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Anchorage· Fakarava· French Polynesia: Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambier & Australs

Tetamanu South Pass Moorings (Fakarava)

16° 30.4′ S · 145° 27.4′ W

Free moorings strung along the shoreline on the north-east side of Tumakohua Pass, a dinghy ride from the Wall of Sharks, the old Tetamanu village and the over-water dive-shack bar.

TuamotusMarquesas

Practical

Trance (Feb 2021) found three good white moorings at 16°30.379'S 145°27.358'W, with two more closer to the pass. Kokopeli's 2018 list of six: 16°30'21.96"S 145°27'19.53"W; 16°30'21.23"S 145°27'17.78"W; 16°30'23.19"S 145°27'23.30"W; 16°30'22.33"S 145°27'21.21"W; 16°30'28.77"S 145°27'30.54"W; 16°30'27.00"S 145°27'28.80"W. Noonsite (2025): only three public moorings, plus one private ball for a charter catamaran and two yellow dive-boat balls nearest the dive shop. Balls lie in about 35-40 ft (11-12 m) over coral heads. Failures: in 2018 a 38 ft yacht ripped one out and ended up on the reef, and in March 2023 the westernmost yellow ball parted at night (chafed line, no thimble). The pendants are short, so do not tie tight; use two bow lines and dive on the ball first. The balls lie within the Tetamanu regulated zone: 10 boats, 48 hours, booking required overnight. Do not take the dinghy into the pass (divers and strong current), and do not enter the fish parks, which are private. Trash is collected at Tetamanu only every 6 weeks, so keep it aboard until Rotoava or Tahiti. Motu Aito Paradise (red roof) is just east of the moorings. Vini 4G works here.

Best for

Base for drift-snorkeling and diving the south pass

Season

Settled trades; uncomfortable in strong S-SE wind and swell

Itineraries that stop here

Nearby