The best diving spots in French Polynesia
With water temperatures fluctuating between 26 and 29°C all year round, diving in French Polynesia is an experience not to be missed on a trip to these paradise islands. Between the Society, Tuamotu, Gambier, Marquesas and Austral archipelagos, there's a wide choice of spots where you can enjoy your first dive in paradise!
In this article, we're going to introduce you to most of these different sites, to help you choose where to do your first dive in French Polynesia, so that your memories of the experience will be unforgettable!
Scuba diving in Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in French Polynesia, and the arrival point for travellers from all over the world. It's a must for any stay in the Society Archipelago. So it's easy to plan your first dive there! What's more, the size of the island and its lagoon, which stretches from the north-west to the south-east, means that you can dive at a wide range of sites with varied flora and fauna, an advantage not to be overlooked.
First dives in the lagoon to the west of Tahiti are the most common experience, and the Aquarium site is one of the most beautiful places to learn to scuba dive in Tahiti, opposite Faa'a and therefore close to the international airport and Papeete. It's easy to get to, and the depth is perfect for your first dive (6 metres maximum). The Aquarium is located in a maze of coral in the lagoon, with the added bonus of a wreck of a Cessna 172, a small tourist plane that has been moved there to delight divers. The water is a magnificent turquoise blue and is inhabited by all kinds of fish that are found in many lagoons: clown fish, surgeon fish, damselfish, parrot fish, etc. Snorkelling is also recommended on this diving site in Tahiti!
For beginner divers who want to get away from Tahiti's most popular dive sites, a first dive from Paea, further south of Faa'a, or a first dive at Tahiti iti is a good option. Also known as the Taiarapu peninsula, Tahiti iti is the second island, smaller than Tahiti nui, that makes up Tahiti. There are fewer divers here than in West Tahiti, so the underwater biodiversity is better preserved - a real treat for the eyes and a first dive in French Polynesia!
Discover scuba diving in Moorea
Separated from Tahiti by just 17 km, Moorea is very easy to get to, as well as being considered one of the most beautiful islands in the archipelago. So it's a great idea to head there to discover diving in French Polynesia! Surrounded by a sublime turquoise-blue lagoon, it's generally in the north of the island that first dives take place, mainly at the Papetoai lagoon, the Temae coral garden and the Aquarium opposite Cook Bay.
If you're on your honeymoon and would like to discover scuba diving in French Polynesia with your other half, you can take part in a scuba diving experience for two in Moorea! With a free photo and video of your underwater escapade as a couple, this experience is sure to leave you with exceptional memories of your first dive in French Polynesia. And for those looking for something a little more original, a scuba dive in Moorea lagoon will give you a unique insight into scuba diving! Without flippers, mask or tank, you'll be able to move around easily underwater, equipped only with a diving suit that will allow you to observe the underwater life of the Moorea lagoon: anemones, tropical fish, stingrays and even sea turtles will cross your path.
Discover scuba diving in Bora Bora
An island renowned for its idyllic setting, Bora Bora is a prime destination for an introduction to diving in French Polynesia. A must for any traveller to the Society Archipelago, its turquoise waters are an invitation to swim, and by extension to try your first dive in the lagoon!
If you choose to do your first dive in Bora Bora, you'll have the opportunity to dive in one of the most beautiful lagoons in the world (if not the most beautiful). From the clarity of its bewitchingly blue waters to the purity of its white sand and the richness of its flora and fauna, no matter which of the lagoon's dive sites your instructor takes you to, you'll come away from your experience with stars in your eyes. You can dive either the Toopua site, a shallow coral garden of great beauty bordered by a coral drop-off, or the Aquarium site, the most famous for first dives in French Polynesia, with its maximum depth of 5 metres and the many multicoloured fish that call it home.
What's more, one of the island's diving centres offers an original way to discover scuba diving in Bora Bora, on an underwater scooter: no need for a tank or regulator, as a large transparent dome with a panoramic view lets you breathe freely while admiring the beauty of the underwater landscape around you! A unique experience that will leave you with unforgettable memories of your discovery of diving in French Polynesia.
Discover scuba diving in Raiatea and Taha'a
Less visited than the popular Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora, the sister islands of Raiatea and Taha'a are nevertheless not lacking in charm. Sharing the same lagoon and still enjoying a natural environment untouched by mass tourism, they provide a magnificent environment in which to discover diving in French Polynesia.
Mainly departing from Uturoa, the first dive trips to Raiatea and Taha' a take place on sites rich in underwater life. Among them, the Teavapiti pass, also known as the Napoleon drop-off, is very popular for the variety of coral fish found there: parrot fish, clown fish, angelfish, etc. It's not uncommon to come across parrot fish, clown fish or angelfish. It's not unusual to come across turtles, as well as napoleon fish on the spot's colourful coral drop-off! Alternatively, the Miri Miri ocean site is also a great place to enjoy your first dip in calm, shallow waters, above a superb coral garden home to various species of tropical fish, as well as harmless blacktip sharks.
Discover scuba diving in Huahine, Tetiaroa and Maupiti
If your trip takes you to the islands of Huahine, Tetiaroa and/or Maupiti, it goes without saying that scuba diving is a must-do activity in the heart of these unspoilt natural areas!
Still wild and authentic, Huahine offers the chance to try your first dive from the locality of Tahateao, to the north-west of Huahine nui. The ideal site for your first underwater immersion experience is the Plateau de Fare, a sandy plateau in the Huahine lagoon with perfect conditions for discovering diving in French Polynesia: turquoise blue water, white sand, a multitude of tropical fish and a coral garden nearby await you!
Tetiaroa is a private island with an emphyteutic lease in the name of the famous actor Marlon Brando. You can try scuba diving on Tetiaroa thanks to the only diving centre on its main motu, Onetahi. Here too, a site called the Aquarium offers the perfect space for a first dive, while enjoying the wealth of tropical fish in the lagoon's translucent waters, as well as the presence of turtles. Another site in the lagoon, the Pinnacles, offers a diving experience along a coral wall that is also home to many fish.
Situated at the western end of the Society archipelago, Maupiti and its superb lagoon have nothing to envy other Polynesian islands. If you're lucky enough to go on a first dive, it's a not-to-be-missed experience, taking place gently in the lagoon while gradually descending along a sandy slope to a depth of 5 metres, where numerous multicoloured fish reside. This is one of the best ways to discover diving in French Polynesia for beginners who are apprehensive about immersion!
Scuba diving in Rangiroa
The second largest atoll in the world in terms of the surface area of its lagoon, Rangiroa is world-famous for scuba diving in French Polynesia. In fact, it's the atoll not to be missed in the Tuamotu archipelago, especially if you want to have the chance to observe a large number of underwater species on the same site, at the same time!
As with most of the other islands and atolls, Rangiroa's Aquarium is a great place to discover scuba diving. Located on the motu Nuhi Nuhi, in the axis of the Tiputa pass, renowned for diving in French Polynesia, the Aquarium is a superb coral garden sheltered from the currents. Shallow and rich in fish, it's the perfect environment for first dives. And for beginners who opt for a 2-dive experience, the second dive can take place on the ocean side, at a depth of up to 12 metres: the luckiest ones might even have the chance to spot dolphins - a dream way to discover diving in French Polynesia!
Discover scuba diving in Tikehau
A neighbouring atoll to Rangiroa, Tikehau has a lagoon resembling a large natural swimming pool, bordered by motus with white and pink sand. Its beauty makes it one of the most visited destinations in the Tuamotu archipelago, including for diving.
On your first dive in Tikehau, you'll have a great chance of encountering one of the animals that many people want to admire when diving in French Polynesia: the manta ray. In fact, one of the sites for diving and exploring the Tikehau lagoon, the former pearl farm, is a cleaning station for these majestic rays. With a maximum depth of 15 metres, great visibility and a white sandy bottom with coral spats, this is an exceptional site for beginners and experienced divers alike! Alternatively, you can dive the Tuheiava pass, the only pass on the atoll where you can encounter a wider variety of underwater fauna: turtles, reef fish of all kinds, napoleon fish and many other species.
Discover scuba diving in Fakarava
The second largest atoll in French Polynesia after Rangiroa, Fakarava is also world-renowned for the richness of its underwater flora and fauna. Its lagoon has also been classified as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO since 2006, making it a dive site not to be missed in the Tuamotu archipelago!
Fakarava's 60 km long lagoon is generally divided into two parts, the north and the south, where the atoll's main dive sites are located: the North Pass and the South Pass. These are exceptional dive sites, unfortunately inaccessible to non-certified divers. But that doesn't mean that the sites for beginners aren't extraordinary - far from it! Your first dive at Fakarava will take you either directly from a white sandy beach to a magnificent coral garden, or from a boat to a sublime lagoon near the Garuae pass, in the north of the atoll. In the company of tropical fish, turtles, stingrays and black-tip sharks, all you'll want to do is get certified so you can experience diving in Fakarava's passes as soon as possible!
Discover scuba diving in the other Polynesian atolls and archipelagos
Apart from the Society Islands and the most visited atolls of the Tuamotus, scuba diving in French Polynesia can be enjoyed on other islands and atolls further away from Tahiti, offering an even more exotic experience. There are fewer diving centres there, due to the lower level of tourism, but the dive sites are just as extraordinary and well worth discovering!
To the north-west of Tikehau, the atoll of Mataiva and its lagoon dotted with magnificent natural pools offer the chance to try your first dive in calm waters, perfect for beginner divers who will have the pleasure of admiring typical Polynesian underwater fauna. Alternatively, Manihi, another atoll to the north-east of Rangiroa, also has a diving club where you can enjoy your first dive away from the more touristy areas of the Tuamotus.
In the Marquesas archipelago to the north of the Tuamotus, there are two centres where you can take your first dive at Hiva Oa or Nuku Hiva. Here, the water temperature is just as pleasant as in the Society and Tuamotu archipelagos (28°C on average all year round), and visibility is excellent. The Marquesas are a veritable sanctuary for underwater flora and fauna, with the most popular species for diving being the manta ray and the hammerhead shark: opting for a first dive in the waters of the Marquesas is therefore an exceptional choice for discovering diving in French Polynesia!
The southernmost islands of Polynesia, the Australs are also the least visited, along with the Gambiers. But unlike the Gambiers, where unfortunately there are no diving clubs, it is possible to take your first dive in the Australs archipelago from the island of Tubuai! With slightly cooler waters ranging from 23 to 26°C, the Australs have their own unique underwater biodiversity and offer a different diving experience to the other archipelagos. In fact, this is where a large number of whales congregate during their migration to Polynesia, which generally lasts from August to October, particularly near the island of Rurutu.
So, which spot should you choose to go diving in French Polynesia?
Apart from the Gambier Islands, where there are no diving centres, your choice of location for discovering diving in French Polynesia will depend not only on what you want to do for the first time, but also on your travel itinerary and budget. The easiest places to go diving are still the main islands of the Society archipelago (Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Raiatea and Taha'a) and the most famous atolls of the Tuamotus for diving (Rangiroa, Tikehau and Fakarava), where there are the most clubs.
In any case, whichever island or atoll you choose to discover diving in French Polynesia, you'll have a magical time in crystal-clear waters teeming with tropical fish! If you have the chance, we even recommend diving in at least two different lagoons (if possible in different archipelagos) so that you can enjoy the diversity of species that inhabit Polynesian waters.
Diving is one of the best things to do in French Polynesia, so don't miss out on this experience under any circumstances, even if you've never dived before: your first dive in French Polynesia is sure to be one of the most memorable moments of your life!
