French Polynesia 2021 – Rangiroa’s Dolphin Encounters

After almost a year and a half of planning an epic scuba diving trip to French Polynesia…it finally arrived.  Crazy this trip was in the works in summer of 2020 as Covid was starting to get better and a group of us planned to go in November 2020.  As the trip was all planned and about to be purchased, it started to fall apart and eventually it was decided to postpone till later.  After all the research for scuba diving spots, I knew I would make it a priority in the next couple years.  When flight prices fell again in 2021, plans started up again and it finally came together.  This time the plans were slightly different plans with 4 islands, 3 friends over 2 weeks, and I’m sure 1 unforgettable experience….so time to go!

The first week of the trip will be with my friend John.  We are going to fly to two islands for some of the more remote scuba diving and what we heard is some of the best in the country.  So after an 8 hour overnight flight to Tahiti, we hopped on next flight to take us to Rangiroa.  This island is know for lots of drift diving and a high probability of encounters with the wild dolphins that love to play in the Tiputa pass as the currents are strong and ever changing.  So after our two flights, we checked into the hotel and two hours later were scuba diving for a special sunset dive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This first sunset dive ended up being one of the most epic first dives in any location where we were greeted with a school of 18 large spotted eagle rays (normally you are lucky to see one or two, but to see 18 was unreal) and they just kept circling us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We could hear the dolphins, but didn’t see any yet but were hoping maybe tomorrow.  As we were floating by on our dive through a strong drift, we spotted a whitish/green octopus curled up in some coral, and I had to stop, kick against the strong current to get a few pics as he was pretty and those eyes…just staring back at me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Such a great first dive and can’t wait for two more days in Rangiroa.

 

Day 2 – We had three dives planned (as French Laws only allow three dives a day – yet anywhere else in the world you could do 5).   This dive started off with some bright fish, then a giant moray eel swimming out of the rocks exposing his entire body (another rare site) and we were able to watch him hunt for smaller fish in the rocks before settling in to poke his head out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Soon after we were lucky to come across a huge school of barracuda circling around us.  We were able to swim into the middle of the school and just take in the size and beauty of these fish.  You can see John here looking up at the school for a scope of size.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we could hear dolphins and started looking all around.  All of a sudden a group of 3 dolphins came swimming up to us and the dolphins swam right to us and were almost begging us to rub, scratch and touch them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We later learned there are about 30 dolphins the locals know of and they have been able to chart and identify them by markings and each has a name.  They are smart and know the scuba divers will not hurt them and will in turn pet and scratch them like you do your dog at home and they love it.  John rubbed the belly of one and thought he felt something.  We later learned that dolphin was very pregnant so John must have felt the baby dolphin inside.  So cool.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So these dolphins swam up to us then left and came back a few times.  I took these photos up close and then another diver got some pictures of me rubbing the dolphins.  I often get asked how close we get to the underwater life, so these give a perspective of how close I was to get my pics given those someone took of me.   I’m wearing a blue headband with my camera in my right hand. This was one memorable dolphin encounter for sure.

 

 

 

Here’s one video of the dolphins you can view: https://youtu.be/Vg9QXZYBZL4

Next dive we were lucky to have different dolphins come swimming by…but they were more shy.  They would buzz by us, but they didn’t want to be touched and kept distance.  They just kept checking us out and swam back and forth

For the first full day of diving, we had 3 dives and 3 dolphin encounters and so amazing.  Continuing to dive the next day was just as good.  So many spotted rays, sharks (at a distance) and bright fish.

Now it’s time to head over to our next island…Fakarava and headed to the south part of the island.  We are expecting rustic and basic accommodations, but hoping to see lots of sharks in the Shark Highway.  So till next time…

 

Logistics:

Hotel: Le Maitai Rangiroa www.Rangiora.hotelmaitai.com– about $285 per night for garden bungalow with A/C.  This was the 2^nd nicest on the island (top hotel listed below).  You can also opt for meals included(about $360 a night with 2 meals a day)  but we didn’t as we knew we would be out and about with diving and like to play by ear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other option we considered in Rangiroa was Hotel Kia Ora.  This was the nicest on the island so if you want to splurge…that may have been the nicest.

We had lunch out in town in between diving in Rangiroa.

• Josephines – this as a causal French place right on the water overlooking the Tiputa Pass we were diving in so nice lunch with a view. This is also a simple guest house if you want to go and stay more budget accommodations. I think it was about $100 a night and one I was considering when I thought I was coming here alone.
• Pizzeria – this was located next to Josephines and was a little place near the water. Dive center said good pizza and they were right.  Loved the sign to the little pizzeria.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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