Plateau aux tortues
17.6294°S 149.6183°W · reef
Plateau aux tortues — “Turtle Plateau” — is a reef dive site in the Tahiti lagoon, French Polynesia, named for the large green turtles that regularly rest and feed on its shallow coral plateau.
Overview
The site is a broad, gently sloping reef plateau extending from about 8 to 20 metres depth, its surface dotted with coral heads and sandy patches interspersed with seagrass in the shallower areas. Green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) use the plateau consistently, resting on flat coral structures and feeding on algae and seagrass. The wider plateau is bordered by a sloping reef edge that descends to 25 metres. Visibility averages 25–30 metres in calm lagoon conditions, and water temperatures are a warm 27–29°C year-round.
What to Expect
Green turtles are the headline attraction and are reliably encountered on most dives — groups of two to four animals resting together are typical. Whitetip reef sharks are confirmed at this site. The coral plateau provides habitat for bluefin trevally hunting over the sandy patches. Stingrays rest in the sand channels between coral heads, and tropical fish inhabit the reef. The shallower sections of the plateau are an excellent snorkelling destination as well as a dive site, making this one of the more accessible sites for less experienced divers. (Napoleon wrasse removed from description — no site-specific source found confirming this species at Plateau aux Tortues specifically.)
Conditions
- Best season: Year-round; April–November for best visibility
- Visibility: 25–30 m typical
- Current: Generally very mild on the plateau
- Water temperature: 27–29°C
- Entry: Boat dive
Tips
Approach resting turtles slowly and from the side — never from above or directly in front. Turtles regularly surface to breathe; hovering neutrally buoyant and watching them rise and descend is one of the memorable experiences at this site. Morning dives catch turtles actively feeding before they rest.
Sources: Dive and Sea Tahiti - Dive Sites, Eleuthera Tahiti Diving Center, Tahiti Tourisme. Last updated 2026-05-30.
Sea-surface temperature and wave height from Open-Meteo Marine (ERA5 reanalysis, monthly averages).
1668 verified species observations (326 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
- Centropyge flavissima
- Canthigaster solandri
- Scarus psittacus
- Acanthurus xanthopterus
- Balistapus undulatus
- Zebrasoma scopas
- Ostracion cubicum
- Thalassoma hardwicke
- Pterois antennata
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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