The Coral Gardens sit at the northern end of Bora Bora's lagoon, where the water is shallower than in the main channel and the coral coverage is among the densest and healthiest in French Polynesia. Hard corals — staghorn, brain, table — spread across the lagoon floor in formations that have been growing for centuries, hosting an extraordinary density of reef fish: parrotfish, triggerfish, Moorish idols, butterflyfish, and occasional Napoleon wrasse.
The site is best reached by snorkel from a boat, as the corals are spread over a large area and the interesting formations are not all directly accessible from the surface. Most reputable lagoon tour operators include the Coral Gardens as a snorkelling stop. Scuba divers visiting the outside of the reef near this section of the lagoon can access wall dives with large schools of pelagic fish and occasional manta ray sightings. Visibility is typically 25–35 metres.