Travel Glossary · Islands & Resorts
Reef Pass
Definition
Reef Pass: A reef pass is a natural channel through a coral reef that connects a lagoon to the open ocean, where tidal currents concentrate marine life and create prime dive sites.
In French Polynesia, passes are the gateways between lagoon and Pacific. With each tide, ocean water pours in and lagoon water drains out, and that flow draws plankton, fish, and the sharks, rays, and dolphins that feed on them. Bora Bora has a single navigable pass, Teavanui, used by every ship and yacht entering the lagoon.
The Tuamotu atolls have the most famous passes. Rangiroa’s Tiputa Pass is known for dolphins and grey reef sharks, while Fakarava’s south pass, Tumakohua, gathers hundreds of sharks into a single “wall,” and its north pass, Garuae, is among the widest in French Polynesia. Divers usually ride the incoming tide, which brings clearer ocean water and an exhilarating drift.
Currents in a pass can be powerful, so dive or snorkel there only with a local operator who times the tide. Compare the great diving atolls in Rangiroa vs. Fakarava or explore scuba diving in French Polynesia.
Related terms
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- French PolynesiaScuba Diving in French PolynesiaPlan scuba diving in French Polynesia: Rangiroa, Fakarava and Tikehau pass dives, Bora Bora mantas, certification levels, seasons and what to book ahead.
- French PolynesiaRangiroa Atoll GuidePlan Rangiroa, one of the world’s largest atolls: Tiputa Pass dolphins and drift dives, the Blue Lagoon, where to stay and how to pair it with Bora Bora.
- French PolynesiaFakarava Atoll GuidePlan Fakarava, a UNESCO biosphere reserve atoll: the south pass wall of sharks, Garuae Pass drift dives, family pensions and the best time to go for divers.
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