As we celebrate World Ocean Day on June 8, it’s time to reflect on how we can all take sustainable action to protect our oceans. Here, we look at some of the positive actions taking place in three majestic tropical destinations: The Islands of Tahiti, New Caledonia and The Maldives. We also look at the glorious beauty they behold and how you can reconnect with nature at these destinations.

Swim with humpbacks in The Islands of Tahiti

Tahitians have a masterful, reverential and respectful relationship with our ocean The crystal-clear and even-temperature waters of the Islands of Tahiti offer the ultimate conditions for underwater exploring and there’s a combination of canyons, caverns and coral beds teeming with fish of all shapes and sizes.  

Those who want to take it a step further and dive in the destination will be spoiled for choice when it comes to dramatic underwater views. Regular encounters include manta rays, schools of dolphins and majestic humpback whales. A giant pristine coral reef of rose-shaped corals was recently discovered off the coast of the Islands of Tahiti. The reef is thought to be one of the largest found at such depths and is seemingly untouched by climate change or human activities. The newfound reef, as big as 3 kilometres was discovered and studied late last year during a dive expedition supported by UNESCO. It is a remarkable discovery and provides an important insight into ocean biodiversity. 

The coral reefs surrounding the 118 islands in French Polynesia are crucial to the protection of the islands and there are several ocean heroes located in the island of Tahiti making it their mission to rebuild and protect the reefs. 

The Coral Gardeners located on the island of Moorea has made it their mission to plant 1 million baby corals before 2025, with the help of a digital coral adoption program as well as direct donations. Resorts such as the Manava Moorea Resort also assist in spreading awareness around coral health with a coral garden at the property and grafting workshops for guests to learn more about how vital it is to protect the reefs.

Explore the world’s longest continuous reef and the diversity of the UNESCO listed lagoon in New Caledonia

This little French slice of paradise is a gem to preserve and the UNESCO-protected lagoon is the largest in the world, which has a wide range of underwater creatures that must be protected at all costs. New Caledonia’s lagoon and reefs are some of the most diverse in the world with healthy populations of sharks, fish, turtles, whales and dugongs (the world’s third-largest population lives here) and there are over 30 marine and island reserves aiming to protect the precious destination from overfishing and pollution. 

The waters of New Caledonia offer unique ways to explore the world under the surface which includes following an underwater path at Ilot Canard (Duck Island), swimming with turtles in the depths off the coast of the Amédée Island, exploring the lagoon of Poé in a glass-bottom boat, the waters off Hienghène or the Loyalty Islands, or wherever you are, you can snorkel and be amazed by the teeming of life down below. 

Swim with the largest known population of manta rays in the Maldives

There are many things that the Maldives are known for – pristine white sand, clear turquoise waters, and rows of overwater villas with direct access to a stunning underwater world. But there’s one other thing that travellers simply can’t miss when holidaying in the Maldives – swimming with manta rays. To protect this huge population of manta rays, the Manta Trust has established a Maldivian Manta Ray Project which is one of the largest and longest-standing manta conservation groups in the world. 

Known as one of the best places on the planet to see and swim with these gentle giants of the deep, the Maldives is home to an estimated 5,000 mantas – making it the largest known population of reef manta rays in the world. Migrating across the country’s 26 atolls with the changing monsoons, mantas can be spotted in many places including key sites such as Hanifaru Bay in Baa Atoll, which is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the Maldives. Between May and December, hundreds of manta rays and whale sharks gather here while feeding in the bay.

The following islands are some of the best spots where you see these magnificent creatures: 

• Ari Atoll – although the manta rays follow a seasonal migratory pattern, they are found in these waters year-round. Between November and April, there is a greater presence on the western side of the atoll, and between May and October, they move over to the eastern side. 
• Baa Atoll – Hanifaru Bay is famous for its congregation of manta rays because of the high concentration of plankton in the bay. Travellers can snorkel in the waters while being surrounded by hundreds of manta rays and because the rays are friendly and curious they will not be afraid to come up close