Tombant St Etienne - Moorea & Tahiti

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.

Location
Moorea & Tahiti, French Polynesia, Central & South Pacific
Coordinates
-17.615904, -149.620070
Type
wall

Marine Protected Area: Grottes de Maraa

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

Nearest Dive Centres to Tombant St Etienne

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

Recommended Packing List for Tombant St Etienne

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