Epave Catalina - Moorea & Tahiti
The Epave Catalina dive, just off Moorea, is one of our favourite wreck dives in French Polynesia. It’s not a huge wreck, but there's a real intimacy to it that we find captivating. Dropping down, the Catalina flying boat appears almost ghostly, settled upright in about 25 metres, its wings largely intact. The cockpit is often home to schools of glasseye snapper, their big eyes reflecting our torch beams, and we've seen honeycomb groupers tucked into crevices. Explore the fuselage and you’ll find plenty of smaller things – the way the light filters through the portholes, illuminating a lone Celebes longfin eel, is a moment we always appreciate. This isn’t a drift dive; it’s a site for leisurely exploration, perfect for photographers wanting to capture both the wreck’s history and the life that now calls it home. We’d suggest going in the morning; the water can be calmer, and the light better for photographs.
- Location
- Moorea & Tahiti, French Polynesia, Central & South Pacific
- Coordinates
- -17.543573, -149.609010
- Type
- wreck
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
- 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)
- 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 Epave Catalina
- 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 Epave Catalina
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