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

Top Dive/Hibiscus, Maitai Polynesia, Aug, 2005,

by Michael Kamens, Ohio, USA . Report 1879.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 3 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 4 stars Shore Diving 1 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 5 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments 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.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 101-250 dives
Where else diving [Unspecified]
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas calm, surge, currents
Water Temp 79-81°F / 26-27°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 75-0 Ft/ 23-0 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile no
Enforced diving restrictions Small groups led by divemaster. Follow within reason, but not hand holding. 45-50 minutes with 3 minute safety stop.
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas Squadrons
Dolphins 1 or 2 Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales >2
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 2 stars Large Fish 5 stars
Large Pelagics 4 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 5 stars Boat Facilities 1 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 3 stars Shore Facilities 3 stars
UW Photo Comments [None]
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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