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Last updated on October 5, 2024
When planning your trip to French Polynesia, you’ve probably seen these photos of bathers in crystal-clear water, surrounded by sharks and hundreds of butterflyfish. Chances are, these photos were taken at Toopua Shark Sandbank, a sandbar in the Bora Bora lagoon very popular with day-trippers. This spot offers a unique underwater spectacle in less than 3 feet/1 meter of water.
Toopua Shark Sandbank is one of the busiest snorkeling locations in Bora Bora. It is located in the southwestern part of the lagoon, in front of Motu Toopua.
You can visit Toopua Shark Sandbank on day trips, which often include this location in their itinerary. Prices generally range from 15,000 to 18,000 Francs per person (125 to 150 Euros), including lunch. Check with the tour operator to make sure this spot is included in the itinerary.
If you are staying at the Conrad Bora Bora Nui, located at the southern tip of Motu Toopua, you can kayak to the site (approximately 1500 meters).
You will enter the water from your boat (or your kayak). The area is very shallow, less than 3 feet/1 meter.
Toopua Shark Sandbank is located on a sandbar on the back reef of Bora Bora. The water level is low, less than 3 feet/1 meter over the whole area.
The seabed is mostly sandy, with occasional rocks and small corals scattered in the area. The main reason for visiting this location is to observe the many blacktip sharks that live around the sandbar.
Dozens of them can be seen coming and going between the boats. Sometimes, the sharks are accompanied by golden trevally, whose juveniles are known to swim next to large fish or marine mammals.
In addition to the sharks, a few huge whiprays are also present on the sandbar. They often come to meet bathers, as they are used to being fed by some guides.
Around the boats, you’ll also spot large schools of threadfin butterflyfish. The spectacle created by sharks surrounded by these brightly colored fish, in clear turquoise water, is majestic.
Around the scattered rocks and corals, there’s not much to see apart from a few whitetail dascyllus, lagoon triggerfish and gobies.
This spot is located in the open sea. Day trips usually include lunch.
These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
