Snorkel· Nuku Hiva· French Polynesia: Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambier & Australs
Anaho Fringing Reef Snorkel (Teavauua Dinghy Pass)
8° 49.2′ S · 140° 3.9′ W · approximate
The Marquesas' only true fringing reef lines the west side of Anaho Bay; snorkelling either side of the buoyed Teavauua dinghy pass shows live coral, top shells and plenty of small reef fish. Expect small sharks, rays and frequent mantas in the clear water off the beach.
Practical
Position approx: plotted between the OpenStreetMap 'Teavauua' feature (the name Sea-Seek gives the narrow dinghy channel through the reef) and Pointe Mataohotu; snorkel from the dinghy, not from an anchored boat. Kokpeli (summer 2018) snorkelled north of the dinghy channel and immediately found two stonefish in shallow water, plus nice coral, many small fish and lots of top shells: don't touch or stand. This reef is protected: the coral area is a no-anchoring zone and the official brief (2023) asks boats to anchor in 12 m or deeper, away from it, and not to beach dinghies in the helicopter rescue landing area. Easier at low tide when the channel edges show. Severe ciguatera: no fishing or shellfish collecting. Moon Rebel (2018) rated the SW corner snorkelling really good. The clear water here is also good for scrubbing the hull. Ciguatera is extreme at Anaho: look, don't eat. Jellyfish sometimes appear (2017).
Best for
Seeing live Marquesan coral, the rarest habitat in the archipelago
Season
Year-round; calm water at low tide is best