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Liveaboard diving in Polynesia

A wall of hundreds of sharks at Fakarava, Rangiroa dolphins, Tikehau mantas and humpback whales

2 yachts for liveaboard diving

Polynesia — the wall of hundreds of grey reef sharks in Fakarava’s Tumakohua pass, Tiputa dolphins, Tikehau mantas. Liveaboard schedules and prices.

Why divers come here

Fakarava south pass Tumakohua — a wall of hundreds of grey reef sharks
Marbled grouper spawning in June–July — thousands of fish and peak shark activity
Tiputa pass at Rangiroa — a resident pod of bottlenose dolphins
Drift diving on the incoming tide with visibility up to 40 metres
Humpback whales off Rurutu and Moorea from August to October
Reef manta cleaning stations at Tikehau atoll

What you'll meet underwater

Grey reef sharks (hundreds in the Fakarava pass) Bottlenose dolphins (resident pod in Tiputa pass, Rangiroa) Reef manta rays (cleaning stations at Tikehau) Humpback whales (August–October, Rurutu and Moorea) Marbled groupers (spawning aggregation in June–July) Lemon sharks and whitetip reef sharks Green and hawksbill sea turtles Napoleon wrasse and schooling barracuda

Practical information

Best season: May–October (dry season, best visibility), June–July (grouper spawning at Fakarava), August–October (humpback whales)
Water temperature: 26–29 °C
Visibility: 20–40 m
Wetsuit: 3 mm (5 mm for multiple dives a day and in July–September)
Experience level: Advanced (strong currents in the passes, drift diving, 30+ logged dives recommended)
Getting there: Fly to Papeete (PPT) via Paris, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Auckland or Santiago, then take an Air Tahiti domestic flight to Fakarava (FAV) or Rangiroa (RGI), about 1–1.5 hours.
Airports: Papeete, Tahiti (PPT), Fakarava (FAV), Rangiroa (RGI)
Visa: French Polynesia is a French overseas collectivity and is not part of the Schengen area — a Schengen visa is not valid here. Many nationalities (EU, UK, US, Canada, Japan, Australia and others) enter visa-free for up to 90 days; everyone else needs a French visa issued specifically for the overseas territories. Check transit visa requirements for your connecting country as well.
Climate: Tropical maritime, air 26–31°C year-round, wet season November–April
Currency: CFP franc (XPF)
Language: French, Tahitian
Time zone: UTC-10 (Tahiti and Tuamotu)