Les Roses

Les Roses — “The Roses” — is a reef dive site in the lagoon north of Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia. The name refers to the rounded, rose-like shape of the large Porites coral heads that dominate the reef structure here.

Overview

The site is characterised by large rounded Porites lobata coral bommies — massive, dome-shaped heads that can reach two metres in diameter and height — whose forms, particularly when viewed from above, resemble overlapping rose blooms. These coral heads rise from a sandy floor at around 18–22 metres and cluster thickly, creating a maze of passages and swim-throughs at the base. The sandy substrate between bommies is a hunting ground for stingrays and flatfish. Visibility averages 25–30 metres, and water temperatures are 27–28°C year-round.

What to Expect

The Porites bommies are encrusted with smaller corals, hydroids, and sponges, and host a rich community of gobies, damsels, and hawkfish on their surfaces. Crevices between bommies shelter moray eels and resting nurse sharks. Turtles frequently graze the algae growing on older bommie surfaces. The sandy corridors between the coral heads attract stingrays, and golden trevally (Gnathanodon speciosus) schools cruise the inter-bommie passages. The site is excellent for wide-angle photography, particularly when positioned low to capture divers framed against the tower-like coral heads.

Conditions

• Best season: April–November
• Visibility: 25–30 m typical
• Current: Mild
• Water temperature: 27–28°C
• Entry: Boat dive

Tips

Wide-angle lenses are recommended for capturing the scale of the coral bommies. Swim slowly through the passages between heads to spot smaller species, and look along the sand at the base of the bommies where flatfish and small rays rest.

Sources: Dive and Sea Tahiti - Dive Sites, Eleuthera Tahiti Diving Center, Tahiti Tourisme. Last updated 2026-05-30.