Bora Bora’s glorious turquoise blue lagoon really is the star of the show and if you’re planning a trip there, you’ll likely spend a lot of your time in it.
That’s why I’ve put together this ultimate guide on how deep the water is in Bora Bora’s lagoon.
It also includes how deep the water is around the overwater bungalows at various different resorts (I actually emailed every single resort to make sure all the info is correct!).
How Deep is the Water in Bora Bora?
The deepest part of Bora Bora’s lagoon is around 100ft to 150ft deep however the majority of the lagoon is no more than 5ft to 15ft deep.
Bora Bora’s lagoon is easily accessed from all over the island whether you’re staying on the main island or on a private island resort.
I found that the waters closest to the shore were super shallow and as you venture out further into the lagoon, it gets deeper gradually but there were no sharp drops close to the shore.
If you venture out of the lagoon and into the ocean then you’ll find that the water gets very deep rapidly.
Once you get past the barrier reefs which surround Bora Bora and into the ocean, depths of 5,000 feet are common but you wouldn’t be able to get this far without a boat.
It’s usually only certified divers who head out into these parts of the ocean. You definitely shouldn’t head out here on your own.
Overwater Bungalows Depth
The depth of the water around your overwater bungalow will vary depending on which hotel you stay at and which bungalow you choose.
The water around the overwater bungalows ranges between 3ft and 16ft deep.
In the shallowest villas, the water is around waist deep so you will be able to stand up in the water at these overwater bungalows.
This means that you’re not able to dive into the water from your bungalow but you can gently climb down the steps which lead into the water.
You can then swim or go snorkeling and explore the coral gardens which surround your overwater bungalow.
If you stay in one of the deeper overwater bungalows then you’ll have much more freedom and can easily jump straight into the lagoon from your deck.
In general, I found that the bungalows at the end of the pontoons were the deepest as they tend to be located further out into the lagoon.
As these can reach up to 16ft deep, you should be a confident swimmer to stay in one of these.
💡Tip: If you’re looking for a shallower overwater bungalow, make sure you put in a request when you book your room.
Specific Resorts
Below I go into detail on exactly how deep the water is at various different popular resorts in Bora Bora.
I actually contacted all of the resorts below to ask them how deep the water is surrounding the overwater bungalows to ensure all of the information is super accurate.
Here’s a comparison chart of the water depths at the different resorts:
As you can see, some resorts have a wide range of villas at different depths whereas others have less choice.
- InterContinental Le Moana has the shallowest overwater villas (their deepest is only 5ft).
- Conrad Bora Bora Nui and the Four Seasons resort have the deepest overwater bungalows (reaching up to 16ft).
- Four Seasons has the biggest range of depths to choose from (their shallowest is 3ft and deepest is 16ft).
How Deep Is The Water At St Regis Bora Bora?
At the St Regis Bora Bora resort, the water surrounding the overwater villas is around 10 feet.
The water may be slightly shallower in villas closer to the shore but the depth doesn’t really vary much between the villas.
I asked St Regis specifically how deep their overwater bungalows were and was told ‘the depth of the water around our villa over the water is around 3 meters more or less’.
(3 meters = 10 feet).
I actually stayed at the St Regis when I was in Bora Bora and found that the 10ft depth was ideal.
It was deep enough to do some snorkeling but not so deep that you felt like you were far out at sea.
How Deep Is The Water At Four Seasons Bora Bora?
At the Four Seasons Bora Bora resort, the water is between 3ft and 16ft deep depending on which overwater bungalow you stay in.
The overwater bungalows closest to the beach have a depth of 3ft. The depth increases as you go further along the pontoon with the bungalows at the end of the pontoon being the deepest.
The deepest overwater bungalows right at the end of the pontoon are between 13ft and 16ft deep.
The Four Seasons resort also told me that you can contact them after you’ve booked a room to ask them to assign a bungalow that suits your preference in terms of depth.
I also spent a few nights at the Four Seasons and I’d estimate that my bungalow had a depth of around 8ft.
How Deep Is The Water At InterContinental Thalasso?
At the InterContinental Thalasso resort, the water is between 3ft and 15ft deep depending on which overwater bungalow you stay in.
The deepest overwater bungalows can be found at the end of the pontoons and are in the Diamond category.
A bonus is that the Diamond overwater bungalows also have the best views and more privacy than other bungalows at this property.
How Deep Is The Water At Conrad Bora Bora Nui?
At the Conrad Bora Bora Nui resort, the water is between 7ft and 16ft deep depending on which overwater bungalow you stay in.
Conrad sent me a map of their resort showing that some of their standard overwater villas and a couple of their pool overwater villas which lie closest to the shore have a depth of 7ft.
The depth increases as you move further out into the lagoon with the deepest overwater villas reaching up to 16ft deep.
How Deep Is The Water At InterContinental Le Moana?
At InterContinental Le Moana, the water is between 3ft and 5ft deep depending on which overwater bungalow you stay in.
These are the shallowest overwater bungalows that you’ll find in Bora Bora.
Le Moana told me that they don’t have big differences in depth between their overwater bungalows as most are close to the shore.
The water only ranges from around knee deep (3ft) to around chest deep (5ft).
The deepest overwater bungalows, which you’ll find at the end of the pontoon, are around 5ft deep.
Still unsure? I wrote a whole guide where I compared all of Bora Bora’s best overwater bungalows to help you decide which is best for you.
Is it Safe to Swim in Bora Bora?
I spent a lot of my time swimming in the lagoon whilst I was in Bora Bora and felt completely safe.
It’s worth noting that you may not always be alone in the waters here. Bora Bora has a huge amount of coral which means you’ll often find tropical fish, rays and sometimes even small reef sharks.
Don’t worry, the sharks are actually super friendly and these types of sharks don’t want to munch on humans.
I actually wrote an entire post all about swimming with sharks in Bora Bora for more information.
Snorkeling in Bora Bora is one of the best and most rewarding activities so make sure you grab your snorkeling gear and head out into the lagoon for an adventure like no other.
And that’s it!
Thanks so much for reading this post all about how deep the water is in Bora Bora.
I couldn’t find much information on this topic when I was looking which is why I contacted all the major Bora Bora resorts to find out and put together this ultimate guide.
Need more help planning your Bora Bora vacation?
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