Bora Bora Island

In the center of the island are the remnants of an extinct volcano rising to two peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu, the highest point at 727 meters. It is part of the commune of Bora-Bora, which also includes the atoll of Tūpai.

During your Bora Bora travel, you will encounter a burgeoning wildlife population that is unlike any other.

Bora Bora is a dormant volcano, which means that it rose out of the middle of the ocean millenniums ago and all of its wildlife has migrated to the island over the past few centuries.

The few mammals that inhabit the island were brought over on ships by early inhabitants, including Bora Bora’s healthy dog population. Most of the dogs do not have owners but roam the streets and coexist peacefully with the people and tourists on the island.

There is a large number of exotic bird species, which the government of Polynesia has put protection on to ensure their healthy future.

Bora Bora has an incredible variety of marine life. Crabs roam the shores of the island while sea turtles, dolphins, and humpback whales tour the seas. It is claimed that there are nearly 500 different species of fish swimming around the Tahitian islands.

Bora Bora is exceptional in that it hosts the perfect conditions for a variety of manta rays to flourish. Snorkelers and scuba divers can easily spot the Gray ray and can even pet the species during the feeding.

Deep-sea fishing is a popular attraction on Bora Bora. With a wide variety and an abundance of fish that live off the island, anglers are rarely disappointed. Fishing trips usually yield Marlin, Yellowfin tuna, sailfish, wahoo, and mahi-mahi in great size and numbers.

As of 2017, the Bora Bora group has a permanent population of 10,605.

The main languages in Bora Bora are French and Tahitian, but you’ll find that many people also speak English, especially resort employees. French Polynesians move at a relaxed pace.

In ancient times the island was called “Pora pora mai te pora”, meaning “created by the gods” in the local Tahitian dialect. This was often abbreviated Pora Pora meaning simply firstborn.

Because of ambiguities in the phonemes of the Tahitian language, this could also be pronounced Bola Bola or Bora Bora. When explorer Jakob Roggeveen first landed on the island, he and his crew adopted the name Bora Bora which has stood ever since.

The island was inhabited by Polynesian settlers around the 4th-century C.E.

The first European sighting was made by Jakob Roggeveen in 1722.
James Cook sighted the island in 1770 and landed that same year.

The London Missionary Society arrived in 1820 and founded a Protestant church in 1890.

Bora Bora was an independent kingdom until 1888 when its last queen Teriimaevarua III was forced to abdicate by the French who annexed the island as a colony.

World War II

In World War II the United States chose Bora Bora as a South Pacific military supply base, and an oil depot, airstrip, seaplane base, and defensive fortifications were constructed.

Known as “Operation Bobcat”, it maintained a supply force of nine ships, 20,000 tons of equipment, and nearly 7,000 men. Seven artillery guns were set up at strategic points around the island to protect it against potential military attacks.

At least eight 7″/44 caliber guns, operated by elements of the 13th Coast Artillery Regiment (later the 276th Coast Artillery Battalion), were set up at strategic points around the island to protect it against potential military attack. Eight of these guns remain in the area.

However, the island saw no combat as the American presence on Bora Bora went uncontested over the course of the war. The base was officially closed on June 2, 1946.

The World War II airstrip, which was never able to accommodate large aircraft, was French Polynesia’s only international airport until Faa’a International Airport was opened in Papeete, Tahiti, in 1960.

Today the island’s economy is driven almost solely by tourism. Over the last few years several resorts have been built on motu (small islands, from Tahitian) surrounding the lagoon.

Hotel Bora Bora opened in 1961, and nine years later built the first over-the-water bungalows on stilts over the lagoon.

Today, over-water bungalows are a standard feature of most Bora Bora resorts. The quality of those bungalows ranges from comparably cheap, basic accommodations to very luxurious and expensive places to stay.

The island’s economy is driven almost solely by tourism. Several resorts have been built on motu (small islands, from Tahitian) surrounding the lagoon.

Hotel Bora Bora opened in 1961, and nine years later built the first over-the-water bungalows on stilts over the lagoon. Today, over-water bungalows are a standard feature of most Bora Bora resorts. The quality of those bungalows ranges from comparably cheap, basic accommodations to very luxurious and expensive.

Most of the tourist destinations are aqua-centric; however, it is possible to visit attractions on land such as WWII cannons.

Snorkeling and scuba diving in and around the lagoon of Bora Bora are popular activities.

Many species of sharks and rays inhabit the surrounding body of water. There are a few dive operators on the island offering manta ray dives and also shark-feeding dives. Sharks living in the island’s lagoon are not considered to be dangerous to people.

In addition to the existing islands of Bora Bora, the new manmade island of Motu Marfo has been added in the northeastern corner of the lagoon on the property of the St. Regis Resort.

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The best times to go to Bora Bora are November and April. These short-shoulder seasons offer fine weather with temperatures from 22°C to 27°C.

The high season runs from May to October when rain showers are isolated and the number of tourists swells.
The low season stretches from December to March when the weather is wet and visitors become mosquito bait.

But really anytime is a good time to visit Bora Bora, since the weather is warm year-round.

The island is served by Bora Bora Airport on Motu Mute in the north, with Air Tahiti providing daily flights to and from Papeete on Tahiti.

Air Tahiti has five or six flights daily to the Bora Bora Airport on Motu Mute from Tahiti (as well as from other islands).

Public transport on the island is nonexistent so rental cars and bicycles are the recommended methods of transport.

There are also small, two-seater buggies for hire in Vaitape.

It is possible to rent a motorboat to explore the lagoon.

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