Permit· Maupiti· French Polynesia — Society Islands
Maupiti Manta No-Navigation Zone
16° 28.4′ S · 152° 15.0′ W · approximate
A no-navigation, no-anchoring zone protects the reef manta cleaning station off Motu Pitiahe, just inside the pass. Stay out under power and at anchor, and visit only by swimming or with a licensed operator.
Practical
Created by arrêté 1335 CM of 7 October 2013 'portant création d'une zone d'interdiction à la navigation et au mouillage des navires dans le lagon de Maupiti', which the 2026 anchoring decree cites and keeps in force. The official boundary was not available online when this was compiled. The coordinate is the cleaning-station position from Snorkeling Report's map, about 300 m NW of Motu Pitiahe; treat it as the centre of the area, not its edge. Ask in Vaiea or at the mairie for the marked limits. Code of conduct (Tahiti Tourisme, Snorkeling Report): do not touch the mantas, do not free-dive down onto them in the shallow sections, and stay at the surface and let them come to you.
Best for
Knowing where not to drive or anchor near the mantas
Nearby
- Maupiti Manta Ray Cleaning StationRight here
- Motu Pitiahe & Motu Tiapa'a Beaches0.2 NM away
- Motu Pitiahe Anchorage0.2 NM away
- Tiapa'a Stingray & Blacktip Shallows0.4 NM away
- ZMR de Manuea (Maupiti)0.4 NM away
- Maupiti Large-Yacht Zones (arrêté 399 CM 2026)0.7 NM away
- Maupiti Pass Season & Manta Season0.8 NM away
- Maupiti Manta Dive (Maupiti Diving Club)0.9 NM away