La virgule
17.5402°S 149.6126°W · reef
La virgule — “The Comma” — is a reef dive site in the waters of Moorea, French Polynesia, named for a comma-shaped coral structure visible on the bathymetric charts and from the surface in calm conditions. Moorea Fun Dive lists this site as one of its regular dive locations.
Overview
The site is centred on a curved, elongated coral formation whose shape traces a comma when viewed from above, creating two distinct reef environments: the concave inner face and the convex outer slope. The inner face of the comma sits at 10–18 metres and is characterised by dense coral growth in a relatively sheltered position, while the outer slope descends toward 25 metres and receives more oceanic influence. The site is reliably clear, with visibility of 25–30 metres, and water temperatures average 27–28°C throughout the year.
What to Expect
The sheltered inner face of the formation acts as a nursery ground for juvenile reef fish — small wrasse, chromis, and damselfish are abundant in the coral branches. The outer slope hosts more typical pelagic activity, with grey reef sharks cruising past and napoleon wrasse investigating divers. The tip of the comma — where the two faces meet — is a concentration point for hunting predators like bluefin trevally. Macro enthusiasts find the inner-face corals productive for nudibranchs and small crustaceans. The site’s distinctive shape makes navigation intuitive: follow the curve of the formation for a natural dive circuit.
Conditions
- Best season: April–November
- Visibility: 25–30 m typical
- Current: Generally mild; slightly stronger on the outer face
- Water temperature: 27–28°C
- Entry: Boat dive
Tips
Use the comma shape to plan a natural circuit dive — descend to the outer slope, follow the curve around, and return along the sheltered inner face for the safety stop. This multilevel approach maximises bottom time and exposes divers to both habitat types.
Sources: Moorea Fun Dive - Sites, Dive and Sea Tahiti - Dive Sites, Eleuthera Tahiti Diving Center. Last updated 2026-05-30.
Sea-surface temperature and wave height from Open-Meteo Marine (ERA5 reanalysis, monthly averages).
1885 verified species observations (313 species) logged within ~11 km of this site between 1899 and 2025, from the Ocean Biodiversity Information System.
- Megaptera novaeangliae · Humpback whale
- Naso unicornis
- Parupeneus multifasciatus
- Scarus psittacus
- Acanthurus xanthopterus
- Balistapus undulatus
- Centropyge flavissima
- Parupeneus barberinus
- Canthigaster solandri
- Gygis alba microrhyncha
- Chlorurus sordidus
- Lutjanus fulvus
Scientific survey records skew toward sampled taxa (molluscs, corals) and do not reflect what you are guaranteed to see on a dive.
Source: OBIS (obis.org), aggregated Darwin Core occurrence records.
Conditions change with the tide and the season. If you have dived this site, share what it was actually like — date, visibility, current, and what you saw. Real, recent reports from divers are exactly what this guide is built to collect.
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