Tahitian Treasures

The Islands of Tahiti are the definition of a dream destination. They tempted the crew of the Bounty to mutiny, inspired the masterworks of painter Paul Gaugan, and continue to lure romantic travelers from around the world. The mere name conjures visions of sun-dappled lagoons, verdant volcanic peaks and flowers in the hair. But what about the diving and snorkeling?

Turns out Tahiti's underwater landscapes are also pretty special. The reefs may lack some of the colorful soft corals of South Pacific destinations such as Fiji, but this is more than made up for by the abundance of healthy hard-coral formations, the spectacularly clear waters, and the wealth of marine life—including plenty of the big stuff. If the Islands of Tahiti are on your travel wish list, you should definitely pack the mask and fins. Here's a sample of what to expect.

When you fly to the Islands of Tahiti, your international flight will land at Faa'a International Airport, which is on the namesake island of Tahiti. Travel to any other island in the group will involve a ferry ride or a domestic transfer flight. But unless you are in a big rush, why not pause and spend a couple of days on the big island itself. Take a day to tour the coast, wander the streets of Papeete, and hike to a waterfall or two. If you can't wait to get into the water, there are also some pretty good diving and snorkeling sites close to town. Among the favorites is a shark feed dive that attracts gray reefs and black tips too—of course—Shark Valley. Second dives often take in a WW II minesweeper and a flying boat that rest on the lagoon bottom. If you have more time, you can add some additional underwater adventures such as a visit to the walls on the ocean side of the reef, an exploration of coral caverns, or a stop at a dive site where freshwater springs bubble up from the reef, attracting Napoleon wrasse and sea turtles.

In traditional Tahiti culture, sharks were not feared but instead revered as benevolent guardian spirits. Such traditions add an extra dimension to the shark encounters that are part and parcel of many dives on the island of Moorea. Located about 30 miles from the big island of Tahiti,  Moorea is a 10-minute flight or a half-hour ferry ride away and is home to a number of excellent resorts. This tall island is surrounded by a fringing reef that creates a variety of diving and snorkeling environments. There are shallow sites within the lagoon, slopes, coral canyons, walls on the outer reef, and current-washed passes to drift. But the big attraction is sharks. One of the island's must-do sites is Tiki Point, where blacktip, gray reef and lemon sharks gather in the exceptionally clear water to provide bragging-rights level photo ops. Snorkelers can also get in on the action on Moorea's shallow reefs and sand-bottom channels, where feeding activity draws swarms of stingrays and black tips. Above the water, Moorea's sheltering lagoons become a playground for kiteboarders, windsurfers and paddlers, while the island's lush valleys and forested slopes can be explored by hiking trail or offroad tours.

If you had to choose a single image that epitomizes the South Pacific experience, it might well be a thatch-roof bungalow set on pilings above a sparkling turquoise lagoon, with the green profile of a towering volcano rising in the distance. This is Bora-Bora. It is a destination sought out by honeymooners, celebrities and bucket-list travelers. Few come here just to dive, but it would be a shame not to submerge during a stay. Snorkelers and casual divers have numerous shallow and sheltered sites within the expansive lagoon to enjoy, including encounters with sharks and stingrays, and a cleaning station that attracts resident manta rays. Move into deeper water outside the lagoon and underwater visibility soars along the steep walls of the outer reef. Frequent sightings along coral plateaus and on the edge of blue water include gray reef sharks, lemons sharks, blacktips, hump head Maori wrasses, turtles and large schools of jacks and barracuda.

In contrast to the towering volcanic profiles of Tahiti's Society Islands, the Tuamotu Archipelago is made up of 80 low-lying atolls ringed in coral reefs, sandbars and small islands called motus. If diving and snorkeling are top priorities on a Tahiti vacation, the Tuamotus are the place to be. There are no peaks to climb, no waterfalls to visit, and only a smattering of low-key resorts scattered across the Motus. On these islands, nature is the program, and water is the star attraction. The three atolls usually that most often host travelers are Rangiroa, Tikihau and Fakarava. Each provides miles of shallow reef to explore within expansive lagoons, along with more dramatic topographies on the ocean sides of the barrier reefs. But what truly put these destinations on the diving map are the passes. These breaches in the coral ramparts of the atolls attract masses of marine life, which gathers to bask in the tidal flows. Among the most famous is Tiputa Pass, which is known for its massive gatherings of gray reef sharks. Avatoru, Maiuru, South Pass and mile-wide Garuae offer similar thrills, and the chance to swim with everything from hammerheads, black tip and silver tip sharks to manta rays, clouds of jacks, barracudas, wrasses and passing pelagic.

If Tahiti is calling, you should give us a call at 1.800.330.6611 or email us at sales@caradonna.com. We work with premier dive operations on all of the major islands. We know the best flights, can match you up with the right place to stay, and have some suggestions for adventures beyond diving.

Learn more about diving in Tahiti here.