Wildlife· Rangiroa· French Polynesia: Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambier & Australs
Tiputa Pass Dolphin Watching Point (Tiputa)
14° 58.2′ S · 147° 37.8′ W
The point at the lagoon mouth of Tiputa Pass, known as La Cite des Dauphins, where Rangiroa's bottlenose dolphins surf and leap in the standing waves of the incoming tide, watched from shore or from the dinghy.
Practical
Coordinate is the 'Cite des dauphins' point in OpenStreetMap at the western shore of the pass. Most lagoon tours finish here for late-afternoon dolphin watching. From the shore near the Ohotu wharf you can watch for free; by dinghy, stay well clear of the breaking standing waves when wind opposes current, and give dive boats and ferries room. In very calm conditions cruisers have snorkelled with dolphins and hundreds of barracuda just outside the pass on the ebb (2020), but conditions in the pass can turn dangerous fast. Do not chase or touch the dolphins.
Best for
Free dolphin show at sunset
Nearby
- Les Relais de Josephine (Tiputa Pass)0.1 NM away
- Magasin T.M.T. (Tiputa)0.1 NM away
- Motu Nohi Nohi Beginner Dive (Tiputa Pass)0.1 NM away
- Ohotu et Magasin Tatie Henriette (Tiputa)0.1 NM away
- Rangiroa Bike Rental and Ride to Avatoru0.1 NM away
- Rangiroa Manta and Hammerhead Season (outer reef)0.1 NM away
- The Aquarium Snorkel (Tiputa, Rangiroa)0.1 NM away
- Tiputa Pass Dolphin Drift Dive (Rangiroa)0.1 NM away