Anchorage· Fakarava· French Polynesia: Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambier & Australs
Otohu Bay Moorings (inside Garuae Pass)
16° 4.5′ S · 145° 41.9′ W
Free moorings tucked in the lee of Motu Ohotu just east of the inside of Garuae Pass. Cruisers have ridden out a severe northerly gale on them in the shelter of the motu's trees.
Practical
Kokopeli (Oct 2018) listed two 'Passe Nord' moorings: 16°04'29.71"S 145°41'51.63"W and 16°04'52.70"S 145°41'39.03"W. The second lies inside today's Pufana regulated zone. Asolaire (Oct 2016) found 2 balls 'just east of the pass at Otohu Bay'. They hung on one through a 4-5 day storm from NNE-NNW, saw 61 kn on board, and the mooring held. The motu is spelled Ohotu on the official chart. The north-pass moorings are free but unmaintained, and in 2024 reports said most remaining Fakarava balls appear to be private. Dive on the mooring first. Anchoring here now falls under the Pufana zone rules: 5 boats, 48 hours, booking required overnight.
Best for
Shelter from N winds close to the north-pass dive sites
Season
Best refuge in the north for N-NW blows
Nearby
- PK9 Snorkel (Fakarava)0.4 NM away
- Pufana North Pass Anchorage (Fakarava)0.4 NM away
- Ohotu Reef Wall Dive (outside Garuae Pass)0.5 NM away
- Garuae Pass Drift Dive (Fakarava North)1.1 NM away
- Garuae Pass Mantas, Hammerheads and Humpbacks (Fakarava North)1.1 NM away
- Maraamu Season at Garuae Pass (Fakarava)1.1 NM away
- Ali Baba Canyon Dive (Garuae Pass)1.2 NM away
- PK9 Public Beach (Fakarava)1.8 NM away