Whales, sharks and dolphins combined with fast currents and exquisite sandy islands all await those prepared to make the long trip to French Polynesia. Charles Hood goes in search of an adrenalin rush Remote was an understatement.
I was in the middle of the South Pacific at a depth of 48m surrounded by 20 or more inquisitive grey reef sharks, I had 12 minutes of decompression time showing on my computer and I had only stepped off the plane an hour and half earlier. Welcome to French Polynesia.
Tahiti and her islands are about as far away from any large continent as it is possible to get. Located between 5 and 25 degrees below the equator and around 150 degrees from the Greenwich Meridian, they are also about as far as one can travel around the globe from the UK. The air temperature changes little, averaging an extremely pleasant 26C, while the water remains a comfortable tepid-bath temperature for most of the year. This is where the ocean is home to big marine life.
Here, a variety of pelagics either take up residence or are en route to and from their breeding grounds, and huge humpback whale cows suckle their young for about a third of the year in the sheltered waters found off the island of Rurutu.
Tiger, great hammerhead and grey reef sharks all enjoy the fast-flowing channels that supply an aquatic breakfast and supper to the gigantic lagoon of Rangiroa, while throughout the autumn dolphins gorge themselves on the tens of millions of breeding snapper at the narrow passage in Fakarava.
In spite of glowing reports from other divers, experience told me to remain sceptical and to expect to be greeted with that time-honoured phrase: 'If only you'd been here last week'. However, after a few hours in the water, my scepticism was changing to optimism.
I was in the middle of the South Pacific at a depth of 48m surrounded by 20 or more inquisitive grey reef sharks, I had 12 minutes of decompression time showing on my computer and I had only stepped off the plane an hour and half earlier. Welcome to French Polynesia.
Tahiti and her islands are about as far away from any large continent as it is possible to get. Located between 5 and 25 degrees below the equator and around 150 degrees from the Greenwich Meridian, they are also about as far as one can travel around the globe from the UK. The air temperature changes little, averaging an extremely pleasant 26C, while the water remains a comfortable tepid-bath temperature for most of the year. This is where the ocean is home to big marine life.
Here, a variety of pelagics either take up residence or are en route to and from their breeding grounds, and huge humpback whale cows suckle their young for about a third of the year in the sheltered waters found off the island of Rurutu.
Tiger, great hammerhead and grey reef sharks all enjoy the fast-flowing channels that supply an aquatic breakfast and supper to the gigantic lagoon of Rangiroa, while throughout the autumn dolphins gorge themselves on the tens of millions of breeding snapper at the narrow passage in Fakarava.
In spite of glowing reports from other divers, experience told me to remain sceptical and to expect to be greeted with that time-honoured phrase: 'If only you'd been here last week'. However, after a few hours in the water, my scepticism was changing to optimism.
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