Makemo Lagoon Bommie Field

16° 33.6′ S · 143° 42.0′ W · approximate

Makemo's 603 sq km lagoon, the third largest in the Tuamotus, is 20-30 m deep but studded with bommie towers that reach within centimeters of the surface. Crossing it is part of the adventure, and part of the risk.

Tuamotus Marquesas

Practical

Approximate: a representative point mid-lagoon west of the village. Noonsite (2023): about 90% of the large bommies are charted on Navionics, but smaller spire-shaped ones often are not. Shindig (2017) found several uncharted heads on a 30 nm East Pass to East corner to West Pass circuit. Kokopeli (2018) found charted bommies usually shallower than shown, often awash, and passed a submerged pearl-float string. Rules: travel between about 9am and 3pm with the sun high or behind you, keep a bow lookout with polarized glasses and a handheld VHF, use satellite-image charts (e.g., SAS Planet or OpenCPN with imagery) and lay a GPS snail trail to retrace.

Best for

Planning safe lagoon passages

Practical

Best for

Nearby