| French Polynesia is made up of 121 pristine atolls and | | | | modest prices and authentic Polynesian style make it |
| islands located in the tropical South Pacific, including | | | | perfect for travelers wanting to get off the beaten |
| popular destinations such as Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea | | | | track. You can find plenty of reef life surrounding |
| and Huahine - each one ringed with vibrant coral | | | | Huahine including leopard rays, tortoise, big napoleons, |
| reefs and overflowing with exotic marine life. Visitors | | | | jacks, eels and barracuda. Dive in at Avepeihi (Fitii's) |
| can explore underwater caves, caverns, lagoons and | | | | Pass for one of the world's best places to witness |
| shipwrecks - while swimming alongside friendly | | | | gray sharks feeding in their natural habitat. |
| dolphins, manta rays, eels, jellyfish, barracuda and | | | | 2. Fakarava: Perhaps the newest and least explored |
| tuna. But for those seeking the ultimate thrill, French | | | | sport diving destination, Fakarava (a designated |
| Polynesia is also home to one of the world's highest | | | | UNESCO reserve) is one of the world's best places |
| concentrations of great hammerhead, whitetip, | | | | for viewing big fish and large pelagic animals (tuna, |
| blacktip, silvertip and gray reef sharks. Here's our top | | | | shark, mantas) and for drift diving. Advanced divers |
| 5 places for getting up close and personal with one | | | | can literally flow along with the current at the 2/3 |
| of the sea's most magnificent creatures and revered | | | | mile wide Garuae Pass and see great hammerhead, |
| predators. | | | | whitetips, manta rays and marbled grouper. |
| 5. Tahiti: When it comes to shark diving, Tahiti island | | | | Intermediate divers can have less challenging yet |
| is the place to get your feet wet. The area's calm | | | | equally rewarding experience at Tumakohua Pass. |
| waters and abundant marine-life, which includes small | | | | 1. Rangiroa: For one of the world's ultimate diving |
| reef sharks, nurse sharks, friendly moray eels and | | | | experiences, come to Rangiroa (the world's second |
| countless schools of dazzlingly bright colored fish, | | | | largest atoll). With exceptionally clear visibility |
| provide a safe yet thrilling experience for beginners. | | | | (commonly exceeding 100ft), exhilarating currents and |
| Even novice divers can experience a shark feeding | | | | and massive amounts of sharks, rays, turtles, eels, |
| frenzy at the Shark Cave, explore sunken | | | | tuna, barraduca and dolphins, divers are in for the thrill |
| shipwrecks and seaplanes or peer into the deepest | | | | of a lifetime. The Pacific Ocean connects with |
| depths of the ocean from a sheer cliff located on an | | | | Rangiroa's gigantic lagoon at the Avatoru Pass and |
| underwater plateau at the famed Tahiti Wall. | | | | Tiputa Pass, creating an in-and-out flow that results in |
| 4. Bora Bora: Renowned worldwide for its stunning | | | | an unbelievably high concentration of marine life. This |
| topside beauty, Bora Bora also offers some of the | | | | area is also one of the best places for spotting great |
| world's best dives. Beginners can swim easily among | | | | hammerhead sharks and huge numbers of gray reef |
| groups of giant Manta Rays at sites including Anau | | | | sharks. |
| and the Teavanui Pass, be shadowed underwater by | | | | Do you have your own shark diving experience to |
| 'torpedoing' gray reef sharks at Muri Muri (The White | | | | share? Where are your favorite places to dive in |
| Valley) and feed lemon sharks by hand at Tapu Dive. | | | | French Polynesian? |
| 3. Huahine: The island's sleepy, beach-town vibe, | | | | |