Dive Review of Fakarava Diving Center/Le Maitai Dream in
French Polynesia

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Fakarava Diving Center/Le Maitai Dream, May, 2005, by Tracey Bennett, NV, USA . Report 1992.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$	N/A
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Fakarava is a large atoll with two passages ( North and South) that create strong tidal currents to and from the open ocean. The mile wide N. passage is about 20 minutes by boat from the resort and here you can dive outside the passage or the passage itself. The smaller S. passage is about an hour by boat from the resort and can only be accessed during flat seas. We were unable to get there during our 7 day stay. The outside dives had little current and there were healthy fields of hard coral, schooling snapper, bannerfish and buttereflyfish. Several napolean wrasse, eagle rays, white tip, blacktip, and grey reef sharks. There are many beautiful tropicals thriving in this pristine environment and in some areas I felt as though I was diving in one big cleaning station. For the passage dives we backrolled, descended immediately, and rode the ripping current, along with white tips and grey reef sharks, over hard corals and canyons until we reached a valley where we could drop down out of the main current. Here we saw large schools of bright orange bigeyes, snapper and bannerfish. There were always 15 - 20 sharks circling around us, coming in from the perimeters of the valley to inspect the new arrivals. Because of the strong currents, this is definately not a dive for beginners. Serge and Carine, owners of the Fakarava Diving Center were safety conscious and attentive. I could dive my own profile on the outside dives, but because of the current everybody ascends together on the passage dives. They will not let you dive the passage until they know and have witnessed your dive experience level. I was extremely pleased with their service. The resorts' rooms are comfortable enough, and have large bathrooms with a shower door leading outside. There is a full bar and the restaraunt serves very good food. There's not much to do on Fakarava other than dive, but definately go to Hinano Pearls where proprietor Gunter Hellberg will take you on a tour and give you an opportunity to buy some of his pearls.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	251-500 dives
Where else diving	Indonesia, Micronesia, Fiji, Grand Cayman, Honduras, Belize, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Mexico, Bahamas
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, rainy, cloudy	Seas	choppy, currents
Water Temp	80-82°F / 27-28°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	60-100 Ft/ 18-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	[Unspecified]
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	1 or 2
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	No room on boat for rinse bucket, but can soak in your room between dives. You're pretty much on your own.

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Dive Review of Fakarava Diving Center/Le Maitai Dream in French Polynesia

Fakarava Diving Center/Le Maitai Dream, May, 2005,

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

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

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

Dive Review of Fakarava Diving Center/Le Maitai Dream in
French Polynesia