Sharks, Dolphins & Manta Rays: Diving with Big Fish in French Polynesia

After hearty breakfasts, you'll be collected and whisked off to a nearby dive centre for two days of incredible diving. Along the way, you'll have the chance to stop by some pretty incredible sites, including Tapu, set within the Teavanui Pass. Here, catch your first glimpse of French Polynesia's pelagic pedigree, with blacktip and lemon sharks gliding past.

After more marine life? Stop by the island of Toopua, where a school of eagle rays hover over the sand, or head to Anau, a manta cleaning station where rays swoop into a colourful coral garden to be cleaned by small cleaner wrasses.

After days of underwater explorations, head back to dry land for relaxing evenings filled with ultra-fresh seafood, ice-cold sundowners and lively discussions about all of the big fish you spotted during your dives.

In between Instagram-worthy shots, spend your day however you please. Lounge by the pool, dive in (sorry) to your holiday read or cool off in the salty waves before heading into the village for a tasty evening meal - our clued-up Concierge is on hand to recommend some hidden gems.

Made up of almost 80 low-lying, coralline islands and atolls, the Tuamotus form the biggest chain of atolls in the world, and their natural passes make for incredibly exhilarating dives.

After you've arrived, it's a quick private transfer to your hotel, your home for the next four nights. Check in and spend some time settling in before heading to the deck for a tipple overlooking Rangiroa's lagoon. Pure bliss.

Each morning, you'll be collected and whisked to the dive centre, where you'll spend the day hopping between passes. We'd recommend opting for multiple dives at Tiputa - the changing currents here mean every one offers something a little different.

As you're steered through the pass by the current, keep your eyes peeled for an abundance of sharks, including schooling grey reef sharks, great hammerheads and tiger sharks, along with Napoleon wrasse, barracuda and turtle rays.

Tiputa is also home to a pod of common bottlenose dolphins, who often swim alongside divers. One day, why not take a break from the water and cycle or walk to the pass, so you can watch the dolphins dip and dive through the waves from above?

Then, after lunch, it's back to Tiputa for one last dive - we couldn't leave those dolphins to their own devices for too long…

Check in for three nights at a cosy guesthouse and spend the rest of the day unwinding in this remote paradise - perhaps with an ice-cold drink and a tasty dinner.

You have the next two days to dive the Tetamanu Pass with another expert dive team. Unlike Rangiroa's pass, the current here tends to be minimal, so you can float through the crystalline water and enjoy the marine spectacle without being whisked away too quickly. The main characters here are the schools of grey reef sharks that circle in the gentle current - often over 200 at a time - as well as the abundance of larger reef fish, which have been able to reach such sizes due to the protection of the atoll.

When you're not submerged, ease into the slower pace of life in this remote corner of the world, with long stints topping up your tan or watching the sunset on the beach.

Once you've arrived, the rest of the day is yours for the taking. Come evening, be sure to enjoy an ice-cold beverage overlooking the lagoon, listening to the lapping of the waves and looking forward to your last two days of diving in French Polynesia.

Alongside another friendly dive team, mask up and head into the pass, which is best done on the incoming tide. Depending on the moon cycle, currents can be extremely strong, so prepare to be whisked through the water, watching schools of grey reef sharks swim effortlessly against the current, paddle snappers fighting to stay in the same spot and black and whitetip sharks patrolling above and below.

If you fancy a dive on the outgoing tide, you're in luck: the outside of the pass is also a top-notch site, teeming with cute baby reef sharks and spectacular coral formations.

uck into tasty fish and chips at local spots and swap stories about your best diving moments with your new buddies.

For a taste of local culture, head to the Havaiki Lodge pearl farm, the oldest operating pearl farm in Fakarava. Here, you can learn all about the history of Tahitian pearl cultivation, processing and grafting before tucking into a tasty spread of oysters with a squeeze of fresh lemon. You can even enter the local pearl lottery for the chance to win one of these gleaming gems - now that's an authentic souvenir.

Come evening, contact your local Concierge for a restaurant recommendation - they'll know just the place to toast to your travels.

Once you've landed in Papeete, you'll have a few hours in the lounge before boarding your overnight flight home. With another quick stopover in a hub airport, the journey will take around 24 hours, and thanks to the time difference, you'll touch down in the UK two days later, ready to regale your friends and family with stories of your world-class diving experiences in French Polynesia.