pacific for less four seasons

Snorkeling in Bora Bora

Colorful fish snorkeling Bora Bora

Snorkeling in Bora Bora Lagoon is my favorite activity. On the beautiful island of Bora Bora some of the most amazing scenery lies beneath the surface of Bora Bora lagoon waiting to be discovered.

The Bora Bora Lagoon is home to hundreds of dazzling tropical fish species, sting rays, manta rays and reef sharks. Bora Bora offers snorkelers of all levels a fun lagoon environment to explore. There are coral gardens inside the calm lagoon, and the other best snorkeling in Bora Bora will be appreciated by advanced snorkelers on a trip that takes you to meet the sharks outside the reef in the deep, royal blue, Pacific Ocean.

Make sure you take a lagoon excursion that goes out there as this is a once in a lifetime experience!


You will spend a large amount of your vacation time at your Bora Bora resort, so if you love snorkeling, you can find out what the snorkeling is like at each Bora Bora resort. You might even want to base your resort choice on the resorts with the best snorkeling!

There are a number of coral gardens for snorkeling in Bora Bora. One of the best, and most easily accessible is nicknamed "the aquarium". If you are staying at the Sofitel Private Island Resort, you can take yourself there by paddling a kayak to the aquarium! The other way to get there is to hire a boat, or take a lagoon excursion.

There is a shallow coral garden at the southern tip of Bora Bora that has very colorful coral. I've never seen so much purple under water before! This popular coral gardens was destroyed when a hurricane came through a few years ago, but the coral has regrown and the fish are starting to come back to the area. Sting rays like the shallow, sandy areas around the southern tip too.


Friendly stingrays glide past us
snorkeling Bora BoraColorful coral and fish at the southern tip of Bora Bora

So I want to share some of the best places for snorkeling in Bora Bora:

Don't know how to snorkel? Snorkeling for beginners in tranquil Bora Bora Lagoon is the ideal place to start.

Find out what to take to Bora Bora to extend your time in the tropical sun and make the best of Bora Bora snorkeling beaches.

My Favorite Snorkeling Tahiti

The vanilla island of Tahaa has more of the best Tahiti snorkeling. Here you can do a drift snorkel between two motus. The water is shallow so you are very close to the bright living coral, and the fish swim right up to you.

Instead of having to dive to see this natural beauty, the ocean floor has come up for us to see.

The most amazing Tahiti snorkeling can be found on the distant atoll of Rangiroa. Located far from human activity, the coral is living and colorful. I have snorkeled several times at the side of the pass watching all kinds of marine creatures swim through with the current. The water here is deep and you need to be a confident swimmer. So for those who want a relaxing experience, snorkeling in Bora Bora is as good as it gets.


snorkeling The "Aquarium" in RangiroaThe "Aquarium" in Rangiroa

When I am at Bora Bora I spend every possible moment in, and on, the Bora Bora Lagoon. The clarity of the water, combined with the diverse shades of blue, make the lagoon a snorkeling paradise. Gliding in the calm water, watching the bright, striped and spotted fish dance around the coral below, is pure happiness.

› Snorkeling

New! Comments

Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.

Search the Site

Are you still looking for additional information? You can use the Google search box below to search the site.


Site Sponsors

Join us on Facebook

Bora Bora Essentials

Top Tours

Subscribe to receive free Bora Bora updates

Photo of the day

All of us at Bora Bora Island guide love to have fun, but we also have to keep the site up and running! That's why you'll see ads on this site. We may also earn commissions on some of the products on this site.

The income generated through these means helps ensure Bora Bora Island Guide can devote the time to providing you with all the free and fabulous information & resources you'll find here. If you would like to support us, you can  purchase our book full of over 100 pages of money saving tips or find out the best activities, resorts, dining and beaches in our Best of Bora Bora book or buy our 2018 Bora Bora calendar.

Want to learn more? Bora Bora Island Guide invites you to read our advertising disclosure.

Favorite Pages