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Coral Barrier Reef in Bora Bora

Aerial view of a section of the coral barrier reef in the island of Bora Bora in French Polynesia.

Surrounding Bora Bora is a colorful, vibrant ...
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Aerial view of a section of the coral barrier reef in the island of Bora Bora in French Polynesia.

Surrounding Bora Bora is a colorful, vibrant reef in such pristine condition that it puts other well-thought of reefs around the world to shame. This reef and its associated sea life are a magnet for snorkelers and scuba divers from across the globe.

Bora Bora has a coral reef of the barrier reef type, meaning it is separate and distinct from the local landmass. If the reef extended from the shoreline, it would be a fringing reef. In the case of Bora Bora, a deep lagoon--sometimes described as the most beautiful lagoon in the world--separates the landmass of the island from the barrier reef. Bora Bora is not an atoll, another common form of coral reef in French Polynesia. Coral heads, or outcroppings of coral, also grow inside the lagoon, but strictly speaking these are not reefs.
(Source: traveltips.usatoday.com)

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