Responsible Tahitian Pearl Farming in French Polynesia

4 minute read

In the spring of 2023, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to visit Kamoka, a Tahitian pearl farm in French Polynesia. Always in search of material for jewelry making that prioritizes caring for people and the environment, Kamoka had piqued my attention some years back. I had heard about their responsible farming practices. When the opportunity presented itself, I was eager to see for myself.

Arrival in Paradise

The majority of Tahitian cultured pearls are cultivated in the lagoons of the Tuamoto and Gambier archipelagoes of French Polynesia. Kamoka is located on Ahe, an atoll in the northern part of the Tuamoto archipelago. There are three flights a week between Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, and Ahe. It’s about an hour and a half flight over the Pacific, dotted with atolls and the almost neon blue of their lagoons. A water lover since before I could even walk, my heart was bursting with excitement and anticipation. As the small plane descended into Ahe, I felt like the luckiest person in the world. The beauty was truly astounding, otherworldly, and about to be mine for a couple of days. As someone who is deeply affected by color, my eyes felt like they were going to spontaneously combust from all the extraordinary hues. From the Ahe airport, I hitched a ride in a dinghy to a sailboat. The sailboat then brought me close enough to Kamoka to be picked up and brought to the farm in a flat-bottomed skiff. There aren’t any cars as all travel is on water.

Shell of the Pinctada margaritifera. Photo by Laurie Reid

Tahitian pearls naturally come in many colors. Photo by Laurie Reid

View of a Tuamotu atoll from the air. Photo by Laurie Reid

Boats come to pick people up from the airstrip in Ahe, French Polynesia. Photo by Laurie Reid

The Heart of Kamoka

The center of operations at Kamoka is an open-air farmhouse located on a coral head in the lagoon. It is connected to the atoll by a narrow footbridge over mind-boggling crystal clear water teeming with reef life, including vibrant corals, colorful fish, and playful rays. Two things were immediately apparent: 1) I had arrived in paradise, and 2) paradise is a lot of hard work that basically never stops.

The Kamoka Farmhouse

The general feeling is one of simplicity and resourcefulness; respect for the land and water and each other. Self-reliance and communal interdependence are carefully intertwined. It’s a beauty born of hard work, intention and integrity.

Pearls and Oysters

Tahitian pearls are cultivated in the oyster Pinctada margaritifera, commonly known as the ‘black-lipped’ oyster. Sometimes marketed as ‘black pearls,’ they actually come in a surprising range of beautiful colors, including blues, bronzes, pistachio, green gold, and even rarely white.

My wonderful accommodations on the atoll. A heavenly spot to lay my head. Photo by Laurie Reid

Cleaning the Oysters

The oysters are raised in baskets suspended from ropes in the deeper areas of the lagoon. The baskets protect the oysters from larger predators but not from the many smaller organisms that attach themselves to them. For optimal health, every two months or so, the oysters need to be cleaned of these organisms. In many pearl operations, these baskets are cleaned off by being hosed off, essentially power washed, which disrupts the natural habitat of the reef. Kamoka has found a way to clean the oysters without this disruption. At Kamoka, the baskets of oysters are pulled up out of the deeper lagoon waters one at a time by divers and transported to the shallower water closer to the house. Here, the oysters are actually cleaned by reef fish that live in these shallower waters. In order for this to work, the lagoon water surrounding the house must be kept pristine and the fish population carefully protected. Basically, for each organism that has attached itself to the oysters, there is a fish that would love to eat it. If the biodiversity of the lagoon is protected, there are plenty of natural cleaners.

Care for People

When I visited Kamoka, the farm was constantly abuzz with around 10 people all busy doing a variety of work. There was a clear sense of joyful community, of people working together to create something unique and special. There were folks with masks and snorkels moving the oyster baskets, a couple of people were giving the veranda a fresh coat of paint, someone was always busy preparing the communal noon meal, and someone was cleaning it up. Someone was tending the beehive, and someone with a hammer and saw worked on repairing the deck. After this work was done, there was more to do: spear fishing for dinner, tending the vegetable garden, and counting and sorting pearls. And when all of the work was done for the day, the most eagerly anticipated and well-deserved reward: as the sun started to get low in the sky, the crew heads out on the skiff with surfboards.

Conclusion

Kamoka is a shining example of responsible Tahitian pearl farming. Their practices protect and enhance the environment while fostering a strong sense of community and shared purpose among the people who work there. Visiting Kamoka was a truly enriching experience, reminding me of the beauty and potential of sustainable practices in the jewelry industry. If you ever have the chance to purchase Kamoka pearls, you can be assured that they come from a place of deep respect for both nature and humanity.

Everything was colorful. Freshly caught fish for the noon meal. Photo by Laurie Reid

Patrick and Josh Humbert, co-founders of Kamoka. Photo by Laurie Reid