The Ultimate Diving Adventure in French Polynesia: Island Hopping & Magnificent Marine Life

Declared a Marine Mammal Sanctuary in 2002, French Polynesia offers protection to a whopping 16 different species of whales and dolphins. Pull on your fins, don your mask and dive into Moorea's bath-warm waters, whose excellent visibility makes it an ideal place to swim with these beautiful animals. If you happen to be visiting between June and November, you might also spot a mighty humpback whale - truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

After a quick stopover, hop on your connecting one-hour flight to Tikehau, a pretty atoll made up of tiny motus (reef islets formed by broken coral and sand). When you touch down, you'll be transferred by car and speedboat to the postcard-perfect pink-sand motu that will be your home for the next few nights. And, relax…

Diving here centres around two main sites: the marine-rich Tuheiava Pass and a thriving manta cleaning station. As you set off aboard a boat with an expert guide, stop to check for mantas at the cleaning station, before enjoying a two-tank morning dive in the Tuheiva Pass, weaving between huge schools of paddle-snapper, barracuda and grey reef sharks as they glide above beautiful hard coral reefs.

After a morning visiting the island, enjoy a tasty picnic on the pink-sand beach before enjoying another afternoon of snorkelling on the pristine reefs.

When you arrive, you'll be met and privately transferred to your new resort, taking in views over the shimmering turquoise lagoon on your right and the ocean's crashing waves on your left.

Once you've checked in, unpacked and divvied up the sides of the bed, head to the nearby dive centre to plan your diving schedule for the next few days. If you're still raring to go, you could also explore the island by bike; if not, simply enjoy a delicious beachfront dinner before heading to bed, ready for some fresh underwater excitement tomorrow.

One of the main draws of the Tiputa Pass is its dolphins: on almost every dive, you can expect to see a lively pod of common bottlenose dolphins. Add to this schooling grey reef sharks, eagle rays, great hammerheads and, between November and February, white tip, black tip, tiger, silky and silvertip sharks, and you'll soon realise why this site has earned the title of one of the best dive sites in the world.

When you're not diving Tiputa, you could also head out on a trip to Rangiroa's Blue Lagoon, home to pristine white sand, coconut palms and sparkling waters. Then, come evening, enjoy dreamy island sunsets on the beach - preferably with a cocktail in hand.

Spend the rest of the afternoon soaking up this idyllic island before settling in for some ultra-fresh seafood - the next leg of your trip is about to begin.

As with Rangiroa, most of Fakarava's diving takes place in just one pass, but even two days may not be enough to explore this site's magnificent marine life. As you descend into the pass, you'll be met with a jaw-dropping spectacle of over 200 grey reef sharks, circling majestically against the incoming current. Huge Napoleon wrasse cruise behind, while yellow-margin triggerfish crunch away at the reef.

Suitably wowed, finish your dives in the shallows, exploring a perfect hard coral garden swarming with black-tip sharks. Your marine life bucket list will likely need updating after you surface…

Once you've arrived, settle into your new guesthouses and spend the afternoon at the dive centre lining up your dives for the next few days. Then, simply sit back and relax, enjoying a calm evening before another exciting day tomorrow.

The North Pass is one of the largest in the area, and with seven currents at play, diving here is challenging - but extremely rewarding. Just like its southern sister, no two dives here are the same, and you'll be treated to a delightful mix of two-tank morning dives and single-tank afternoon dives.

Along the way, be sure to undertake the Alibaba drift dive, which features schools of fish and grey, white and black-tip sharks darting in and out of the shadows. Hook onto a rock and watch sharks as they swoop down from all angles, shrouded among clouds of paddle snapper.

As evening falls, dry yourself off and soak up the final few evenings under the French Polynesian sun, toasting to a fabulous trip.

After a short stopover in Tahiti - perfect for any last-minute souvenir shopping - it's time to begin the journey home. With another layover in a US hub city, the journey will take just over 23 hours, and because of the time difference, you'll touch down in the UK two days later, ready to regale your friends and family with tales of your diving adventure.