Tupai Atoll (no stopover)

16° 15.9′ S · 151° 48.8′ W

A low, heart-shaped private atoll 19 km north of Bora Bora: an 11 km² reef ring of coconut-plantation motus around a shallow sandy lagoon. It has no yacht pass, no public landing and a restricted private airstrip.

Society Islands Tahiti & Moorea

Practical

Coordinate is the OSM atoll centroid (Wikipedia: 16°17'S 151°50'W). Pass: there is no yacht pass. bora-bora-insider says the atoll's pass 'was dynamited to make a shallow entrance into the lagoon', usable only by small keel-less craft, and that safe access for yachts is not possible; it adds that safe mooring off Tupai is not for beginners. Dream Yacht's charter rules say no shelter or stopover is possible, and it is outside charter cruising areas. Access and landing: there is no public access. The private airfield (opened 2001) is restricted (Wikipedia). French Wikipedia records two permanent residents in 2012 and none in the 2017 census; English Wikipedia mentions coconut-plantation workers, and bora-bora-insider says the atoll reportedly has a guardian. The only visitor access marketed is a helicopter overflight from Bora Bora with Tahiti Nui Helicopters, about 30 minutes (French Wikipedia; Air Tahiti Nui). No published procedure for landing permission was found, and the current landowner could not be confirmed from an official source. Treat the atoll as private and restricted: do not land without written permission, and ask at the Mairie de Bora Bora in Vaitape, since Tupai belongs to Bora Bora commune (Faanui). Keep well clear of the reef on passage; the low motus are hard to see at night.

Best for

Sighting on passage north of Bora Bora; no landing

Practical

Best for

Nearby