Vallée des requins
17.5422°S 149.6194°W · reef
Vallée des Requins (“Valley of the Sharks”) is a reef dive site in the outer reef waters of Moorea, French Polynesia, historically one of the island’s most popular shark-focused dive destinations. The site was long-known for reliable lemon shark encounters when shark feeding was practised; following a French Polynesia-wide ban on shark feeding implemented in 2017, lemon shark sightings have become less predictable, though the site continues to attract multiple shark species and diverse reef life.
Overview
The site lies within Moorea’s outer reef system, where valley and ridge formations in the reef slope create natural channels and gathering points for both resident reef sharks and transient pelagic species. Moorea hosts an exceptionally large population of lemon sharks (Negaprion brevirostris) that can exceed 3 metres in length, and multiple individuals have historically been documented at this site. The site is accessible from Open Water certification level (N1 equivalent) and sits at a maximum depth of approximately 20 metres.
Marine Life
Blacktip reef sharks are consistently present. Lemon sharks — Moorea’s signature species — have been recorded at the site and, while less reliable post-feeding-ban, remain possible encounters. Grey reef sharks and whitetip reef sharks are also present in the outer reef system. Typical Moorea reef fish — unicornfish, triggerfish, groupers, and parrotfish — inhabit the valley coral formations. At least four shark species — blacktip, whitetip, grey reef, and lemon — are commonly sighted on outer-reef Moorea dives.
Dive Profile
Maximum depth approximately 20 metres. The valley formations create a varied topography at accessible depths for beginner-level divers. Boat dive from Moorea dive operators. Conditions are typically calm in the protected lagoon approach; outer reef exposure depends on current and swell direction.
Tips and Recommendations
- Lemon shark encounters are now unpredictable since the 2017 feeding ban — do not specifically expect them
- Visit early morning when shark activity is typically higher
- Multiple operators run this site; compare briefings before booking as shark behaviour has changed since the feeding ban
Site Information
- Location: Moorea, Society Islands, French Polynesia
- Entry Type: Boat dive
- Site Type: Reef
- Difficulty Level: Beginner
- Maximum Depth: 20 meters
Additional Resources
- Last Updated: 2026-05-17
Sources: Moorea Blue Diving – Shark Observatory, DiveOtion – Scuba Diving in Moorea, PADI – Top Dive Sites in Moorea. Last updated 2026-05-17.
Sea-surface temperature and wave height from Open-Meteo Marine (ERA5 reanalysis, monthly averages).
1882 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.
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