Bird's Eye Views of the South Pacific

Prepare to be blown away by this stunning aerial tour of some of the most famous islands in the South Pacific, compliments of top AirVuz contributor and pilot Jus Medic.  The video covers three of the Society Islands in French Polynesia:  Bora Bora, Taha'a, Moorea and Tahiti.  Bora Bora (which is actually a group of islands) and Taha'a are part of the Leeward Islands, as the western part of the Society Islands is known.  Mo'orea and Tahiti (the largest of the Society Isalands) are both part of the Windward (eastern) islands.

Check out these fantastic aerial views of French Polynesia, compliments of AirVuz contributor and professional drone pilot Tom Winchester.  The reel features footage from both gimbal-stabilized drones as well as first person view (FPV) drones.  At the 1:38 mark, there's a great shot of a traditional dance retinue, and starting at 1:55 there's a series of FPV shots along sharp mountain ridges.  Then it's on to some outstanding action shots, including a view (at the 2:40 mark) of a giant canoe race.   

New Caledonia is a French territory in the South Pacific. Dozens of islands make us the region that is known for a massive barrier reef that surround the main island, its scuba diving, beautiful beaches, and marine-life-rick lagoon. Between May and September, surfing is one of the major attractions in the area due to the massive swells that are generated off the southern ocean lows. Drone pilot martins_nc is giving us an aerial view of the brave surfers who risk it all trying to catch the perfect wave. 

Prepare to be amazed by this stunning drone video of French Polynesia.  They cover a vast area of the South Pacific, in the region of Polynesia, which is the easternmost of the three main South Pacific regions (the others being Melanesia and Micronesia).  French Polynesia includes some of the most well known islands in the entire South Pacific region, including Tahiti and Bora Bora.  Watch the video and you'll see why French Polynesia is considered some of the best sailing waters in the world.  

Mo'orea is a triangle-shaped island located just 17 km (around 11 mi.) northwest of Tahiti.  Like its neighbor, it's part of French Polynesia, a vast French overseas collectivity which consists of nearly 120 islands and atolls stretched out over 2k km (1.2k mi.) across the South Pacific.  Mo'orea's legendary white sand beaches and clear waters have made it an increasingly popular destination, particularly for honeymoons.  You can check out this bit of paradise from above in this excellent drone video by new contributor ashhmonster.  

Contributor and pilot Tyler Rooke used a DJI Phantom 3 drone to create this epic selfie from Namotu Island, one of the 300+ islands which make up the nation of Fiji in the South Pacific.  Namutu is situateed just a few km/miles to the west of Viti Levu, the main island of Fiji.  Namotu is the southernmost in a chain of tiny islands called the Mamanuca Islands.  It's known for having some of the best surfing beaches in Melanesia, as the southwestern part of the South Pacifc island region is commonly known.  

Check out this beautiful drone video of a tiny South Pacific island called Aitutaki Island.  It's one of the Cook Islands, a tiny sovereign island nation which is partially managed by New Zealand.  Aitutaki lies a bit to the north of the larger and somewhat better known island of Rarotonga.  Aitutaki covers just 18 square km (around 7 square mi.) and has a population of about 2k.  Named the "World's Most Beautiful Island" by the Lonely Planet in 2010, it's appeared in numerous TV shows, including Survivor and the British show Shipwrecked.

Cloudbreak is a left-breaking reef pass off the shores of Namotu, one of the islands of Fiji in the South Pacific.  It is regularly ranked amongst the 10-12 best surfing spots in the world, and has hosted many competitions where the best surfers on earth show up to take it on.   In this  drone video by contributor and drone pilot Jasonmclean, you'll get a bird's eye view of some very skilled surfers hitting the waves here.   It's a reminder of how much drones have revolutionized how we see action sports like surfing.

Mo' orea is a small South Pacific island which lies just to the west of the larger and more well known island of Tahiti.  Both islands are part of the Society Islands group within the French overseas territory known as French Polynesia, which has a total population of a bit under 200,000 as of 2018.  While Mo' orea has its own airport, most travelers arrive by ferryboat from Tahiti.  Top contributor Damienlair used a DJI Mavic Pro drone and ground cameras to create this epic bird's eye view of the two Polynesian islands.  

Check out this stunning drone video of the South Pacific island of Moorea, compliments of contributor martins_nc.  Moorea is situated in French Polynesia, just a few km/mi  northwest of Tahiti.  Both Moorea and Tahiti are part of the Society Islands, one of the main groupings within this French overseas territory.  The roughly 15 km (around 10 mi.) wide island was formed by a volcano (Mt. Tohivea) and is an infant in geological terms - only about 2 million years old.  This video was a DVOW nominee in May 2019

In the Melanesia region of the South Pacific Islands, the most prominent groups of islands are Vanuatu and New Caledonia.  While New Caledonia remains a French dependency at least through 2018, Vanatu (located about 540 km or 350 mi. away) is now a fully sovereign nation and independent from France.  Content creator and drone pilot AirDroner created this epic aerial tour of these tropical islands, which includes footage of some of the still-active volcanoes which produced them by rising up from the floor of the Pacific Ocean.

Drone pilot damienlair captured the power of life, called "Mana" by Tahitians, that flows from the Island of Tahiti. You can see it and feel it in all these blissful aerial views of this South Pacific island paradise.  Tahiti is the principal island in the Windward group of the Society Islands, which in turn are part of French Polynesia.  The island of Tahiti is home to about two-third of the population of French Polynesia, which is spread out over many thousands of square km/mi in the South Pacific.  

Bora Bora is an island in the South Pacific.  It is part of the Society Islands group of French Polynesia, an administered territory of France.  Contributor Lienzoenelaire used a drone and an underwater camera to give us this bird's eye perspective of the stunning natural scenery and marine wildlife of this tropical paradise.  The island sits just a short plane hop away from Tahiti, the largest of French Polynesian islands.  Bora Bora recently appeared in the #3 spot in the US News survey of the World's Best Beaches. 

The Kingdom of Tonga is an archipelago in the South Pacific region of Polynesia consisting of well over 100 islands, many of them quite small, broken into several groups.  One of these groups is the Ha' apai, a collection of tiny islets and coral reefs near the geographic middle of the Kingdom.  Contributor Darrennina used a drone and underwater cameras to give us this aerial tour of this South Pacific Paradise, nicknamed the Friendly Islands in reference to the reception given to Captain James Cook upon landing here.

CM Photography spent two weeks in Tonga, an island archipelago situated towards the eastern end of the South Pacific Islands. Tonga is part of the South Pacific subregion known as Polynesia, home to most of the South Pacific's most well-known islands.  His spectacular drone film documents humpback whales in the warm waters of Tonga during their migration from Antarctica. The aerial footage of these majestic creatures was taken off the northern tip of Tonga's Foa Island, part of the country's Ha'apai group of islands.  

The islands of the South Pacific regularly appear near the top of most authoritative lists of the world's best spots for windsurfing.  Numerous competitions are held there in which the best windsurfers on the planet compete for prizes.  One of these events is the 2018 Tahiti Freeride Cup, held on a lagoon of Raiatea Island.  Contributor and drone pilot CYWORKS was there to film the action in the 2018 creating this epic video which includes footage of the Brazilian windsurfing champion Mateus Isaac.

The French territory New Caledonia is less well known compared to other South Pacific spots such as Tahiti or Tonga.  Like most of the islands in the region, New Caledonia has some ideal sailing conditions, particularly for those who prefer calmer waters close to shore which  allow for other less wind-dependent activities such as stand-up-paddleboarding and scuba diving.  In this video, Martin_NC used a drone to record a weekend built around catamaran sailing at one of the island's beautiful lagoons. 

Le Phare Amédée is the site of one of the most well known lighthouses in the South Pacific.  It's located on a small island of the same name about 24 km (around 15 mi) from the city of  Nouméa, in New Caledonia.  It was built in Paris in 1862, tested, disassembled, and then shipped around the world.  At 56 meters (184 ft.), it's one of the tallest lighthouses in the world.  Contributor Les Waouh de Vic used a DJI Mavic Pro Platinum to create this beautiful aerial view of the landmark, one of NC's top tourist attractions. 

Check out these drone views of some spectacular island scenery in the South Pacific, compliments of qb.mru.  Much of the video's footage is from Tikehau and Rangiroa, two islands within the vast Tuamoto Islands chain which runs across a portion French Polynesia.  The video also features footage of some of the better-known Society Islands, including Bora Bora, Raiatea, Tahaa, Huahine, Moorea, and Tahiti.  The Society Islands are also part of French Polynesia, which is situated within the broader region of Polynesia.  

The Yasawa Islands are some of the most well known amongst the hundreds which make up the South Pacific island nation of Fiji.  The chain begins to the northwest of the main island of Fiji and extend to the northeast.  These islands became very well known several decades ago when they were used as the primary shooting location for the 1980 blockbuster The Blue Lagoon, starring Brooke Shields.  In this video, you'll get a bird's eye view of the Yasawa's compliments of contributor and drone pilot Safi Dehili.

The South Pacific island of Tahiti is consistently ranked among the world's top surfing spots.  And 11-time World Surfing League champion Kelly Slater is very definitely ranked amongst the very best surfers of all time.  When this legendary surfer headed for Tahiti for the WSL's Billabong Pro Tahiti event in 2016, contributor and pilot Tahiti Fly Shoot was there to capture the action via drone, creating this epic video of the session.   Tahiti is part of French Polynesia, a French Overseas Collectivity.

If you are thinking of taking a trip to the South Pacific, this amazing drone video by contributor and pilot Cedricjb will convince you to check out New Caledonia.  The video uses a combination of drone and ground camera footage, skillfully woven together with captions to tell a story about this island paradise.  New Caledonia is part of the Melanesia region, which lies to the west of Polynesia, to the south of Micronesia, and to the northeast of Australia.  Currently, it's an overseas territory of France.

Get inspired to either hop on a surf board, fly a drone or even take a tropical vacation by this fantastic aerial film by pilot maikomou. The pilot takes us on the water’s edge to watch the ridiculous pipe that the surfers are enjoying near Teahupo’o, Tahiti, French Polynesia. The village on the south-west coast of the island is known for the surf break and heavy, glassy waves offshore that you see in this drone video. The waves here are considered some of the best for surfing in the entire world. 

Check out this beautiful drone video from the Tuamotu Islands in the South Pacific, compliments of AirVuz contributor and drone pilot Mike Campbell S.Y. ALILA.  The Tuomutus are a part of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Polynesia region of the South Pacific.  The roughly 800 islands in the chain cover about 850 square km (around 330 square mi.) spread out over a vast area, roughly comparable in size to Western Europe.  The chain's major islands are Anaa, Fakarava, Hao and Makemo.

If you want to get a bird's eye view of what looks like an epic birthday weekend in the South Pacific, check out this drone video by top contributor martins_nc.  It was shot on the tiny islet of Casy, which lies in a bay at the southern tip of New Caledonia.  The lush green island, surrounded by some of the bluest waters on the planet, must appear somewhere on the list of the world's best birthday celebration spots!  The islet lies just a short distance from Noumea, the capital of this French territory. 

Check out this stunning drone video of a sailing expedition to the island of Maupiti in the South Pacific, compliments of contributor and pilot Mike Campbell S.Y. ALILA.  Maupiti is part of the Society Islands archipelago of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France of which Tahiti is the best-known member.  Maupiti is one of the so-called Leeward Islands, which comprises the western parts of the Society Islands group.  It's located about 40 km (around 24 mi.) west of Bora Bora.  

If you've ever dreamed in camping in an isolated place this drone video from the South Pacific is for you.  Contributor and drone pilot Les Waouh de Vic went on a camping trip to the New Caledonian islet of Pandanus islet of New Caledonia to make this beautiful piece.  And "islet" is definitely the right word - there is barely enough room for a tent on this tiny bit of sand in the glorious blue-green waters near the larger island of Noumea.  New Caledonia, which is part of the Melanesia region, is an Overseas Territory of France.   

Ask someone to name their dream vacation destination and chances are a few will say the name of one of the islands in the French Polynesia. Located in the South Pacific archipelago are the islands of Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Mo’orea, each seen in this stunning video by Gabika Travel. The largest of the islands, Tahiti is known for its black sand beaches and waterfalls. Bora Bora is smaller and known for its turquoise lagoon while Mo’orea is known for its jagged volcanic mountains. 

The Tuamotu's are a chain of atolls in French Polynesia.  Consisting of about 80 islands and atolls covering a modest 850 square km (around 330 square mi.), they cover an enormous area - well over a million square km., or hundreds of thousands of square miles.  In this drone video by Marmot, you'll get a bird's eye view of Ahe, one of the more prominent atolls amongst the group.  The Tumoto islands are adjacent to the Society Islands, a much better-known archipelago which is home to many of the most well-known islands in the South Pacific.

The Tuamoto Islands of French Polynesia cover an enormous area of the South Pacific, and the roughly 80 islands and atolls in the Tuamoto's are broken down into subregions.  One of these is the Palliser Islands, a group of nine atolls in the northwestern part of the Tuamoto's.  In this drone video by Marmot, you'll get a nice aerial view of Tikehau, one of the Palliser's.  The Tuamoto's are part of the French Overseas Collectivity known as French Polynesia, although most of French Polynesia's best known islands are part of the Society group.    

The island paradise known as French Polynesia is known in part for its spectacularly colorful settings.  These islands' visual appeal stems in part from their tiny size - the few hundred islands in the chain only cover about 4.2k square km (around 1.6k square mi.), and that's spread out over an enormous geographic area that spans thousands of km/mi.  In this drone video by contributor Road to Pilot, you'll get a bird's eye view of some of these tiny specks of green and white and their shimmering blue surroundings.  

Take Tahiti by drone to ride the waves of the South Pacific with a few gorgeous Kaloea surfer girls. This was a promotional video for the Kaloea Surfing Bikini company, a maker (as the name suggests) of swimsuits for female surfers.  The video also does a great job of promoting the tropical paradise of Tahiti, one of the most well-known of the South Pacific Islands.  Tahiti is the largest of the Society Islands archipelago and the home of over 2/3 of the population of this French-controlled territory in the South Pacific.  

The South Pacific is made up some of the world’s most beautiful tropical islands.  It includes the regions of Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia, each of which has its own assortment of tropical islands and in many cases almost countless atolls.  In order to see the South Pacific from above, AirVūz created a compilation of the best of the best videos from this region. Escape to paradise with these incredible drone videos of Tahiti, Bora Bora, Palau, Fiji, New Caledonia, Guam, and more!