Dive Review of
Top Dive/Hibiscus, Maitai Polynesia in
French Polynesia/Moorea,Bora Bora

[Unspecified]

Dive Conditions

Small groups led by divemaster.  Follow within reason, but not hand
holding.  45-50 minutes with 3 minute safety stop.  

[None]  

Overall Rating

Dove with Top Dive in both Moorea and Bora Bora.  Took 10 dive inter-island
package.  6 dives in Moorea and 4 in Bora Bora.  Top Dive Moorea was top
notch.  Handled all gear and kept safe overnight.  Divemasters Thomas and
Nicholas great and very friendly.  Diving is very easy and close to shore. 
Coral is fair but fish life and especially large animal encounters
pnenomenal.  First two days, spotted Humpback whales and snorkled with
mother and calf both days.  This was magical and the divemasters went out
of their way to find the animals for us.  The diving is very exciting. 
Lots of Black tip and lemon sharks with the lemons being quite impressive
at 10 feet plus.  Top Dive takes a tuna head down on most dives and puts it
in the coral.  This keeps the sharks interested and the diving with the
sharks is quite exciting.  Dive would usually end with the tuna being
exposed to the sharks and watching them do their thing.  Saw clown fish and
many other endemic species as well.  Turtles, eels etc...  Bora Bora a
little more herd like atmosphere.  Still dive in small groups, but several
on same boat and while not crowded, I felt less personal touch.  The water
however is gorgeous and the diving again highly charged with plenty of
sharks and two mantas.  I was put with a group of beginners to start but
complained and was promptly put into a more appropriate group.  Both areas
are better for these animal encounters than coral growth.  Not alot of
color and diversity to be seen, however the reef seemed quite healthy with
very little bleaching or dying coral to be seen.  Lots of fish life as
well.
     Maitai in Bora Bora quite nice.  clean A/C room with ocean view. 
Great staff, nice beach with decent snorkeling and great lagoon views. 
Hibiscus on Mooorea a bit more econo oriented and thus a bit rustic.  A bit
of a bug problem and although owners were very friendly and the grounds
nicely kept, I would stay elsewhere on Moorea on a return trip.
     Food extremely expensive so we walked to local groceries and stocked
up on french cheeses and bagets and did our own breakfast and lunches. 
combo of Tahitian and French cuisine very good with The Mayflower in Moorea
and The Bounty in Bora bora being standout performers.
     Both islands are gorgeous and topside sites are as impressive as the
underwater sites.  My non-diving wife took a ferry to Tahiti to see Papeete
and do some shopping and had a great time all around exploring the islands.
 

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