Dive· Nuku Hiva· French Polynesia: Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambier & Australs
Motu Nui Dive Site (Taiohae)
8° 56.2′ S · 140° 6.6′ W · approximate
The islet off the western Sentinelle at the mouth of Taiohae Bay, 10 minutes from the quay, where blocks and scree hold manta cleaning stations, dragon morays and Marquesan endemics.
Practical
Position approx: the OpenStreetMap position of the islet Motu Nui (-8.937225, -140.109241); the dive is on the rock and scree around it, not at a surveyed mooring. Nuku Dive (2026): blocks and rocky scree with cleaning stations visited by rays, blue-lined snapper, mimic goatfish, dragon morays, tulip urchins and endemic species; protected year-round; Level 1 / Open Water; manta cleaning station. One of the most reliable sites when swell closes the outer points.
Best for
An easy, sheltered manta dive close to town
Season
Year-round
Nearby
- Champ Jaune Dive Site (Taiohae)0.9 NM away
- Sentinel Hammerhead Dive Site (Taiohae Entrance)0.9 NM away
- Keikahanui Pearl Lodge (Taiohae)1.1 NM away
- Marquesas Cyclone-Season Refuge (Taiohae)1.1 NM away
- Marquesas Puddle Jump Arrival Season1.1 NM away
- Mokai Bar Happy Hour (Le Nuku Hiva by Pearl Resorts)1.1 NM away
- No-No Sand Flies (Nuku Hiva Beaches)1.1 NM away
- Nuku Hiva Anchorage Quotas and Boater Rules1.1 NM away