Anchorage· Taha'a· French Polynesia — Society Islands

ZMR d'Atara (Taha'a)

16° 35.8′ S · 151° 25.6′ W

A two-boat zone off private Motu Atara on the east reef, with superb snorkeling and a long dinghy run to Raai Bay for the Fare Hau camp and a ridge-top hike.

Society IslandsTahiti & Moorea

Practical

Quota: 2 boats, 48 h max (decree ZM-AT-1 to AT-4; position is their centroid). Motu Atara is private: no landing. When the swell is down you can swim to the coral reef. With a good dinghy you can reach the small marina in Raai Bay and walk to Fare Hau Camp for lunch (reservation required) or a smoothie tasting (87 72 39 31). From there a 1.5-hour hike to the top of the mountain looks over Haamene and Faaaha bays. Standard ZMR rules (arrêté 911 CM, 26 June 2025): boats under 20 m only; anchor inside the charted polygon; overnight (4pm–9am) must be pre-booked on escales.gov.pf, by email to escales.dpam@administration.gov.pf or by phoning DPAM on 40 54 45 78 (24/7). Day use 9am–4pm is free within the quota. Inside the zone: 5-knot limit, no sailing, anchor light from sunset to sunrise, AIS left on if fitted, no scuba, jet skis or windsurfers, swimming only close to your own boat, no underwater or hull lights, no grey/black-water discharge. The booking service was free during the 2025 pilot; the brief says fees start in 2026, so verify locally. DPAM planned to lay permanent moorings in 2026; once a zone has moorings, anchoring there is banned and you must use a buoy.

Best for

Snorkeling the east barrier reef

Season

Settled trades; exposed to E wind across the lagoon

Nearby