Snorkel· Tahanea· French Polynesia: Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambier & Australs
Teavatapu Pass Drift Snorkel (Tahanea)
16° 51.0′ S · 144° 41.0′ W
A drift snorkel through Tahanea's wide middle pass, teeming with reef fish and trailed by curious sharks.
Practical
Coordinate is Soggy Paws' Teavatapu pass waypoint. The middle pass 'is teeming with fish and always provides a fun snorkel or dive' (Sugar Shack). Snorkel the west side for lots of small fish around the coral; a few curious sharks may follow (Sugar Shack 2019). Kokopeli (2018) drift-snorkeled all three passes, with sharks (blacktip and blacktip reef, up to 4 ft) in the water every time. Go at the start of the flood with the dinghy on a leash; the current picks up quickly after slack (Villa Veritas 2022). No-take: Tahanea is a protected atoll.
Best for
An easy drift from the main anchorage
Nearby
- Tahanea Pass DiveRight here
- Tahanea Blacktip Reef Sharks0.5 NM away
- Teavatapu Pass Anchorage (Tahanea)0.5 NM away
- Tahanea NW Pass Sand Patch Anchorage0.8 NM away
- Motupuapua Pass Manta Snorkel (Tahanea North)1.2 NM away
- Otao Pass Anchorage (Tahanea)1.3 NM away
- Otao Pass Snorkel (Tahanea East)1.5 NM away
- Tahanea Lagoon Pinnacle Snorkel (TAHA6)3.3 NM away