Anchorage· Ahe· French Polynesia: Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambier & Australs
North Rim Pearl-Farm Anchorage (Ahe)
14° 26.3′ S · 146° 16.7′ W · approximate
A day or overnight stop in clear water off the pearl-farm motus of Ahe's north rim, which cruisers call a pretty spot to be based, with farm workers on the quays and the lagoon bommies to snorkel.
Practical
Approximate: placed about 600 m south (lagoon side) of the pearl-farm quays OpenStreetMap maps on the north rim near 14.433 S, 146.278 W; no cruiser has published a fix. Consensus (72 ft Oyster, July 2017): 'Anchorage at northern end is a pretty spot to be based', and good snorkeling on the lagoon bommies with a seahorse, sharks, healthy coral, colourful giant clams and pearl oysters. Sea-seek gives lagoon depths of up to about 30 m. Reach it via the marked pass-to-airport channel; locals insist you should not cut along the south side of the lagoon. Keep well clear of farm long-lines and floats (Ahe has 81 registered pearl farmers, 2024), ask a farm before tying to anything, and float your chain. Exposed to the S across the lagoon.
Best for
Snorkeling the bommies among pearl farms
Season
Best in NE-E trades; avoid in S-SW winds
Nearby
- Ahe Airport (AHE)1.4 NM away
- Motu Manu Forest and Turtle-Nesting Reserve (Ahe)3.1 NM away
- Motu Manu Forest Trail to the Outer Reef (Ahe)3.1 NM away
- Ahe Airport Anchorage3.3 NM away
- Pension Raita (Ahe)3.4 NM away
- Cocoperle Lodge (Ahe)3.5 NM away
- Ahe Pass Snorkel4.8 NM away
- Tiareroa Pass Walls Dive (Ahe)4.9 NM away