Discover Bird Island in Tetiaroa

Published on 25 July 2023

Reading time: 4 min.

French Polynesia is blessed with a wealth of treasures and throughout your voyage you’ll have the chance to visit these little corners of paradise. One of the most prercious of these treasures is Tetiaroa atoll, the private island of Marlon Brando. A veritable jewel in the crown of The Islands of Tahiti.

Weigh anchor and set the course for Tetiaroa. Only 30 miles from Tahiti, the atoll is home to an ornithological reserve on Motu Tahuna. Among many other species, the brown boobies, white terns and red-tailed tropic birds add their touch of color to this tropical paradise.

Land ahoy!

Your catamaran sets off early from the quayside in Papeete. Once you’re out of the pass, breakfast is served and the adventure begins. It’s 2h30 sailing to Tetiaroa and on the way, you’ll have superb views over the Pacific Ocean, with the possibility of meeting up with dolphins, all kinds of fish and even whales in the right season.

There’s no use looking for the pass into the lagoon at Tetiaroa – there isn’t one! Instead, you get into the catamaran’s dinghy and surf over the reef! Once you’re safely on the motu, you must keep your distance from the birds and stay around the edge, because it’s forbidden to cross the motu. Anyway, walking in the water on the soft sand is very pleasant in the heat. When you’ve taken all the photos you want, Tetiaroa is a unparalleled place for swimming and snorkeling. The life beneath the surface of the placid lagoon is as varied and precious as the life in the skies.

Fifteen species identified

Their are both land and sea birds on Tetiaroa and some of them are migrating birds. During your day on the atoll, you’ll be able to spot fifteen different species on this natural, preserved and protected site. From time to time, a flight of them will rise up in a colorful ballet, so keep your camera handy. It would be hard to name anywhere in the world that’s more beautiful than this veritable little corner of paradise. So enjoy swimming and snorkeling in the lagoon, and the fish brochettes that you’ll be served for lunch, and consider yourself privileged to have shared the atoll with the birds for the day.

Discover the bird island of Tetiaroa © Tahiti Fly Shoot

Each and every one of The Islands of Tahiti is unique, with its own history and points of interest for visitors. The best known, Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea and Rangiroa are just the flagships of this paradise of islands. Tetiaroa is a private atoll, purchased by Marlon Brando in 1966 and now home to a luxury hotel, The Brando. You can only visit the atoll by boat and you must reserve in advance, It is sure to be a day that you’ll remember for the rest of your life.

Thematics