Where should you dive in French Polynesia, in which season, and what level do the passes of Fakarava and Rangiroa require?

Fakarava, a biosphere reserve with two passes

The commune of Fakarava is a UNESCO biosphere reserve covering seven atolls, Aratika, Fakarava, Kauehi, Niau, Raraka, Taiaro and Toau, over 1,986,735 hectares of which 8,204 are land. UNESCO dates the designation to 1977; the French committee of the programme records renewals in 2006 and 2017, and Tahiti Tourisme uses the 2006 date.

In the north, the Garuae pass is the widest in French Polynesia at 1,600 metres; dives there go to around 30 to 40 metres, carried by the incoming current towards the lagoon, among barracudas, groupers and rays. In the south, the Tumakohua pass, 200 metres wide, near the old village of Tetamanu, holds the wall of sharks: Tahiti Tourisme counts some 700 grey sharks holding their position in the current during the day. The organisation’s pages disagree about the strength of the current in this southern pass; both call it suitable for all levels, with a guide. Allow about an hour and a half by boat from Rotoava, and as much again on the way back.

Rangiroa and Tikehau

Rangiroa is the largest atoll in French Polynesia. The Tiputa pass separates the two villages of Tiputa and Avatoru; dives there run between 12 and 46 metres, with strong incoming or outgoing currents and a tidal bore. The drift dive on the incoming current starts in front of the shark cave; the Éolienne site suits beginners, while experienced divers continue towards the canyons. Divers meet manta rays, sharks, turtles, hammerhead sharks at certain times of year and dolphins all year round. The narrower Avatoru pass, with its strong current, is described as a site for thrill-seekers; the centres run the pass in the morning and the dolphins in the afternoon.

Tikehau, next to Rangiroa, has a single opening to the ocean, the Tuheiava pass, with dives between 8 and 23 metres. Tahiti Tourisme calls it suitable for all levels while advising an experienced guide from one of the atoll’s centres; it is a gathering place for pelagic species. A second site, Teonai, is known for its whitetip sharks and dogtooth tuna, and the Aramu rama site is kept for beginners.

Moorea, Bora Bora and Tahiti

Moorea and Bora Bora offer, according to Tahiti Tourisme, conditions that suit beginners. On Moorea, the Opunohu canyon is open to all levels, with the Jardin des Roses at 40 metres; the Tiki site, at the north-western tip, has changing and rapid currents. Lemon sharks, rays and turtles are regulars, and the warm season, November to April, is the time for manta rays.

At Bora Bora the water is described as warm, calm and clear. The Anau site, the manta site, is protected by the dive centres themselves; Tapu is home to large lemon sharks; Muri Muri is a drift over a sand spit and a coral field.

Off Tahiti, two wrecks can be visited in a single dive at Faa’a: a Catalina seaplane from 1962 and a minesweeper that sank in 1976, lying on the sand at 7 and 22 metres. The turtle plateau on the west coast and the White Valley, on the outer slope of the Papeete pass, complete the picture; in the latter the current can be quite strong.

Seasons and conditions

Météo-France Polynésie distinguishes two seasons: the dry southern winter, April to October, and the rainy season, November to March. Tahiti Tourisme places the dry season from May to October and credits it with the best underwater visibility, 30 to 40 metres. The warm season, November to April, is the time for manta rays at Moorea and for encounters with tiger sharks at Rangiroa. The sea stays between 27 and 29 °C through the year in the Society Islands and the Tuamotu, warmest from January to April and coolest from July to October.

The Australs are different: average temperatures below 25 °C, the strongest winds and swell in the country, and Tahiti Tourisme advises a wetsuit of at least 5 millimetres at Tubuai. The cyclone risk runs from November to April, and Météo-France issues special bulletins during that season. In the passes the current rules everything: the centres dive on the incoming current and decide the time and the site of the day.

Level, supervision and safety

No official page consulted imposes a certification to dive in French Polynesia. Tahiti Tourisme states that the centres offer introductory dives and courses at all levels, that a first scuba dive is possible from age 8, that training follows the FFESSM, CMAS or PADI curricula, and that every island has sites for beginners. The same source reserves the drift dives of Rangiroa and Fakarava for divers holding at least a Level 2 certification, and reminds divers to ask before a wreck dive, often open only to certain levels.

On the interval to respect between the last dive and a flight, no official source consulted gives a figure; ask your dive centre and plan your domestic flights accordingly, since most diving trips hop between atolls by air. Tahiti Tourisme reports that the two domestic airlines limit baggage to 50 pounds, about 23 kilos, and allow divers 11 pounds more, about 5 kilos; the rule could not be checked with the airlines themselves, so confirm it when booking. Whales, from July to November, are observed with fins, mask and snorkel only, with an authorised operator.

Snorkelling and care for the reef

Snorkelling is possible everywhere with a mask, a snorkel and fins; most hotels and guesthouses lend or rent the equipment. Tahiti Tourisme names the lagoon of Bora Bora, the Tiputa pass at Rangiroa, the coral gardens of Moorea, Taha’a and Huahine and the underwater trails of Bora Bora and Rangiroa. In the lagoon, on the reef or in the passes, you often need not go deep to be among the fish.

The same organisation asks visitors to watch where they tread, not to knock the coral with their fins and to apply reef-friendly sunscreen before getting into the water. It also recommends not feeding wild animals and not taking seashells away. The official pages consulted say nothing about reef shoes. In the passes, the current the divers enjoy applies to swimmers too: follow the instructions of the centres and of the lagoon-tour operators, who choose the sites according to the tide.