Temae Beach / To'atea

Temae Beach, widely considered one of Moorea's most beautiful public beaches, offers an exceptional snorkeling experience right from its shoreline. The expansive, white-sand beach and stunning turquoise waters provide a perfect entry point for exploring a thriving underwater world.

The snorkeling at Temae is renowned for its incredible clarity and abundance of marine life. Just a short swim from the beach, you'll discover scattered coral formations that are home to a vibrant ecosystem. Swimmers can expect to see a wide variety of colorful reef fish, including surgeonfish, butterflyfish, and parrotfish. Lucky snorkelers might also spot peaceful stingrays, small blacktip reef sharks, or even the occasional sea turtle.

A popular and highly recommended approach is to drift snorkel. Due to a gentle but consistent current that flows from north to south, many people enter the water on the northern end of the beach and allow the current to carry them along the reef, exiting near the Sofitel resort at the southern end. This allows for an effortless and immersive journey through the diverse coral patches and schools of fish. While the current is generally mild, it's a good idea for less confident swimmers to stay in the shallower areas closer to the shore.

Observe the water and you can see the corals are the darker patch of the sea. Lots of fishes there.