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The three archipelagos most sought by visitors are the Society Islands, comprised of Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Huahine, Raiatea and Taha'a; The Tuamotu Atolls or ‘Tahiti's Strand of Pearls', include the atolls of Rangiroa, Manihi, Tikehau, Fakarava; and the Marquesas, or ‘The Mysterious Islands.'
The two other archipelagos, the Austral Islands and the Gambier Islands, lie to the south and the southeast, respectively, of the Society Islands. While very few travelers venture to these remote islands, those that do are not disappointed by the pristine environment.
The Society Islands, considered ‘Paradise on Earth' by savvy travelers, were explored by Captains Cook and Bligh, but they were made truly famous by the paintings of the artist, Paul Gauguin, and by the words of author, James A. Michener.
Divided into the Windward Islands (Iles du Vent), and the Leeward Islands (Iles Sous le Vent) they were given their stylish name by Captain James Cook in 1769, when he named them after England's Royal Society- and Royal islands they certainly are.
Most of these rugged islands are volcanic in origin, with a few small coral atolls mixed in. Of these, the most recognizable names are the legendary islands of Bora Bora, Huahine, Moorea and Tahiti. Bora Bora's fabled blue lagoon, that according to novelist James A. Michener, ‘is so stunning, there are really no adequate words to describe it.'
Most of the islets have bird colonies, the most frequently visited one being Tahuna Iti, a bird island favored by the red-breasted black frigate birds, the phaetons or " straw tails ", brown gannets and other petrels for breeding purposes. The underwater life including the magnificent purple corals of the lagoon are well worth the time to visit.
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