Wildlife· Mopelia (Maupiha'a)· French Polynesia — Society Islands

Mopelia Coconut Crabs

16° 48.4′ S · 153° 56.0′ W · approximate

Mopelia still has coconut crabs (kaveu), the giant land crab that has vanished from most Pacific islands. Residents sometimes share them with visiting crews as a rare delicacy.

Society IslandsTahiti & Moorea

Practical

Noonsite (June 2024): you may be offered lunch or dinner of tuna sashimi, lobster (koura) or coconut crab (kave'u), which it calls very rare in the Pacific these days and a real delicacy. Coordinate is approximate: the centre of the wooded eastern motu (OSM), the crabs' habitat. Crabs and coconuts belong to the families who live here, so never collect them yourself. Crabs come out at night. If you go looking, take a torch, stay on paths and ask the residents first.

Best for

A rare encounter with the world's largest land crab

Nearby