Huahine · French Polynesia · Cave & cavern · Wall
Les Arches
Light falls through crevices into a cave beyond a stone arch
A descent through a stone arch into a large cave where shafts of daylight fall through cracks in the rock. Beyond the caves the route reaches the foot of a drop-off at 40 m, so the dive, which spans 6 to 40 m, is kept for divers with a good level of experience.
Also known as The Arches, Arches.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Huahine and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
Divers drop from 6 m to 30 m and reach a stone arch, then swim beneath it. On the far side the route enters a large cave lit by rays of light that come in through crevices in the rock. A second cave opens off the first, home to hatchetfish and goatfish.
Leaving the caves at 40 m, divers come out at the foot of a drop-off and follow it to a rock porch. On the way back to the boat, two more arches stand at 30 m.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Huahine: Humpback whales are counted from August to October; July and August are slightly drier, and the water stays warm all year.
Sources
- Les Arches – Mahana Yoga Dive — Mahana Yoga Dive
- Diving Huahine — Divingaway
More dive sites in Huahine
Channel & pass
Adult grey reef sharks breed in the swell-driven current
Coral garden
Yellow goatfish and paddletail snappers over a coral garden
Wall
A shallow-topped wall used for Huahine's training dives
Schools of bigeye trevally along the pass's south reef
Similar dives elsewhere
Cave & cavern
Pearlman Tunnel
Rota · Northern Mariana Islands
A tunnel that climbs from the drop-off to open water near the surface
A swim-through in a vertical wall, open at both ends
A chimney and cavern that exit onto the trench ridge at 60 m
Advanced only: an underwater chimney down to the fireplace