Tahiti is not well known for diving but Tahiti calm lagoons are
ideal for beginners divers.
For more advanced divers, Tahiti Iti (the peninsula) boasts the most spectacular
wall diving in French Polynesia outside of the Marquesas archipelago. You can
see humpback whales from June to October, and bottlenose dolphins inhabit the
area year-round.
The Aquarium:
In the lagoon, maximum depth of 36 ft.
The wrecks (the Goelette & the Catalina):
In the lagoon, just offshore from the runway at Tahiti Faaa airport. The
Goélette, a 100-ft. cargo ship, lies in 75-40ft. of water. Kicking distance
away is the remains of a Catalina flying boat, scuttled in 1964. The Catalina
lies at between 60 ft. and 30 ft. of water. The ship is a non-penetration dive,
but you can swim through the plane from the cargo door to the cockpit and out
through the hatch in the top. Maximum depth of 78 ft.
For more advanced divers, across from the Papa Whiskey (actually
a call sign for the tiny manmade island offshore from the Faaa airport),
outside of the reef is the amphitheatre-shaped dive site that bears the same
name. Between 35 and 80 feet you can see lots of blue-striped snapper,
damselfish and butterfly fish. Sea fans appear at a depth of about 120 feet.
There is a shallow shelf from about 15 to 30 feet which drops off sharply
(called also "walls").
The St. Etienne drop-off:
Ocean, outside the reef, maximum depth of 180 ft. Ideal for deep dive.
The Faults of Arue:
Ocean, in the Matavai Bay, maximum depth of 90ft.
The Tetopa Grotto:
Ocean, maximum depth of 24 ft. Perfect for beginners, this cave is full of
lobsters and crabs.
The Hole in the Lagoon:
In the lagoon, maximum depth of 81 ft with a sandy bottom. Good for all levels,
you can see eagle rays, sting rays, scorpion fish and larger fish like tuna and
grouper.
The Marado:
Ocean, maximum depth of 150 ft. Gorgonian walls for more experienced divers.
| TAHITI DIVE CENTERS: | ||
| Aquatica Dive Center (InterContinental Beachcomber, Faa'a) Tel: (689) 53-34-96 or (689) 77-60-01 Fax: (689) 53-34-74 |
Corail Sub/Tahiti Plongee (ex Hotel Bel Air, Punaauia) Tel: (689) 41-00-62 or (689) 43-62-51 Fax: (689 42-26-06 |
Eleuthera Plongee (Marina Taina, Punaauia) Tel: (689) 42-49-29, Fax: (689) 48-04-04 |
| ITI Diving International (Marina Puunui, Vairao) Tel/Fax: (689) 57-77-93 or (689) 78-77-93 |
Les Copains d'abord Plongee (Marina Aquatica, Paea) Tel: (689) 43-10-65, Fax: (689) 45-07-40 |
Scubatek Tahiti (Yacht Club, PK 4 Arue) Tel/Fax: (689) 42-23-55 |
Some information on this page courtesy of GIE PLONGEE de
Tahiti et ses Iles and Tahiti Legends
