Kitesurf and Wingfoil expedition to Tetiaroa Atoll

A few months ago, we set up a full-scale expedition to shoot a video aboard the Excess 11 Te Ava, the boat on which we completed a half-tour of the world in 2022 from Vendée to Polynesia.

Leaving Tahiti at dawn, where we shot the first images, we sailed to the sacred atoll of Tetiaroa for a kitesurfing and wingfoil session in the lagoon, before returning to Tahiti the following day after an early-morning shark-hunting trip on the reef.

Tetiaroa is an atoll located some 30 miles north of Tahiti. In pre-European times, it was home to several Marae, sacred sites dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries, some of which include stones from the Cook Islands, proving its Pacific-wide significance. It was also the private resort and ceremonial residence of Tahiti’s royal family, the Pomare.

In 1960, during the filming of “Mutiny on the bounty”, Marlon Brando declared that the atoll was “more gorgeous than anything I had anticipated”. He signed a 99-year lease with the French Polynesian authorities, and regularly came to live on the atoll in virtual self-sufficiency. Today, Tetiaroa is home to a nature reserve, a scientific base and The Brando, one of the world’s most exclusive hotels.

Tetiaroa is a sanctuary for Pacific seabirds and sea turtles. With no pass, the atoll is inaccessible to large boats, which can only anchor outside along the recital reef. So any visit to Tetiaroa is a true adventure in a timeless place of bewitching beauty. The marine fauna is breathtaking, both inside the lagoon and outside along the reef where sharks patrol, as in our photo.

Many thanks to the whole team:

Raiarii Fadier from Tahiti Fly Experience, Hereiti and Manutea Monnier from Herevai Charter, Mô Chauvin from Sail Tahiti, Mathilde Zampieri from Nevermind Films, Will Kremer from Will Menuserie

To discover Polynesia off the beaten track, choose a charter with Sail Tahiti or our partner Herevai Charter. We’ve created tailor-made itineraries to suit every taste: Tetiaroa atoll kitesurfing, adventure, water sports, cultural discoveries, scuba diving…