As I snorkeled in the turquoise lagoon off the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia, I marveled at the colorful swirl of life before me. A pair of eagle rays glided past. An immense ball of bait attracted jacks, barracuda and reeftip sharks. Butterfly fish and unicorn fish darted inches from my mask, gathering around bright coral baumies.
The waters around French Polynesia’s 118 islands and atolls are my favorite place to explore underwater. This is because the country has done an admirable job of protecting its marine resources, including banning seabed exploitation and shark fishing, as well as creating Marine Protected Areas rooted in local Indigenous knowledge.
