Enchanting marine life
French Polynesia has more than a hundred paradise islands surrounded by marine life. It has an enchanting underwater world with kaleidoscopic reefs, flying rays, soaring sea turtles and circling sharks. Thanks to the natural gates in the coral barriers that connect fish-rich lagoons to the Pacific Ocean, it is one of the few places on earth where you are guaranteed to see hundreds of sharks without bait. Carried by the tide, you will make the most adventurous dives amidst these predators that hunt passing schools of fish. Where the world can't find you...
Tuamotu Archipelago
For the best diving sites, head to the Tuamotu Archipelago. It has beautiful coral reefs, steep walls, abundant pelagic marine life and passes where you can make spectacular current dives. Rangiroa is one of the best shark dive sites in the world. Here you will drift into Tiputa Pass with numerous gray sharks, hammerhead sharks, manta rays and leopard rays. Once the tide rises, hundreds of gray reef sharks can also be seen at Fakarava, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, on the right side of Tumakohua Pass.
Tikehau, considered one of Polynesia's most beautiful atolls, has one opening to the Pacific Ocean. At this Tuheiava Pass you will cross schools of barracuda and tuna as well as leopard rays, dolphins, white tip reef sharks, coral sharks and black tip sharks. If you are lucky you will see large solitary predators such as the tiger shark and even the great hammerhead shark.
Also at pearl island Manihi , the marine life is mighty. At Turipaoa Pass, surf underwater among giant manta rays and sharks. More experienced divers head to "The Circus," where you will find a majestic manta ballet at the entrance.
Society islands
With bucket list destinations Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora, the Society islands are also a diver's paradise. There are numerous dive sites for all experience levels at Tahiti, including shallow coral reefs and accessible wreck dives just offshore. La Vallée Blanche is one of the most beautiful dive sites here where you can power dive among sharks.
Moorea is framed by fringing reef where you can swim with humpback whales and dive with gray reef sharks, tiger sharks, lemon sharks and nurse sharks. Le Jardin de Roses is a beautiful reef covered with rose petal-like montipora coral and the coral wall 'Le Mur de Corail' is also stunningly beautiful with its dramatic lava structures and rises.
Bora Bora 's underwater world is equally enchanting with caves, canyons, swim-throughs and tunnels full of fish, moray eels, stingrays and sharks. At Anau you will make shallow manta dives and at the famous Teavanui Pass fast drift dives. Tupitipiti is renowned for its steep drop-off, purple corals and colorful sponges and the variety of larger fish species, including sharks, rays, groupers and large parrotfish.
On the east coast of Tahaa you will find the Mountains of Ceran. Because of its unsurpassed visibility, abundant, diverse marine life and spectacular underwater landscapes, it is possibly the most photogenic dive site on the island.
