Anchorage· Tahanea· French Polynesia: Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambier & Australs
Otao Pass Anchorage (Tahanea)
16° 51.7′ S · 144° 39.8′ W
A narrow sand shelf just inside Tahanea's east pass (Otao), off the seasonal copra settlement, where you can watch the incoming current stream through the pass.
Practical
Position from Soggy Paws (2010): anchor along a narrow shelf in 35-50 ft of sand with low scattered coral heads; moderate depth, some coral. Navigation from the main anchorage west of the middle pass is easy. Dinghy to the 'town', the copra buildings with a big black plastic cistern; they are occupied only when people from Faaite come to cut copra. Wikipedia puts the few houses on motu Otao at the pass. Good spot to stage a dive or snorkel of the east pass, where you can see the incoming stream from the boat. Shelter from E-SE comes from the rim motus; the shelf is narrow, so check your swing against deep water and the reef. Float your chain with fenders or pearl floats.
Best for
Staging for the east-pass dive
Nearby
- Otao Pass Snorkel (Tahanea East)0.3 NM away
- Tahanea Pass Dive1.3 NM away
- Teavatapu Pass Drift Snorkel (Tahanea)1.3 NM away
- Tahanea Blacktip Reef Sharks1.8 NM away
- Teavatapu Pass Anchorage (Tahanea)1.8 NM away
- Tahanea Lagoon Pinnacle Snorkel (TAHA6)2 NM away
- Tahanea NW Pass Sand Patch Anchorage2.2 NM away
- Motupuapua Pass Manta Snorkel (Tahanea North)2.5 NM away