Toopua - Bora Bora
East of Eden is our pick for a quintessential Similan experience. It’s a gently sloping hard coral garden, and if you’re looking for those postcard-perfect reef scenes, this is where you’ll find them. We love drifting over the expansive tables and staghorn corals, which are truly some of the healthiest in Thailand. You’ll feel the gentle push of the current guiding you past schools of Black Pyramid Butterflyfish and Orange-lined Triggerfish, while closer inspection reveals things like Honeycomb Filefish or the cleverly camouflaged Dwarf Scorpionfish tucked into the coral branches. Keep an eye out for Leopard Sharks resting on the sand patches, and we often spot octopuses here, too. The light penetrates beautifully, illuminating the reef in a way that just feels serene. It’s a site that rewards both wide-angle photographers and macro enthusiasts, offering a calm, visually rich dive every time.
- Location
- Bora Bora, French Polynesia, Central & South Pacific
- Coordinates
- -16.533400, -151.761200
- Type
- reef
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
- L'Aquarium
- Le Nordby (wreck)
- Les rairas
Nearest Dive Centres to Toopua
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 Toopua
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