question de vouloir y faire autre chose que se reposer, on dit ici que le lieu est sacre, «qu on ne doit pas y faire de business». depuis cinq ans, makemo a son club de plongee, situe a l entree du village. ici, on ne promet pas «du gros» a tous les coups, du sensationnel. makemo, une fois encore, se distingue et prefere jouer la carte du contemplatif. sous l eau, le conseil est de prendre son temps, de se poser pour admirer poissons et coraux magnifiques. te tonu, la loche saumonee, de la famille des merous, est peut-etre la plus representative de la faune des tuamotu-centre, avec sa cousine la loche marbree, te kito. les majestueux napoleons sont legions, tout comme les tamure, de la famille des dorades en periode de nouvelle lune. le spectaculaire espadon voilier n est lui non plus jamais tres loin. et meme ludovic, du club de plongee, a sa petite legende selon lui, on raconte que les baleines entraient dans le lagon pour > 44 r e v u e d e b o r d n ° 5 3 / a i r ta h i t i / o n - b o a r d m a g a z i n e n ° 5 3 another secret awaits. long before tepoe and her ancestors came here to work copra, legend says that other feminine creatures came to the motu in search of a home. mermaids, the mokorea, came to rest at the edge of a fresh water pool on the motu, the komo mokorea. they mingled with humans until the day when one of the mermaids was surprised by a fisherman while she was crying. the fisherman caught the girl and asked her why she was so sad. she was crying, she said, because one of her mermaid friends was soon to give birth but, at the same time, was going to die. the fisherman then understood that in the world of mokorea, children were born by cutting the mother open, thus killing her. wanting to help, the man asked the sobbing mermaid to teach him how to deliver her friend's baby. legend says that since this time, mermaids "from below" know how to deliver babies thanks to humans "from above." today the mermaids have disappeared but the stagnant fresh water pool is still there - nobody bathes in it. the legend, however, remains, as do many more. you might hear stories about napa here, the place of passionate love, a supernatural locale formed by two motu that are joined only by a band of pink sand. the beaches and shady palms entice makemo locals to visit frequently for end of the year parties or week-end picnics. it is out of the question that people work here - this is sacred ground where "business should not be done." for the last five years, makemo has had a dive center, located at the village entrance. no one here promises the extraordinary and, once again, makemo distinguishes itself as a contemplative place where it's best to take your time to meander among the magnificent fish and corals. te tonu, the "coral trout," actually a type of sea bass, is probably the most represented species in the tuamotus along with its cousin, te kito, the marbled grouper. schools of majestic napoleon fish and tamure (the tuamotu emperor fish), amass in the lagoon during the period of the new moon and the spectacular sailfish is never far away. even ludovic, owner of the dive center, has a legend: according to him, it's said that whales once came into the lagoon to be brushed by makemo inhabitants. the creatures would swim up onto the beach and await lavish spa-like services. today, this lovely image is only part of a glimmering rumor that somewhere on a makemo motu there lies a sanctuary for whales. motu de vaingatika : le trou aux sirenes / the mermaids hole
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