Just an hour’s flight from Tahiti – and 20 minutes flight from Fakarava, lays the atoll of Rangiroa. You’ll fall in love with the sparkling, translucent waters of the lagoon, the exceptional marine life, the dense tropical vegetation, the numerous excursions and the warm welcome by the inhabitants of the island. All passionate travellers and divers who are searching for an authentic paradise will find what they are looking for on Rangiroa.
Fakarava, French Polynesia
This is a decent 3-star hotel. The rooms are comfortable and in pretty bungalows. The paths leading to the pool and restaurant are pleasant and full of flowers. The pool is pleasant, with a view over the lagoon. There is a pontoon with a great snorkelling spot. The Blue Lagoon restaurant offers a delicious fusion of French cuisine and Polynesian flavors in dishes prepared by our staff. The view of the beach and lagoon is breathtaking.
A double dive is offered each morning, where you’ll experience amazing biodiversity, and encounter several species of sharks including (if you’re lucky) great hammerheads. In the afternoon a single dive is offered, where it’s ALL about the dolphins! The friendliest dolphins you’ll ever encounter. It’s a relatively short trip on the dive boat, through the channel to the outer reef where divers are dropped in, and depending on which way the tide is flowing, picked up further along the reef, or inside the lagoon after drifting through the channel.
Transfers are provided each day from your accommodation, and if you’re doing a third dive in the afternoon, they’ll usually provide a transfer to a nearby cafe for lunch.
Tiputa Pass – Inward & outward flowing current
(inward current) All dives are located on the right ocean-side slope of the pass
The Sharks’ cavern
This dive starting outside the pass is suitable for all levels although recommended to experienced divers for it requires that you be well-balanced and feel like a fish in water. The cavern owes its name to a cavity down at 30m. Against every expectation, there are no sharks in it and divers have to stay in the cavern so that grey reef sharks come as close to us as possible. After a ten-minute stay there, we will plunge from the angle into the pass and the current will lead us into the interior of the lagoon
The Canyons
The first part of the diving is like the latter but once in the pass, roughly half-way, we will swerve to the middle of the pass and stop at every canyon – hence the name of this dive – The canyons cross the pass in its width. The dive is particularly nice in June, during the reproduction time of grey reef sharks, that gather by hundreds in the canyons
The Step
This dive is for the most experienced divers. It starts in the ocean, smack dab at the mouth of the pass. One can do it in January, February and March during the great hammerhead shark season, which are usually at depths of 40 to 50m.
The Crossing
This is a dive perfect for the most experienced divers. It starts in deep blue waters off the right angle of the pass’ entrance. So, as the name of the dive suggests it, the main purpose of this dive is to do the crossing of the pass with the inward flowing current. This is an opportunity to watch schools of grey reef sharks. Once you have crossed the pass you will find yourself roughly at the sharks’ cavern. From there, we will begin drifting with the current into the lagoon.
The windmill
The dive starts on the oceanic reef slope at about 350m from the angle of the pass’ entrance, far from the outward flowing current. During the diving the reef is on the left-hand side and the blue on the right-hand side. Maximum depth is 25m. This dive is open to any certified diver and is the occasion to encounter wonderful species like dolphins, manta rays, stingrays, tuna, humphead wrasses, sea turtles.
The BLUE
The dive starts at the same point as the Windmill, but swimming at 300m from the reef slope (in the blue). The main purpose of this dive is to meet with silvertip sharks in the blue and, with a stroke of luck, silky sharks. We will be diving down to 15m and stay there about 15 minutes before coming back towards the reef to end the dive just like the end of the Windmill, all in maximum safety.
The Angle
As the name suggests it, this dive starts right near the angle of the pass. The main purpose will be to go down to the bottom at around 40m to observe mantas, grey reef sharks, stingrays flying, schools of yellow ludjans or even a great hammerhead shark.
Avatoru Pass (inward current)
The small pass
For experienced divers. The Avatoru pass breaks into two channels separated by a little islet at the entrance of the lagoon. The smaller pass on the right is the most interesting. The dive starts in the middle of the pass, then a drift into the narrowest part of the pass. This is undoubtedly the most colourful dive experience, watching manta rays feeding themselves against the current and white tip sharks resting and quietly getting oxygen in the grottos. The dive ends in the calm waters of the lagoon.
Avatoru Pass (outgoing current)
Avatoru right side
For all levels. The dive starts on the ocean-side reef slope some 140m away from the right angle of the pass, when looking towards the ocean. There are two curiosities: The big white tip reef sharks and a large school of horse eye jackfish. The Avatoru pass is less deep than the Tiputa one and is oriented slightly differently from the flowing current, which means that we can thus enter the pass much more easily in spite of the outward flowing current.
Rangiroa - 6-Passengers Dive Centre Packages
| This pricing is valid to 31 Dec 2024 | |||||
| 7 Night Rangiroa Dive Package includes: * 7 nights accommodation at Hotel Le Maitai Rangiroa, including daily American breakfast * 10 dives with 6 Passengers Dive including weights, tanks, air fills & dive guide • Meet and greet on arrival • All transfers • Domestic flights between Tahiti and Rangiroa • Marine Park fees |
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| Pricing is per person based on double/twin-share occupancy. | AUD | EUR | |||
| Hotel Le Maitai Rangiroa | 2590 | EUR | | | 2590 | |
| Add on 3 nights in Tikehau: * 3 nights at Ninamu Resort in a Deluxe Garden Bungalow including breakfast * 2 Dives inc weights, tanks & dive guide * All transfers |
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| High Season Pricing | 1650 | EUR | | | 1650 | |
| Add on 3 nights in Moorea: * 3 nights at Manava Resort in Garden View Room including American breakfast * 2 Dives with Moorea Blue Diving inc weights, tanks & dive guide * Half day whale watching tour with Corallina Tours * All road & boat transfers |
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| High Season Pricing | 1200 | EUR | | | 1200 | |
| NB: for divers from Australia & New Zealand | |||||
| Flights to Tahiti from Australia & New Zealand arrive late at night, and depart early morning, meaning that overnight stays in Papeete are required at the beginning and end of trips to French Polynesia's more remote archipelagos, including the Tuamotus (Fakarava, Rangiroa & Tikihau). Flights from North America and Europe may require only 1 overnight stay in Papeete. This pricing is indicative only - Diveplanit will provide a tailor-made package and quote according to your individual requirements. | |||||
| Pricing is per person based on double/twin-share occupancy. | AUD | EUR | |||
| 2 transit nights at Tahiti Airport Hotel (at start and finish of trip). Includes breakfast, meet and greet on arrival, all transfers | 259 | EUR | | | 259 | |
