FRENCH POLYNESIA - 1

The total surface of French Polynesia is 1,544 square miles. It is constituted of 118 islands and atolls distributed in 5 archipelagos: les Iles de la société, Marquises, Tuamotu, Gambier and Austral. All of those islands are from volcanic or coralline origin.

Most of the French Polynesian islands, especially the ones which originate from volcanic activity, are surrounded by a magnificient coral reef which retain the turquoise waters of the lagoons.

The exterior reef rapidly falls into the deep of the ocean, where channels and lagoons offer to the divers, from the least to the most experienced, a vast marine domain to explore. The marine fauna is characterized the most extravagant moving forms and by a suprising coralline diversity.

With it's 3000 hours of annual sunshine, an underwater visibility frequently reaching 130 feetand a water temparature variating between 79ºF (26ºC) in winter and 84ºF (29ºC) in summer, French Polynesia is a true paradise. With a 1º differente between the surface and 166 feet (50 m) of depth, we can consider that there is no temperature variation.

French Polynesia is one of the safest diving destinations, offering three different types of exploration:

Generally quite shallow and with a crystal clear water, the lagoon represents the perfect site to perfect your diving skills.

The richest and most lively part of the reef, regrouping the small and very colourful reef fish with and the biggest predators.

Natural opening in the reef barrier, letting the lagoon waters mix with the ocean and meeting point of the huge concentrations of sharks and manta rays (devilfish). Due to the very strong currents created by the tides, it is impossible to do stationnary diving and certain times of the day. Those stong currents offer in counterpart the possibility to do fantastic drift dives.

French polynesia has an international reputaion for it's adventure diving, where it is possible to observe enormous creatures, which every diver dies to see at least once, including the immense ray mantas, the Napoleons and a variety of sharks, some of them regularly leaving themselves be touched by diving guides.

In this submarine world, you will encounter a quantity and a diversity of marine life which you have never even imagined, particularly in the Tuamotu archipelago and in the Rangiroa and Manihi atolls.

The marine species which we encounter include ray mantas as big as a few meters, their close cousins, the leopard rays, some 40kg napoleons, a large number of sharks including white and grey reef sharks, nurse sharks, lemon sharks and, although less frequently, humback whales during the months of august, september and october.

Naturally, you will also be able to admire the barracudas, turtles, dolphins, and the whole variety of very colurful reef fish. The majority of these marvelous creatures are possible to see in less than 100 feet of water. Do not hesitate to come and see for yourself and discover, day or night, this garden of eden offered to you by the waters of French Polynesia. At dawn, all thoses active creatures leave their place to the night life: crabs, crayfish, shellfish and a multitude of other invertabraes.

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