Level: Resort nearby
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Last updated on August 21, 2023
Bathed by the turquoise waters of the Bora Bora lagoon, the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort Thalasso Spa is one of the largest hotels on this mythical island. If you stay there, don’t hesitate to wear your mask and snorkel and explore the lagoon. Around the water bungalows and in the “lagoonarium”, you’ll swim with multicolored fish around nice coral patches.
The InterContinental Bora Bora Resort Thalasso Spa is located on Motu Piti Aau, a coral island that borders the eastern side of Bora Bora lagoon. Boat transfers from the airport are organized by the hotel. Only resort guests can access this spot.
Be careful not to confuse this hotel with the InterContinental Bora Bora Le Moana Resort, located on Pointe Matira, south of the main island of Bora Bora.
You can enter the water from the bungalows or from the resort beach, depending on the area you want to snorkel.
You can snorkel in the lagoon area facing the resort, especially around the bungalows. In this area, the depth varies between 3 and 5ft (1-1.5m), with generally no current. The mostly sandy bottoms are punctuated in places with small coral patches, which attract many fish around them.
Near the bridge that leads to the south bungalows, there is a small sheltered lagoon, called the “lagoonarium” (see map above). There is a passageway through the fence leading to it. You can snorkel there but it is forbidden to wear swimfins, in order to avoid breaking the fragile corals. This area hosts a growing coral project and has a lot of fish.
In the lagoon and the lagoonarium, you’ll spot up close a large diversity of reef fish. Several species of butterflyfish, such as the threadfin butterflyfish, the raccoon butterflyfish, and the saddle butterflyfish live around corals.
Parrotfish, surgeonfish, triggerfish, and sergeant majors swim above the sandy bottoms. If you’re lucky, you might also spot one of the spotted eagle rays that sometimes enter the lagoon.
This spot is the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort Thalasso Spa‘s house reef.
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.
