Exploratory Dive at Haapiti

Today was a Jacques Cousteau kind of day. We went scuba diving in a place where it’s likely no one has been in a long time, or ever.

Haapiti is a popular surf break on the island of Moorea. People don’t go diving at Haapiti. But the healthy reef on the other side of the breaking wave looks like a pretty good dive site to me.

The wave action aerates the water and carves out fun underwater channels that creatures love. We just have to keep our distance from the monster wave. As long as we stay in deep water we should be safe, and can enjoy the rich reef below.

Down we go. It’s an exciting feeling to go underwater and not know what to expect. I always enjoyed technical canyon exploration on land, where you drop into an unknown slot canyon and follow it as far as it goes. This feels a bit similar: the exhilaration of the unknown. We explore until our air runs out, which takes about 50 minutes.

The dive was good. We saw vertical walls covered with eels and anemones, pristine coral, a turtle, a pink pipefish, and schools of other fish.

Love dropping in somewhere new!