Diving With Sharks on Tikehau, French Polynesia

When Denis Grosmaire free dives with 14-foot tiger sharks, his worries about life back on land fade away.

"I am completely connected with the shark, and I'm completely in the present moment,” said the owner of Tikehau Ocean Tour. “And, personally, it’s a lesson in humility and respect.”

Free diving and spearfishing since he was 6 years old, Grosmaire first started exploring the oceans around the tiny French Polynesian atoll of Tikehau back in 2001, when his mother began teaching at the small school there.

"All my holidays were spent in Tikehau,” he said.

Grosmaire fell hopelessly in love with the South Pacific paradise during those frequent vacations, and three years ago, he decided to call the destination home. He launched Tikehau Ocean Tour not long after, helping visitors explore some of the atoll’s most extraordinary underwater attractions and marine life.

Snorkeling, Free Diving, Surfing and More on a Tikehau Tour

During my visit last year to Tikehau, which is a one-hour flight north of Papeete on Tahiti, Grosmaire took me out surfing and helped me snorkel close to all sorts of mesmerizingly graceful manta rays. I also free dove with black-tip reef sharks, watched dolphins play and was astonished by how long a well-trained spear fisherman can hold his breath underwater.

Sadly, the conditions weren’t quite right for me to join Grosmaire on a dive with tiger sharks during our private tour together, but the longtime conservationist takes visitors out to meet the beautiful ocean predators pretty regularly.

"When I bring clients swimming with tiger sharks, it's a game changer for them,” Grosmaire said of the reactions he typically sees. “And my goal is to show people that we can coexist — that they are not bloodthirsty animals.”

Getting to Know Tikehau's Sharks

Grosmaire’s passion for protecting these creatures is obvious. In 2005, he helped launch the Association Tore Tore conservation group, which worked in conjunction with government officials to create a shark sanctuary in French Polynesia.

He was also quick to mention the increasing number of endangered sharks — an appalling number of the important apex predators are killed each year for shark fin soup. Grosmaire told me he has even named many of Tikehau’s tiger sharks (Victoria and Anna, for example), and he said he thinks of them like family members. In fact, during the worst of the pandemic, when French Polynesia was largely shut down, Grosmaire would spend entire days free diving with tiger sharks. 

“For me, it's just an amazing moment of connection with this animal — trying to understand them, trying to communicate with them, trying to see their mood,” he said. “And after all this time, I recognize different details of their personalities.”

There is, however, much more to an excursion with Grosmaire than simply tiger shark personalities. The chance to explore Tikehau’s underwater majesty is certainly part of all his half- and full-day tours, but there’s time above the surface, too. Grosmaire picks up clients at their accommodations and, along with the terrific snorkeling, guests are treated to a boat tour of the atoll’s gorgeous exterior shorelines. Full-day participants get to partake in a beach barbecue with freshly caught fish on a private motu (small island) — beer and wine included.

"If they want, clients can come in the water to see me spearfish,” Grosmaire said. “And boom, I’ll catch one parrotfish, or one jack, and we go for the barbecue. For most of them, it's their first time to see any of this.”

Where to Stay: Le Tikehau by Pearl Resorts

Vacationers looking for a comfortable place to unwind after a day swimming with manta rays and reef sharks will find that and much more at Le Tikehau by Pearl Resorts. Located on the atoll’s southeastern corner, the high-end property is home to 24 overwater suites and bungalows, 12 beach bungalows and a luxury beach villa outfitted with its own private pool.

RELATED: Review: Le Tikehau by Pearl Resorts

The resort is a wonderful escape for couples and honeymooners, featuring an array of services at Tavai Spa, and excellent Polynesian-European fare at Poreho Restaurant. Strolling along Le Tikehau’s pink-sand beach for my visit’s fiery sunsets was definitely a highlight, but snorkeling each morning with little reef sharks right off the lanai of my overwater bungalow was absolutely unforgettable.

And meeting Grosmaire at Le Tikehau’s boat dock for our snorkeling and surfing excursions could not have been easier.

“The idea is to share what I know in Tikehau,” he said. “Clients are experiencing every aspect of my life here — free diving, spearfishing, surfing. And even on days when I’m not working, I still like to take my mom to the private motu for barbecues.”