Anchorage· Moorea· French Polynesia — Society Islands
ZMR Haapiti Pier (Moorea)
17° 34.6′ S · 149° 52.1′ W
Five-boat anchorage on a sandbar just inside Matauvau Pass at Haapiti, below the white Sainte Famille church, with a resident spinner-dolphin resting area next door.
Practical
Decree 910 CM polygon: 17°34.49'S–17°34.693'S, 149°52.019'W–149°52.132'W. Quota 5, 48 h. Anchor on the sandbar just beyond the reef shelf of the pass. Protected from N to SE winds, exposed from S to NW. No close shore access: dinghy to Haapiti pier (outdoor shower). Ashore: JP car rental (89 65 26 72), small grocery, Family Pizza. Spinner dolphins rest here: no generators at night and no underwater lights. Haapiti Pass is a surf spot for experienced surfers only. The pass is also a whale rest area (Jul–Oct). Legal status (Oct 2026): the ZMR quotas come from arrêté 910 CM of 26 June 2025, which the Administrative Tribunal of French Polynesia annulled on 15 July 2026 (case 2500441, brought by the Association des Voiliers en Polynésie); the anchoring articles of the 2021 PGEM were also annulled by the Paris appeal court with effect from 1 June 2026. Noonsite (Aug 2026) reports the restrictions are not currently ratified and talks between AVP and local groups are ongoing. Until a replacement rule is published, treat the ZMR quotas and 48-hour limit as the expected good practice, check escales.gov.pf or call DPAM (40 54 45 78, 24/7) before arriving, and expect the nautical patrol (87 704 657) to ask about your stay.
Best for
Dolphins at dawn, surf watching, Haapiti village
Season
E–SE trades; untenable in S–W swell
Nearby
- Haapiti Pier (dinghy landing)0.3 NM away
- Spinner Dolphin Resting Area (Haapiti)0.5 NM away
- Haapiti Surf Break (Matauvau Pass)0.7 NM away
- Sainte Famille Church (Haapiti)0.7 NM away
- ZMR d'Opaura (Haapiti, Moorea)0.7 NM away
- ZMR de Vaianae (Haapiti, Moorea)1.1 NM away
- Snack Autea (Vaianae)1.7 NM away
- Three Coconuts Pass Hike2.3 NM away