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Tombant St Etienne

Tombant St Etienne always feels like a bit of a secret, even though it’s reasonably accessible from Moorea. We love how the reef here just spills down into the blue, creating this dramatic wall effect that’s just begging you to explore. You’ll spend most of your dive surrounded by the sheer volume of smaller reef fish – the blue-green chromis often form such dense schools, it's like swimming through a moving cloud. Keep an eye out for the clown tangs, with their bold stripes, and the more subtle, delicate blennies peeking from crevices. What truly makes St Etienne special is that consistent buzz of life, even without the big pelagics. We’ve often seen the beautiful white-tailed tropicbirds circling overhead before a dive, a nice promise of good things to come. The corals themselves are in good health, providing plenty of nooks for spotting things like pink squirrelfish or a well-camouflaged celebes longfin eel. This site is fantastic for photographers who enjoy macro and wide-angle reef shots, particularly in the mornings when the light hits the wall just right.