Wildlife· Tahanea· French Polynesia: Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambier & Australs
Tahanea Blacktip Reef Sharks
16° 50.9′ S · 144° 41.5′ W
Young blacktip reef sharks patrol the Teavatapu anchorage, often one to six at a time circling the boats, and follow snorkelers across the sand in water clear to well over 100 ft.
Practical
Coordinate is the Teavatapu Pass Anchorage (Sugar Shack GPS). Noonsite (SV Knot Safety, March 2023): young blacktips circled the boat constantly and followed snorkelers over the anchor but kept their distance. The authors suspect people have been feeding them: 'please don't feed the sharks'. Kokopeli (2018) saw blacktips and blacktip reef sharks up to about 4 ft on every swim in Tahanea and Fakarava, none aggressive. Don't clean fish off the stern at anchor, and get out of the water if a shark starts banking or making fast passes.
Best for
Gentle shark encounters from your own swim ladder
Nearby
- Teavatapu Pass Anchorage (Tahanea)Right here
- Tahanea NW Pass Sand Patch Anchorage0.4 NM away
- Tahanea Pass Dive0.5 NM away
- Teavatapu Pass Drift Snorkel (Tahanea)0.5 NM away
- Motupuapua Pass Manta Snorkel (Tahanea North)0.9 NM away
- Otao Pass Anchorage (Tahanea)1.8 NM away
- Otao Pass Snorkel (Tahanea East)2 NM away
- Tahanea Lagoon Pinnacle Snorkel (TAHA6)3.7 NM away