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Log This Dive

Papetoai Aquarium

Papetoai Aquarium on Moorea is exactly what it sounds like: a shallow, calm pool that's just brimming with fish. We love this site for a relaxed morning dive, especially if we're easing into a trip or have newer divers with us. It’s a gentle introduction to French Polynesian diving, with a maximum depth of 13 meters and typically good visibility, usually around 15 to 20 meters. You’re pretty much guaranteed a fish soup here. Think dusky farmerfish everywhere you look, red and blackfin squirrelfish peering from crevices, and big schools of blue-lined tangs grazing over the coral heads. We always spot greenbelly parrotfish nibbling away, and the four-lined wrasse are constantly darting about. The corals, mostly staghorn and porcelain varieties, aren't the most expansive you'll ever see, but they provide plenty of cover for the smaller stuff. Keep an eye out for the halfspotted hawkfish perched on the coral branches, they blend in well. While it’s often touted for beginners, we find it a genuinely enjoyable, easy dive that reminds you why you started diving in the first place. For something a little different, try a late afternoon dive when the light changes, the colours really pop then.