Faille St Etienne

Faille St Etienne is a deep fissure dive site in the Tahiti lagoon near the St Etienne passage, French Polynesia. “Faille” means crack or fissure, and this site is defined by a dramatic vertical split in the reef that descends to 40 metres.

Overview

The fissure at St Etienne is one of the more dramatic geological features in Tahiti’s dive sites. The crack runs roughly north–south through the outer reef slope, creating a narrow passage that divers can swim through or along as it descends steeply. The walls of the faille are covered in encrusting corals, sponges, and black corals that thrive in the lower light of the deeper section. At 40 metres the fissure opens onto the outer slope, where the oceanic influence brings larger pelagics. Visibility can reach 30–40 metres on clear days, and water temperature drops slightly to around 25–26°C at depth.

What to Expect

The upper part of the fissure (10–20 m) has good coral coverage with glassfish swarms that part to allow passage. Deeper, the walls narrow and are draped in black coral (Antipatharia spp.) and large sea fans. Whitetip reef sharks and grey reef sharks are confirmed at this site; resting sharks on ledges are a typical encounter. At the base where the faille meets the open slope, grey reef sharks patrol. The dive rewards experienced divers with a sense of journeying through a geological fault while surrounded by dense marine life. Note: “nurse sharks” and “silvertip sharks” cited in earlier descriptions were removed — no site-specific confirmation found for these species here.

Conditions

• Best season: April–November
• Visibility: 25–40 m typical
• Current: Variable; can be strong at the fissure entrance
• Water temperature: 26–28°C upper, 25–26°C at 40 m
• Entry: Boat dive

Tips

A maximum depth of 40 m means this site is suitable for Advanced Open Water divers and above. Monitor bottom time carefully and begin ascent from depth with a 3-minute safety stop at 5 m. A torch is essential for illuminating the fissure walls below 20 m.

Sources: Dive and Sea Tahiti – Dive Sites, Eleuthera Tahiti Diving Center – Spots, Scubago – La Faille St Etienne. Last updated 2026-05-30.