Hatiheu – Nuku Hiva (Marquesas)

Site Overview

Hatiheu is a fascinating dive site on Nuku Hiva's dramatic north coast featuring volcanic boulders that have created complex underwater habitats supporting an impressive diversity of small marine creatures in the remote Marquesas Islands. The volcanic boulder field extends from the base of the towering cliff faces that define this spectacular coastline, creating a labyrinth of rock formations that provide sheltered habitats for numerous species of nudibranchs, lobsters, and other invertebrate organisms that thrive in the shaded spaces between the massive rocks. The nudibranch diversity at Hatiheu is exceptional for the Marquesas, with numerous species of colourful sea slugs crawling across the volcanic rock surfaces in search of their preferred food sponges and bryozoans that colonise the sheltered boulder surfaces. Lobsters of various species inhabit the darker recesses and crevices throughout the boulder field, their long antennae extending into the water column as they sense vibrations from potential food sources in the low-light environments beneath the rocks. Moray eels are abundant throughout the site, occupying favoured crevices with some individuals growing to impressive sizes in this productive and protected boulder habitat. The site is particularly renowned for its excellent night diving opportunities where torch light reveals a completely different ecosystem with active lobsters, hunting octopus, and bioluminescent organisms creating a magical atmosphere among the volcanic boulders.