Beautiful above; Beautiful below
Bora Bora is home to an embarrassment of colorful
reef fishes. The calm, sheltered lagoon (aside from being intoxicatingly
beautiful) is a great place for the beginner, the rusty diver, and
children. Experienced divers can venture outside the reef for more
action, but many a veteran diver returns to the lagoon sits just
to see the magical flora and fauna. For scuba divers, the biggest
attraction to Bora Bora is undoubtedly the large population of giant
manta rays.
Snorklers love Bora Bora. Many of the best snorkeling sites are
right outside your hotel bungalow, and many others are a short boat
ride away. Motu Tapu, Motu Piti Au, and Motu Piti uu Uta are just
a few of the most spectacular spots.
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 Beginners
Raititi Reef, just adjacent to the Hotel Bora
Bora, is an ideal lagoon site for first-time divers. The depth
is 7 to 45 ft., and you will be welcomed to the underwater world
by sting rays, eagle rays, jackfish, triggerfish, and clouds
of other reef fishes, including the much-photographed butterfly
fish.
Anau is also a great site for beginners.
It requires a boat ride of more than 20 minutes, as it is on
the eastern side of the island, and most of the dive operators
are on the west side. It is well worth the ride, however. Expect
to see anemones with their resident clown fish, moray eels,
sharks, Napoleon wrasses, and majestic giant manta rays (an
alternate name for the site is fafa piti, "manta ray" in Tahitian).
Anau is also a wonderful place to snorkel. Depth ranges
from 30 to approximately 100 feet. |
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 Intermediate
to Advanced Divers
Toopua is accessible for divers of all levels,
with a depth ranging from 9 ft. to 110 feet. The topography
and fauna combine to make this a delightful dive. Coral walls
are the backdrop for tuna, barracuda, butterfly fish, tangs,
parrotfish, triggerfish and soldierfish. Tapu, just north
of Toopua, is a little more suited to certified divers due to
surface currents and a coral-covered bottom. Lemon and blacktip
sharks, eels, Napoleons and the occasional sea turtle are just
a few of the animals you'll encounter here. Sometimes larger
pelagics pay a visit, such as giant manta rays and grey sharks.
For advanced divers, Tupitipiti offers a challenge. It
has a steep drop-off and currents that become strong enough
to necessitate a drift dive. Purple coral and colorful sponges
mark this part of the reef, just southeast of Motu Piti Aau.
The bottom profile is such that it allows for dives of up to
200 feet, although you'll have to be checked out thoroughly
by an instructor to be permitted to dive much below the standard
recreational dive limit of 130 feet. Larger fish are attracted
to Tupitipiti--sharks, rays, groupers, Napoleons and large parrotfish,
to name a few.
Muri Muri (aka "Shark Point"
and "White Valley") is usually reserved for advanced divers,
due to strong currents and large shark populations. The sharks
in French Polynesia are not aggressive, but like all sharks
they are attracted to figures on the surface, so the ability
to make a quick descent is important. Depth ranges from 45 to
100 ft., and you can expect to see the usual characters plus
an exceptionally varied display of reef fishes‹threadfin butterfly
fishes, tangs, Moorish Idols, damselfish, needlefish, schools
of snapper and barracuda, soldierfish, parrotfish and triggerfish. |
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Dive Centers
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Bora Diving Center
(at the Hotel
Bora Bora) 98730 Vaitape
Michel and Anne Condesse, Owners (CMAS *** International
Monitor, PADI Instructor, State Instructor BEES1-MF2)
Lagoon and ocean dives, dive lessons, children's dives,
PADI Open Water and CMAS certification, night dives, 2-tank
dives.
Bora Diving Center is home of Aqua Safari, a diving helmet
activity for ages 8 to 80. It is not necessary to know how
to dive, or even how to swim. Guests don a special pressurized
helmt and enter the shallo lagoon, where colorful reef fishes
swim by as they walk (or jump) along the sandy bottom. |
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Bora Bora Blue Nui
At the Bora
Bora Pearl Beach Resort
Gilles Petre, Owner (CMAS ** International Monitor; State
Instructor BEES 1 - PADI OWSI)
Night dives, initiation dives, PADI Open Water certification,
2-tank dives, initiation dives, dive lessons, night dives. |
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Mara Dive Center
At the Sofitel
Marara Bora Bora
Anne & Michel Condesse (see Bora Diving Centre for instructor's
designations)
Night dives, drift dives, children, private tours. |
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