French Polynesia · Indo-Pacific
Best time to dive French Polynesia (Tuamotus)
Grey reef sharks crowd the passes year-round. Thousands of marbled groupers spawn in Fakarava's South Pass around the June–July full moons, drawing hundreds of sharks; great hammerheads December–March at Rangiroa. Drier April–November, rainy November–March.
Peak season: June–August, December–March
Book a French Polynesia LiveaboardUpcoming departures on DivebookerOverall diving, month by month
Balanced scoring · forecasts include the 2026/27 El Niño outlook
Confidence: Nov high · Dec high · Jan medium · Feb medium · Mar medium · Apr medium · May medium · Jun medium · Jul medium · Aug medium · Sep medium · Oct low · Nov low · Dec low
What's good when
Each attribute scored 0–10 for every month
| Nov2026 | Dec | Jan2027 | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pelagic & big animals | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Macro life | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Coral & reef health | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Visibility | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Water temperature | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| Weather & sea state | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
| Operations & access | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
Climate outlook
How this year's forecast differs from a typical year
- Coral & reef health -0.8 · Reefs recovering from El Niño bleaching (Nov 2026 – December 2027)
- Coral & reef health -1.6 · Southern-summer bleaching risk during a strong El Niño (Jan 2027 – May 2027)
Water temperature & visibility
| Month | Water | Visibility |
|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | 27.0 °C (81 °F) | 30–40 m |
| December 2026 | 27.5 °C (82 °F) | 30–40 m |
| January 2027 | 28.0 °C (82 °F) | 30–40 m |
| February 2027 | 28.5 °C (83 °F) | 30–40 m |
| March 2027 | 28.5 °C (83 °F) | 30–40 m |
| April 2027 | 28.5 °C (83 °F) | 30–40 m |
| May 2027 | 28.0 °C (82 °F) | 30–40 m |
| June 2027 | 27.0 °C (81 °F) | 30–40 m |
| July 2027 | 26.5 °C (80 °F) | 30–40 m |
| August 2027 | 26.0 °C (79 °F) | 30–40 m |
| September 2027 | 26.0 °C (79 °F) | 30–40 m |
| October 2027 | 26.5 °C (80 °F) | 30–40 m |
| November 2027 | 27.0 °C (81 °F) | 30–40 m |
| December 2027 | 27.5 °C (82 °F) | 30–40 m |
Marine life calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| great hammerhead | Peak | Peak | Peak | ● | ● | |||||||
| marbled grouper spawning | Peak | Peak | ||||||||||
| grey reef shark | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| bottlenose dolphin | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
Peak = best odds · ● = regularly seen · blank = unlikely. Calendar months, every year.
About the diving
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Current strength
- 5 / 5
- Luxury level
- 3 / 5
- Typical depth
- 5–30 m
- Max depth of interest
- 40 m
- Dive styles
- Resort, Liveaboard, Day boat
- Suggested certification
- Advanced Open Water (strong pass currents)
- Nearest airport
- RGI
- Snorkelling
- Good
Famous sites: Tiputa Pass · Fakarava South Pass (Tumakohua) · Garuae Pass · The Canyons
Season notes & sources
- Grey reef sharks crowd the passes year-round. Thousands of marbled groupers spawn in Fakarava's South Pass around the June–July full moons, drawing hundreds of sharks; great hammerheads December–March at Rangiroa. Drier April–November, rainy November–March.