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

Motutunga Pass Snorkel

17° 3.7′ S · 144° 24.3′ W · approximate

Snorkel the deep, narrow NW channel of uninhabited Motutunga beside the jetty, with reef fish, edible shells and territorial sharks in the neighbouring north channel.

TuamotusMarquesas

Practical

Coordinate is the channel position from Hildegard Hansen (2016); approximate for the snorkel itself. Current is almost always outgoing (about 3 kt at the gate, under 1 kt at the jetty; Chugach 2020), so snorkel near the jetty where it's gentle, or drift in on the rare flood. Hildegard (2016): 'pretty snorkeling', plenty of fish to catch (mind the current and sharks). Chugach noted sharks seemed more territorial in the narrower pass 2 miles north than in the main pass. Stay close to the boat; no help for many miles. Motutunga is a listed protected natural area (Feb 2001), so take nothing but a meal.

Best for

Remote snorkeling from the boat

Nearby