Aquarium - Moorea & Tahiti
Aquarium is one of those sites we always recommend to newer divers in Moorea. It’s got a lovely, gentle drift, usually, and it’s pretty shallow, which means you can really take your time. We love drifting over the sandy patches, spotting Isabel’s Hermit Crabs scuttling about, or watching Dusky Wrasses dart between the coral heads. Visibility here is often fantastic, with the sun just cutting through the water, making the Corrugated and Staghorn corals shimmer. You'll see plenty of the usual reef suspects too – Manini everywhere, groups of Blue-lined Surgeonfish, and sometimes a gang of Big-eye Trevally circling. It’s a great spot to practice buoyancy and just soak it all in. We'd suggest going in the morning; the light is often best then, and it's generally quieter before the afternoon boats arrive. It’s a genuinely relaxing dive, perfect for getting comfortable in the water or just enjoying a calm swim.
- Location
- Moorea & Tahiti, French Polynesia, Central & South Pacific
- Coordinates
- -17.565279, -149.627500
Marine Protected Area: Pointe Vénus
Best Time to Dive in Moorea & Tahiti
The warmest water temperatures in Moorea & Tahiti occur in April, averaging 29.0°C. The coolest conditions are in September at 26.3°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.2°C
- February: 28.5°C
- March: 28.9°C
- April: 29.0°C
- May: 28.4°C
- June: 27.6°C
- July: 26.7°C
- August: 26.4°C
- September: 26.3°C
- October: 26.6°C
- November: 27.2°C
- December: 27.8°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Moorea & Tahiti
- Aquarium de Cook (reef)
- Aquarium de Cook (reef)
- BYRON NO. 16 - 0m (wreck)
- Canyons - Moorea (Tahiti) (reef)
- Coral wall - 15-35m (wall)
- Dérivante aux tortues (reef)
- Edenpark
- Eden Park (reef)
- Epave Catalina (wreck)
- Faille d'Arue
- Faille St Etienne
- Fausse Passe de Paea (reef)
- Grottes du Tahara (cave)
- Hydravion et Goelett (reef)
- KEARSAINT - 0m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Aquarium
- Activiseas - ["PADI"]
- Dive and Sea
- Ecole de plongée de Tahiti - SSI
- Eleuthera Plongée
- Fluid Plongée
- Iaora Diving - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Moorea & Tahiti
Home to 141 recorded species including 116 reef fish, 7 hard corals, 6 sea snails & nudibranchs, 5 sea cucumbers, 2 whales & dolphins, 1 clams & mussels.
Notable Species
- Small giant clam (Tridacna maxima) - Clams & Mussels
- Burrowing urchin (Echinometra mathaei) - Sea Urchins
- Tigerfish (Bohadschia argus) - Sea Cucumbers
- Bristle-toothed Surgeonfish (Ctenochaetus striatus) - Reef Fish
- Banded Goatfish (Parupeneus multifasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Lemon Peel (Centropyge flavissima) - Reef Fish
- Orange-lined Triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus) - Reef Fish
- Argus Grouper (Cephalopholis argus) - Reef Fish
- Blue-lined Tang (Zebrasoma scopas) - Reef Fish
- Bullethead Parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) - Reef Fish
- Clown Butterflyfish (Chaetodon ornatissimus) - Reef Fish
- Citron Butterfly (Chaetodon citrinellus) - Reef Fish
- Blackspot Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus) - Reef Fish
- Batavian Parrotfish (Scarus psittacus) - Reef Fish
- Manini (Acanthurus triostegus) - Reef Fish
- Honeycomb Grouper (Epinephelus merra) - Reef Fish
- Butterfly fish (Chaetodon vagabundus) - Reef Fish
- Spotted Toby (Canthigaster solandri) - Reef Fish
- Long-beaked Dolphin (Stenella longirostris) - Whales & Dolphins
- Silver Squirrelfish (Sargocentron microstoma) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Aquarium
Based on average water temperature of 27.6°C, currents 8 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