The most recognisable lagoon on earth, every shade of blue inside the reef, with the black basalt tooth of Mount Otemanu rising…The most recognisable lagoon on earth, every shade of blue inside the reef, with the black basalt tooth of Mount Otemanu rising 727m above it. Manta rays in the lagoon, blacktip and lemon sharks at the reef edge, and stingray sandbars in a metre of water. Bora Bora was a US supply base from 1942 with 5,000 troops, an airstrip and seven-inch coastal guns that still sit in the hills, 'Operation Bobcat'. The airstrip became French Polynesia's first international airport. James Michener, stationed nearby, called it the most beautiful island in the world. Anchorage: Fully enclosed by a barrier reef with one pass (Teavanui), outstanding all-weather shelter. Hazards: Fully enclosed by a barrier reef with one pass (Teavanui), outstanding all-weather shelter. Meer