Snorkel· Kauehi· French Polynesia: Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambier & Australs

Kauehi Pass Snorkel

15° 57.0′ S · 145° 10.7′ W

Kauehi's only pass, Arikitamiro, on the SW rim beside motu Toauau: a wide, deep channel with reef-edge snorkeling and blacktip sharks.

TuamotusMarquesas

Practical

Coordinate is the pass as mapped in OpenStreetMap. Two moorings help (Migration, Nov 2023). One belongs to the Aquatiki dive-charter boat, about 0.5 nm SE just inside the pass; you can probably use it when the boat is away but will be moved on when it returns. The other is a small mooring about 0.16 nm SE outside the pass, convenient for tying the dinghy while diving or snorkeling the outer reef. In 2013, Full Monty drift-snorkeled near the pass and reported black-tipped sharks (Scott Free). Timing: go at slack or early flood. The pass faces west, so the ebb runs into the prevailing E-SE trades and stacks up. On a 4-5 kt ebb, Yolo saw 1 m standing waves on the west side of the pass while the east side stayed under a foot. Normal maximum current is about 4 kt (compendium table). Stay with your dinghy or tow it on a leash, and carry a handheld VHF. No dive shop or air fills are documented on Kauehi; Fakarava is the nearest air source.

Best for

Drift snorkeling with sharks on the flood

Nearby