The Tuamotu Atolls

Scattered across a vast expanse of the Pacific, the Tuamotu Archipelago is a chain of low coral atolls that offers some of the most spectacular diving and unspoilt lagoon scenery in the world. Rangiroa, one of the largest atolls on earth, and the UNESCO biosphere reserve of Fakarava are the jewels, their enormous turquoise lagoons enclosed by thin ribbons of palm-fringed white-sand motu. The magic lies in the passes, the channels where the ocean surges in and out, drawing dense schools of fish, grey reef and hammerhead sharks, dolphins and manta rays into thrilling drift dives. Pearl farms, deserted motu and pristine reefs complete a remote, aquatic paradise.

What you actually see

• The passes - the thrilling drift dives with sharks and dolphins.
• The lagoons - the vast turquoise atoll lagoons.
• Fakarava - the UNESCO biosphere reserve and its diving.
• The pearl farms - the black-pearl farms of the atolls.

When to go

May to October, the cooler, drier season, generally offers the best conditions, though the Tuamotu can be dived year-round in warm water; certain sites peak with seasonal gatherings, such as the famous grouper spawning and shark aggregations at Fakarava around June and July. The atolls are reached by flights from Tahiti.

Honest expectations

The Tuamotu atolls are remote, reached by flights from Tahiti, with simple lodges and limited facilities, and their premier drift dives through the passes, with strong currents and big sharks, are best suited to experienced divers, though snorkellers can also enjoy the lagoons; French Polynesia's high costs apply. For the reward of some of the finest diving on earth, vast pristine lagoons, thrilling passes teeming with life and deserted motu, though, the Tuamotu are a remote and world-class aquatic paradise.

Nearby

The islands of Tahiti, Bora Bora and Mo'orea are reached by air.