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TAHITI
DIVING INFORMATION: |
Generally speaking, a fully equipped tank dive is about $65 USD per person on most islands in Tahiti. Whether you choose to experience diving within one of our islands many established clubs or opt instead for a diving excursion, your support team, fully qualified and internationally recognized, is quite able to guide you in total safety through their perfect familiarity with the locations during your first venture underwater in Polynesia. You may also with to visit Tahiti Tourism's Diving Information website located at http://www.diving-tahiti.com because it is filled with all of the major diving information for the islands and is an excellent resource. And what conditions!  With nearly 3000 hours of sunshine yearly, with maritime temperatures varying between 79f and 84f in summer (constant to a depth of 150 feet), perfect visibility down to 120 feet, negligible tides, French Polynesia is one of the world’s greatest diving destinations offering essentially three distinct zones to explore: the lagoon, a gigantic natural swimming pool with calm, shallow and crystal clear waters, which remains the ideal place to learn or perfect your diving technique; the ocean-side slope of the reef, offering against a navy-blue background, all the exuberance of a multicolored world of coral: the inlet (any opening in the barrier reef of an elevated island or atoll), which remains the place most likely to show high concentrations of any particular species. French Polynesia is definitely the most recognized underwater destination for observing what the majority of divers call « le gros » (everything « in big »). And even then on a scale surpassing your wildest hopes, (schools of several hundred carangues, loach etc), you will find three highlights in the Tuamotu archipelago: Manihi, Tikehau, and Rangiroa, all world renowned. Majestic manta rays with wing spans of several meters, and their somewhat smaller cousins, the leopard rays; Napoleon fish weighing over 35 kg: a large number of species of shark, such as the gray shark, the reef shark with its white dorsal fin, the sleeper shark and, less frequently, the whale shark, the hammerhead, and rare still, humpback whales during the months of August, September and October. Not to mention the
barracudas, dolphins and turtles. Most of these underwater marvels can
be found at depth less than 30m ( although French Polynesia is host to
any number of deeper, more technical explorations), so don’t hesitate
any longer: treat yourself to the discovery of Tahiti's underwater
Garden of Eden. DIVING SPOTS IN BORA BORA1 - THE LEOPARD RAYS TRENCH.The Bora Bora lagoon, world renowned for the quality of its waters, plays host in several spots to the leopard rays. The diving site at the southern tip of the island as well as that of the Toopua Iti islet is home to this totally non-aggressive species, throughout the whole year. Sometimes up to 10 individuals at any one time stage for the divers an astonishing subaquatic ballet. The white sandy bottom makes for good viewing. 2 - THE WHITE VALLEY.This time, the site is found at the northern end of the island. Bora Bora being the home of white sand, it is not surprising to find some even on the outer reef slopes. This sandy extrusion highlights the clarity and outline of all the seascapes under observation, made up of coral porites, and attracting parrot-fish, daurades, perch, lutjans, balistes, rougets, soldier-fish, butterfly-fish, pterois... This open water spectacle is not easily forgotten. Sometimes up to three hundred barracudas, many sharks, hundreds of carrangues and for the luckler ones, dolphins, can be met in these parts. 3 - THE TUPITIPITI POINT.The unusual aspect of this dive is the total absence of any gradually descending slope on the reef. From the time to entry, you will be confronted by an infinite blue color where the bottom can only be assumed. A few sharks, barracudas, carrangues, parrot-fish and lutjans populate this sky-blue domain. On the walls, a multitude of purple, while and pink corals, orange, red and green-colored sponges and yellow ( gorgones), ( at a depth of 35 metres), cover the whole chromatic spectrum and you are guaranteed a rich, highly colored spectacle. 4 - MANTA RAYS DANCE.A fantastic dive at a very beautiful lagoon site, which at a depth of 22m can include all divers, from raw beginner to expert. Here Manta rays circulate, either alone or in groups, throughout the year, especially in the morning. A giant barracuda may come to greet you, and you may even come across a grey ray or a Napoleon-fish. BORA BORA DIVING CLUBS CALYPSO CLUB.
BORA BORA DIVING CENTER.DIVING SPOTS IN MOOREA 1 - THE TIKI DIVE.
2 - THE TAOTAHA INLET.
3 - NAPOLEON-FISH PLATEAU.
4 - OPUNOHU - THE CORAL WALL. MOOREA DIVING CLUBS Moorea Fun Dive
MUST
BATHY’S CLUB
SCUBAPITI DIVING SPOTS IN RANGIROA 1 - AVATORU INLET, RIGHT-HAND EXIT. Noted for its Napoleon fish and manta rays, you will also find grey sharks, leopard rays and an impressive fauna: striped nasons, lutjans and blue striped perch. 2 - MAHUTA. First visit a subaquatic valley with its while sandy bottom and coral display ( pocillopora and acropora) where carangues, barracudas and sharks circulate. Then a little circus at the end of a second valley where a few ocean eels will timidly permit you to get close. But beware of their changing moods! 3 - THE SHARK CAVE. In the Tiputa inlet, at a depth of 32 m, there is a cave overlooking the outer drop. It is not uncommon to spot up to 30 or more grey sharks somersauting around the cave. 4 - THE TIPUTA CAVERNS. Actually the numerous cavities found along the outer drop right at the ocean-side are not really the attraction. The real showstopper, reserved exclusively for seasoned divers, is found in the open waters: at a depth of 30 to 40 metres, hundreds of sharks nonchantly circulate around the webbed visitors. Grey sharks, white finned reef sharks, hammerheads: the excitement is guaranteed. RANGIROA DIVING CLUBS RAIE MANTA CLUB. 2 dive centres. RANGIROA PARADIVE. 1 regional instructor BEES2, MF2,
CMAS***, PADI (OWSI): Bernard Blanc. DIVING SPOTS IN MANIHI 1 - DESCENDING THE TAIRAPA INLET. Its small size ( 400m long, 50m wide) makes for a high level of safety and excellent viewing conditions when moving through it ( look for yellow and white butterfly fish, striped bull fish, short crested nasons, loach, multicoloured parrot-fish, massive outcrops of pocillopora coral). 2 - MANIHI INLET, RIGHT-HAND EXIT. This is the perfect spot for a close up look at the merous, which, during the austral winter ( the second half of July, in keeping with the lunar cycle) arrive here by their thousands to reproduce, to the absolute delight of divers who are also in close contact with balisters, blue striped perch, magnificent Napoleon fish, grey sharks, white finned lagoon sharks, carangues, barracudas and other priacanths, with special mention of the nonchalant grace of the manta rays, undentable rulers of this kingdom. 3 - THE MOUTH OF THE TAIRAPA INLET. All the species mentioned above come here to feed; the density of the underwater population at this point is staggering. Water currents play a larger part. So does the natural mixing of the various fish foods. The fish love it. Short-crested nasons, striped nasons, schools of becunes, barracudas, perch, red lutjans and fat Napoleon fish, grey sharks, carangues, loach. Everyone joins in the ride. 4 - THE CARROT. The coral formations overshadow the ichtyological fauna mottled loach, tuna, black nasons and uncover a fairyland spectacle of porites, acropa and fire coral so very typical of Polynesia. MANIHI DIVING CLUBS MANIHI BLUE NUI. 1 instructor BEES1, MF1, CMAS**,PADI:
Gilles Pétré. DIVING SPOTS IN TIKEHAU 1 - MARA. Surrounded by Napoleon-fish, you can observe at leisure the great Manta rays which come here to have their parasites dealt with by the little cleaner-fish. Meetings with albimarginatus sharks are not uncommon. 2 - RAIRA CAVE. Numerous grey sharks live in these caves and along a fault in the reef. You will also find there a great school of barracudas then, safe in the clefts of the reef, hundreds of rougets. 3 - THE TUHEIAVA INLET. The dive is performed on the incoming current. Manta rays are often found, as well as a large school of carangues. Then a little further along the inlet, about ten white pointer sharks squeezed together under a rocky outcrop. 4 - TURTLE HOLE. Flanked by dolphins, the boat will drop anchor above a basin which doubles as a nocturnal refuge for turtles. In this subsidence of the reef, you can count, within a small area, a multitude of different species. An easy and relatively shallow dive ( 18m), notable for the diversity of fish.5 - TEAVATIA. Once an inlet, slowly occlured over the centuries; the coral here shows outstanding diversity, colour and richness. Sharks and rays are quite common. 6 - THE THRUST. A relatively deep dive ( 45m), reserved for experienced divers. You’ll observe the passage of « big » school - tune, swordfish, sail-fish or white pointer reef sharks. The red coral is breathtaking. TIKEHAU DIVING CLUBS TIKIHAU RAIE MANTA CLUB. 1 instructor BEES1, CMAS**, Sea Guide: Alex
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