Snorkel· Fakarava· French Polynesia: Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambier & Australs
PK9 Snorkel (Fakarava)
16° 4.9′ S · 145° 41.6′ W · approximate
Clear-water snorkeling on the Pufana shoal and the red-beacon reef inside Garuae Pass, a maze of coral bommies with lots of fish and small sharks, opposite the PK 9 public beach.
Practical
The 2025 brief recommends snorkeling at the Pufana anchorage, which sits next to a shoal used for introductory dives (watch for dive boats). Moon Rebel (2018) rated the reef beside the red marker 1 NM east of the pass, 'an absolute maze of twisted coral bommies', among the best snorkeling in the Tuamotus. Top Dive dives Pufana reef down to about 50 ft, sheltered from current, on white sand. Coordinate approx: at the Pufana beacon (Fl R 2.5s) on the east side of the Pufana zone, read from the decree's annex chart.
Best for
Easy snorkeling near the north pass
Nearby
- Pufana North Pass Anchorage (Fakarava)0.1 NM away
- Otohu Bay Moorings (inside Garuae Pass)0.4 NM away
- Ohotu Reef Wall Dive (outside Garuae Pass)0.9 NM away
- Ali Baba Canyon Dive (Garuae Pass)1.3 NM away
- Garuae Pass Drift Dive (Fakarava North)1.4 NM away
- Garuae Pass Mantas, Hammerheads and Humpbacks (Fakarava North)1.4 NM away
- Maraamu Season at Garuae Pass (Fakarava)1.4 NM away
- PK9 Public Beach (Fakarava)1.8 NM away