>

French Polynesia

© AdobeStock/bomboman

Explore French Polynesia

French Polynesia, a stunning archipelago in the heart of the South Pacific, offers divers an unparalleled experience with its lush islands and pristine waters. Comprising over 100 islands, including the famed Society Islands and Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia presents a diverse range of dive environments. From the vibrant coral reefs teeming with colorful fish to the dramatic walls and clear blue lagoons, the underwater landscapes are as breathtaking as the islands themselves. Dive styles vary, with options for shore dives, boat dives, and even liveaboard adventures, catering to all preferences and skill levels.

One of the standout features of diving in French Polynesia is the abundance of big marine life. The atolls' shallow lagoons and channels, with their strong currents, attract a parade of sharks, dolphins, and manta rays, offering a thrilling 'spectator diving' experience. Divers can perch in a spot and watch these magnificent creatures glide by. The region's remoteness and minimal human impact ensure a rich and unspoiled marine ecosystem, making it a top destination for those seeking both adventure and tranquility underwater. Seasonal variations bring unique opportunities, with different marine species being more prevalent at certain times of the year, adding a dynamic element to the diving experience.

Power Plug Type
C, E
Payment Method
VISA, MC, AMEX
Tipping
No tipping / Service Staff / Tipping is not customary; service charges are usually included, but small gestures are appreciated for excellent service.
Currency
XPF
Dial Code
+689
Electricity
220V / 60Hz
Time
UTC−10

Places to explore

Courses and Events

Dive Centers

Dive Sites

Top Wildlife Sightings in French Polynesia

Marine life is the main attraction in French Polynesia. Plankton blooms bring mantas, sharks and rays through the lagoon channels. There are also numerous resident creatures such as turtles and dolphins which can often be seen on the reefs and out in the channels hunting the fish shoals. The reefs are covered in colourful corals and sponges providing a home to thousands of critters and reef fish. In the lagoons, often those with more sandy bottoms, stingrays can also be found in substantial numbers.

Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content

Green Turtle

4.6k Sightings
J
336
F
281
M
353
A
449
M
329
J
350
J
441
A
437
S
471
O
484
N
397
D
317

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 27

Barracuda

3.2k Sightings
J
210
F
161
M
195
A
250
M
197
J
229
J
277
A
478
S
416
O
340
N
270
D
165

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 200

Moray Eel

2.9k Sightings
J
154
F
145
M
183
A
222
M
173
J
231
J
307
A
408
S
411
O
287
N
244
D
161

Bottlenose Dolphin

2.6k Sightings
J
110
F
128
M
108
A
179
M
120
J
196
J
287
A
368
S
357
O
372
N
229
D
119

Hawksbill Turtle

2.4k Sightings
J
147
F
110
M
162
A
207
M
179
J
172
J
249
A
254
S
313
O
260
N
181
D
157

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 600

Wrasse

1.9k Sightings
J
105
F
79
M
101
A
141
M
93
J
130
J
168
A
333
S
292
O
208
N
204
D
83

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 25

Eagle Ray

1.9k Sightings
J
91
F
103
M
125
A
102
M
136
J
138
J
202
A
330
S
234
O
206
N
137
D
98

Reef Manta Ray

1.2k Sightings
J
66
F
38
M
81
A
80
M
76
J
72
J
142
A
192
S
154
O
97
N
105
D
75

Great Hammerhead Shark

444 Sightings
J
39
F
46
M
60
A
32
M
15
J
3
J
5
A
66
S
71
O
59
N
23
D
25

Giant Oceanic Manta Ray

377 Sightings
J
9
F
39
M
23
A
21
M
23
J
18
J
37
A
32
S
57
O
63
N
40
D
15

Tiger Shark

266 Sightings
J
4
F
32
M
36
A
25
M
37
J
31
J
14
A
18
S
31
O
9
N
24
D
5

Common Dolphin

265 Sightings
J
12
F
7
M
23
A
19
M
16
J
24
J
24
A
48
S
37
O
25
N
16
D
14

Blacktip Reef Shark

5.2k Sightings
J
326
F
277
M
346
A
424
M
338
J
372
J
532
A
730
S
688
O
556
N
379
D
281

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 100

Parrotfish

4.6k Sightings
J
321
F
247
M
317
A
375
M
262
J
343
J
426
A
600
S
585
O
477
N
406
D
266

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 40

Triggerfish

4.1k Sightings
J
336
F
216
M
310
A
361
M
217
J
283
J
360
A
525
S
502
O
419
N
338
D
245

Whitetip Reef Shark

4k Sightings
J
270
F
219
M
264
A
285
M
243
J
280
J
407
A
563
S
530
O
436
N
327
D
207

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 130

Butterfly Fish

3.6k Sightings
J
227
F
140
M
210
A
257
M
180
J
250
J
350
A
553
S
482
O
393
N
311
D
224

Grey Reef Shark

3.3k Sightings
J
184
F
195
M
188
A
187
M
193
J
250
J
326
A
479
S
418
O
394
N
253
D
191

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 90

Angelfish

3.2k Sightings
J
201
F
113
M
201
A
226
M
179
J
265
J
309
A
498
S
456
O
321
N
276
D
179

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 8

Bannerfish

2.4k Sightings
J
191
F
83
M
128
A
179
M
116
J
178
J
219
A
354
S
367
O
246
N
219
D
115

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 85

Surgeonfish

2.3k Sightings
J
161
F
105
M
106
A
130
M
119
J
129
J
226
A
369
S
324
O
253
N
233
D
133

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 60

Soldierfish

2.1k Sightings
J
137
F
88
M
112
A
132
M
104
J
142
J
191
A
355
S
279
O
226
N
220
D
86

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 40

Jackfish

1.7k Sightings
J
135
F
75
M
121
A
106
M
96
J
94
J
96
A
285
S
257
O
179
N
154
D
88

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 350

Damselfish

1.7k Sightings
J
114
F
42
M
131
A
150
M
56
J
105
J
150
A
260
S
230
O
213
N
147
D
82

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 28

Clownfish

1.5k Sightings
J
105
F
63
M
90
A
149
M
97
J
87
J
147
A
180
S
234
O
127
N
133
D
111

Lemon Shark

1.5k Sightings
J
91
F
94
M
117
A
149
M
119
J
130
J
163
A
174
S
137
O
113
N
128
D
65

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 3

Trumpetfish

1.5k Sightings
J
90
F
51
M
63
A
130
M
53
J
98
J
144
A
252
S
234
O
169
N
124
D
66

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 130

Pufferfish

1.2k Sightings
J
78
F
37
M
52
A
69
M
57
J
85
J
90
A
129
S
243
O
178
N
111
D
69

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 90

Goatfish

1.2k Sightings
J
77
F
17
M
66
A
78
M
27
J
76
J
76
A
227
S
203
O
144
N
128
D
45

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 15

Tuna

1.1k Sightings
J
59
F
25
M
40
A
71
M
32
J
65
J
87
A
177
S
228
O
158
N
109
D
50

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 250

Grouper/Basslets

940 Sightings
J
59
F
19
M
43
A
63
M
47
J
73
J
91
A
169
S
156
O
124
N
62
D
34

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 12

Lionfish

883 Sightings
J
52
F
35
M
43
A
82
M
30
J
70
J
110
A
119
S
124
O
95
N
82
D
41

Silvertip Shark

881 Sightings
J
67
F
55
M
75
A
43
M
55
J
66
J
86
A
95
S
155
O
74
N
60
D
50

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 150

Sweetlips and Grunts

861 Sightings
J
56
F
15
M
40
A
47
M
39
J
56
J
55
A
189
S
145
O
108
N
89
D
22

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 60

Squirrelfish

778 Sightings
J
39
F
19
M
41
A
55
M
9
J
29
J
49
A
167
S
143
O
114
N
75
D
38

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 25

Boxfish

767 Sightings
J
60
F
43
M
45
A
57
M
29
J
46
J
73
A
81
S
145
O
78
N
80
D
30

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 3

Cornetfish

596 Sightings
J
49
F
21
M
23
A
53
M
12
J
59
J
45
A
59
S
108
O
114
N
28
D
25

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 80

Emperor

485 Sightings
J
51
F
0
M
1
A
10
M
9
J
20
J
39
A
113
S
86
O
108
N
22
D
26

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 20

Porcupinefish

384 Sightings
J
39
F
6
M
7
A
6
M
3
J
20
J
23
A
58
S
86
O
93
N
24
D
19

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 15

Garfish

340 Sightings
J
17
F
1
M
7
A
24
M
5
J
8
J
40
A
128
S
38
O
25
N
39
D
8

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 30

Stonefish

283 Sightings
J
23
F
7
M
25
A
14
M
25
J
8
J
40
A
45
S
59
O
22
N
4
D
11

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 110

Snapper

278 Sightings
J
14
F
16
M
7
A
19
M
16
J
23
J
31
A
39
S
31
O
35
N
17
D
30