L'Aquarium - Bora Bora
Forget what you might have heard about Bora Bora's diving, L'Aquarium is a nice surprise, especially for those who appreciate the smaller details. It's not a deep dive, more of a leisurely drift or an easy mooring stop inside the lagoon, perfect if you’re looking for a relaxing second dive of the day. We’ve done it a few times and always come away with something new, whether it’s a tiny Hardshell shrimp scuttling across the sand or a Pinktail triggerfish darting between the coral heads. What we really like here is the sheer number of those colourful reef fish that seem to ignore you completely. You'll swim through clouds of Yellowtail Dascyllus, so dense you almost feel them brush past your mask, and watch Bicolor cleaner wrasse doing their diligent work on larger fish. Keep an eye out for the flashes of Redfin Butterflyfish and the striking patterns of Coral Beauties. It's an easy dive that lets you just float and observe, making it a solid choice for newer divers, but even experienced eyes will find plenty to appreciate in this busy, shallow world.
- Location
- Bora Bora, French Polynesia, Central & South Pacific
- Coordinates
- -16.713808, -151.489270
Marine Protected Area: Motu Tapu
Best Time to Dive in Bora Bora
The warmest water temperatures in Bora Bora occur in April, averaging 29.3°C. The coolest conditions are in September at 26.8°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.4°C
- February: 28.6°C
- March: 29.3°C
- April: 29.3°C
- May: 28.9°C
- June: 28.1°C
- July: 27.2°C
- August: 26.9°C
- September: 26.8°C
- October: 27.2°C
- November: 27.8°C
- December: 28.1°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Bora Bora
- Anau (cenote)
- Anau
- Aquarium (reef)
- Aquarium (reef)
- Avapeihi pass (drift)
- Cite corail (reef)
- Coral Garden (reef)
- Eagle-rays station
- Eleuthera Bora Diving Center
- Fafapiti
- Haapiti (wall)
- Iriru
- Le Nordby (wreck)
- Les rairas
- Les Roses
Nearest Dive Centres to L'Aquarium
Marine Life in Bora Bora
Home to 141 recorded species including 121 reef fish, 7 sea snails & nudibranchs, 4 hard corals, 3 whales & dolphins, 2 sharks & rays, 1 other.
Notable Species
- Lemon Peel (Centropyge flavissima) - Reef Fish
- Six-line wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia) - Reef Fish
- Banded Goatfish (Parupeneus multifasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Orange-lined Triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus) - Reef Fish
- Arc-eye Hawkfish (Paracirrhites arcatus) - Reef Fish
- Flea Cone (Conus pulicarius) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Argus Grouper (Cephalopholis argus) - Reef Fish
- Dot and dash Butterflyfish (Chaetodon pelewensis) - Reef Fish
- Citron Butterfly (Chaetodon citrinellus) - Reef Fish
- Spotted Toby (Canthigaster solandri) - Reef Fish
- Armed Squirrel-fish (Neoniphon sammara) - Reef Fish
- Lineated Butterflyfish (Chaetodon trifasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Brilliant Red Hawkfish (Neocirrhites armatus) - Reef Fish
- Pinktail triggerfish (Melichthys vidua) - Reef Fish
- Bullethead Parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) - Reef Fish
- Honeycomb Grouper (Epinephelus merra) - Reef Fish
- Yellowtail Dascyllus (Dascyllus flavicaudus) - Reef Fish
- Giant Squirrelfish (Sargocentron spiniferum) - Reef Fish
- Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) - Reef Fish
- Savigny's Brittle Star (Ophiactis savignyi)
Recommended Packing List for L'Aquarium
Based on average water temperature of 28.0°C, currents 6 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 28°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories