CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons (panoramio; east lagoon of Taha'a)Anchorage· Taha'a· French Polynesia — Society Islands
ZMR de Mahaea Récif (Taha'a)
16° 38.2′ S · 151° 25.5′ W
Taha'a's big east-side reef anchorage: a 40-boat sand flat inside the barrier reef just north of Motu Mahaea and Toahotu Pass, with a beach bar on the motu. It is the classic charter stop on Taha'a's windward side.
Practical
Quota: 40 boats, 24 h max (decree ZM-MA-1 to MA-4; position is the polygon centroid). The 2025 brief adds that the 24 h can be renewed once and that there is one superyacht area (TH-1-M, 90–300 m, just west). Large sand area with very good holding, but exposed to easterly winds. Charted depths in the polygon are mostly 1–5 m (decree annex 15). There is nice snorkeling in the pass on the incoming current and around the motu. Motu Mahaea is run by Éric and Poerani: deck chairs, toilets and a bar; lunch and evening events (87 28 64 37). Across the pass on the Atger motu, Théodore and his family run a snack bar and Sunday Polynesian meals (87 28 26 81). 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
Turquoise reef anchorage, motu beach bar and pass snorkeling
Season
Best in light or SE–S trades; uncomfortable in strong E wind