Dive Fakarava
Overview
Fakarava is considered one of the world’s best diving destinations with amazing marine life, dive locations and excellent visibility. Two passes connect the huge lagoon – Garuae Pass on the north side and Tumakohua Pass on the south side. The Garuae Pass is 800m wide and is the widest navigable pass in French Polynesia and is home to a narrow underwater valley known as Sharks Hole, where you’ll encounter large numbers of lemon, whitecap, gray reef, black tip, white tip and hammerhead sharks. Both passes are a meeting place for a range of fish life including reef fish, barracuda, and spotted and eagle rays green turtles, and huge schools of groupers.
Dive Sites
Tumakohua (South)
This pass is 70 meters wide with calmer currents and a diverse variety of marine life including sharks, leopard rays and barracuda.
Garuae Channel (North)
At 800 meters wide, this north channel is an exciting drift dive that begins with epic encounters with a “wall” of sharks, barracuda and tuna and ends in the canyons where schools of fish gather. Here you’ll see parrot-fish, napoleon fish, glass-eye fish and turtles. The marine life is different every day due to the strong currents and width of the channel.
Maiuru (North)
This dive site features a flat reef at 19 meters and a sharp drop off suited for an experienced diver due to its unexpected currents. A habitat where you’ll enjoy soft and table corals.
Ohotu Reef (North)
A wonderful flat reef located 12-30 meters from the Garuae pass with a drop off wall, coral gardens and a hatching area for fish. It’s a dive location where you’ll see lagoon white-tip sharks, tuna, and manta rays and is suitable for all diving levels.
Pufana Reef (North)
Sheltered from the currents, this incredibly scenic location is not only a photographers dream but the shallow lagoon dive is ideal for beginners with all kinds of shark life.
Best Time to Dive
The dry season April to November is considered the best time to dive in French Polynesia.
Getting There
Fly directly into Papeete – the main city in Tahiti and capital of French Polynesia.
Depending on available flights you may need to overnight in Papeete before catching a connecting flight to Fakarava. (Flight time approximately 30-40 minutes).
Accommodation
Fakarava offers a range of accommodation options from pensions, charming guesthouses with authentic architecture and traditional bungalows.
Contact our active travel experts for insider tips on where to stay and tailor made diving experiences.
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