Diving in Tahiti
Tahiti is actually just one of many islands in the group that was historically known as French Polynesia. Today, the name Tahiti is often used to refer to the entire 118 island group, which is spread out across a million square miles of ocean. But that's OK, because the answer to “how's diving in Tahiti?” applies equally to all of the islands. And that answer is “really good.” The excellent water clarity that is a hallmark of many sites allows sunlight to penetrate and bring out the full colors of fish and corals, and to illuminate steep slopes and walls down to vertigo-inducing depths. The tidal forces that cause these waters to ebb and flow through island lagoons nurture a dynamic food chain that begins with small reef dwellers and ranges up to mantas, sharks and pelagic fish. Tahiti and the other islands of the Society Group feature tall, green-clad mountains surrounded by reefs. In the open ocean far to the east, five large coral atolls encompass dozens of small islands and thousands of acres of shallow reefs, all surrounded by coral walls that plunge into the depths. Divers can experience the islands from land-based resorts or by liveaboards. After flying into Faa'a International Airport, travelers might consider spending a day or two on the island of Tahiti to take in the topside sights and the underwater action at Shark Valley, or perhaps take a tune up dive on a shallow World War II wreck. An easy ferry ride brings divers to the resorts of Moorea Island, where sharks, turtles and rays patrol coral canyons and valleys, and schools of blue-lined snapper, bigeye and cardinal fish gather on the hard coral slope of the outer reef. Operators stage feedings that attract gray reef sharks, black-tips and lemons, but these sharks are often in evidence even without the enticement of a free meal. Even divers accustomed to shark encounters will be impressed by the swirling tropical fish and the ways colors are accentuated by bright sunlight. Moorea also offers a number of good snorkel sites, including a sandbar where stingrays gather. A domestic flight brings divers to Bora Bora's wide lagoon, which shelters groves of boulder and antler coral that are the home waters of large lemon sharks. Purple and yellow corals line the walls of Teavanui Pass, and manta rays glide into the lagoon to gather at the site known as Anua. The twin islands of Raiatea and Taha'a share a lagoon and reef line that encompasses a number of seamounts, caverns and grottoes, along with a unique site covered in fields of montipora coral that resemble a garden of roses. Inter-island air service also gives access to the low-lying Tuamotu Atolls. Rangiroa is the second-largest atoll in the world, and with each tide change, the entire inner lagoon funnels through a pair of deep passes in the reef wall. Avatoru Pass offers spectacularly clear water and moderate currents that allow divers of all skill levels to enjoy a drift past coral-covered walls and into the open ocean, where sharks, tuna and turtles gather at the outflow. At Tiputa Pass, the action starts deeper and the water runs faster, propelling divers into a swarm of gray reef sharks. This site also provides a chance for manta ray sightings, and meetings with pods of dolphin outside the pass. In the Tuamotus, divers encounter a school of sharks at the mouth of Fakarava’s south pass that is so thickly packed it resembles a solid wall of gray. Liveaboard cruises offer a chance to visit even more remote venues, with adventures that can include seasonal humpback encounters with humpback whales.