Dive· Rangiroa· French Polynesia: Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambier & Australs
Tiputa Pass Dolphin Drift Dive (Rangiroa)
14° 58.3′ S · 147° 37.7′ W
One of the great dives of the Pacific: an incoming-tide drift through Tiputa Pass where a resident pod of wild bottlenose dolphins often comes to play with divers, along with grey reef sharks, eagle rays, barracuda, jacks and, in season, great hammerheads.
Practical
Dive depth 12-46 m in the pass (Tahiti Tourisme); divers usually drop at the outer edge and drift the pass floor at about 30 m on the incoming tide, with currents that can exceed 4 kt; operators rate it Advanced with prior drift experience. Cruisers strongly recommend a local operator here: currents are wild and boat support matters, and surfacing divers must watch for fast ferries between Tiputa and Ohotu. One cruiser route (2018): start on the east outside wall, swim in along the wall, start ascending in the counter-eddy after crossing two cables, and surface between the red marker and the pier. Cruisers reported dolphins on 3 of 5 dives (2020) and 'on every dive' (2011). Price guide: about USD 70 per dive in 2017 (verify locally). Several operators include Nitrox (Rangiroa Diving Center: NX32 on all dives, 2026 website).
Best for
Close encounters with wild bottlenose dolphins
Season
Year-round; great hammerheads roughly Dec-Mar (sources vary Nov-Apr)
Nearby
- Rangiroa Manta and Hammerhead Season (outer reef)Right here
- The Aquarium Snorkel (Tiputa, Rangiroa)Right here
- Les Relais de Josephine (Tiputa Pass)0.1 NM away
- Motu Nohi Nohi Beginner Dive (Tiputa Pass)0.1 NM away
- Tiputa Pass Dolphin Watching Point (Tiputa)0.1 NM away
- Laverie Ohotu (Tiputa)0.2 NM away
- Magasin T.M.T. (Tiputa)0.2 NM away
- Ohotu et Magasin Tatie Henriette (Tiputa)0.2 NM away