Dive Review of TOPdive/Big Fish Expeditions in
French Polynesia/Nuku Hiva & Rangiroa

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TOPdive/Big Fish Expeditions: "French Polynesia - Nuku Hiva & Rangiroa - EPIC!", Feb, 2015, by Gregg Backemeyer, FL, US ( Sr. Reviewer 9 reports with 7 Helpful votes). Report 8402.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	This was a two-part trip of a lifetime with the first week on our own and the second week a guided expedition with Andy Murch of Big Fish Expeditions. Everyone flies into Papeete on the island of Tahiti in the Society Islands. We immediately headed over to Rangiroa in the Tuamotu Islands archipelago and did our diving with TopDive. Shooting the passes are the rush dives and it is exhilirating to say the least. Lots of big pelagic animals and schooling fish. It's hard to explain the experience other than to say you will be mind blown. We would have loved to get over to Fakarava in the same island chain while so close but, alas, that would have taken more days and deco time. We then flew back to Papeete and hooked up with Andy Murch of Big Fish Expeditions and the rest of the team and headed to Nuku Hiva. Then the trip really became awesome. I believe he titles the expedition the MELONHEADED WHALES OF NUKU HIVA or something like that. This expedition to Nuku Hiva with Andy Murch of can be summed up in one word - EPIC. If you are considering a trip with Andy I suggest you just go ahead and place your deposit - then you will be committed to a trip of a lifetime. Not only is Andy an experienced and safety-first leader, he is one of the nicest and most caring men I have had the pleasure of spending a week with. I’m not sure how many trips and weeks he is on the road but the obvious pleasure he still derives from the experience is infectious. Clearly he loves what he does and he does it well. I think his destinations speak for themselves. He is hooked up with a dive operator on the island - Frenchman, of course - who has lived there for many years and knows the area like nobody else. In fact, I don't think you can pull this off without Andy and his connections. To swim (snorkel) with these unique dolphins in the mornings was an experience I will never forget. We then put on the dive gear after the swim and hit reef sites in search of Scalloped Hammerheads which we did! They are shy but we got lots of video/pics. There is so much life in these waters...it is almost unreal. Just a note...none of this diving is for the beginner. I recommend a large SMB and I personally carry a radio. The current and swells can be the real deal. We had one diver NOT follow the plan and she was almost lost out to sea through no fault of anyone but herself. We plucked her out of the water after a 50 minute search that was quickly coming to a close. The next step would have been to contact the Coast Guard. We then headed back to Papeete after our week on Nuku Hiva and spent another 1.5 days off gassing. I highly recommend taking the ferry over to Mo'orea and doing the ATV 3 hour tour. We used Albert Tours and they were great and we were told the best operator. We also hit a very nice public beach to swim and snorkel. You can easily grab a cab to get around the island to and from the ferry terminal. We used an old guy who was born and raised on Mo'orea who provided colorful history and information. I only wore my LavaCore but my dive buddy, who gets cold, wore a 5mm and was fine. If you are going to French Polynesia get ready for an awesome trip but plan in advance. Oh, don't forget to bring plenty of money.
Websites	TOPdive Big Fish Expeditions
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Revillagigedo (Socorro) Islands, Windward/Leeward Islands, ABC Islands, Mexico (numerous locations), Panama, Hawaii, Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Honduras, South Florida and more
Closest Airport	Papeete, Tahiti	Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, cloudy, dry	Seas	calm, choppy, surge, currents
Water Temp	75-85°F / 24-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness	2
Water Visibility	40-85 Ft/ 12-26 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Max depth with Nitrox, safety equipment on each diver
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	Squadrons
Dolphins	Schools	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	The is French Polynesia - not your friendly neighborhood valet service stuff for spoiled divers. Nevertheless we had lots of photo gear and had no problems.

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Dive Review of TOPdive/Big Fish Expeditions in French Polynesia/Nuku Hiva & Rangiroa

TOPdive/Big Fish Expeditions: "French Polynesia - Nuku Hiva & Rangiroa - EPIC!", Feb, 2015,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of TOPdive/Big Fish Expeditions in
French Polynesia/Nuku Hiva & Rangiroa