I have heard good things about these locations. I gather seeing sharks is not a problem. I am wondering if there is also good coral and good fish life as well. Is it diverse enough to justify more than a couple days of diving at each site? Any review of these areas would be appreciated. Finally does one see Mantas or Whale sharks there? Thanks.I only do warm water diving so Socorro and Cocos are out for me.
Rangiroa and Fakarava
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When I went to the Tuamotus, I dove Rangiroa but did not get to dive Fakarava. Those that did the Fakarava dives said it was exponentially better than Rangiroa.
In the Societies and Tuamotus, there was not alot of coral as say Fiji but there were fish and sharks. I did see mantas in Rangaroa on the outer wall and dolphins in the pass in the late afternoon with incoming tide.
Diving the passes depends on the time of day/tide so plan accordingly.
I did see more sharks in the Societies than Rangiroa. These were mostly black tip reef and lemon sharks.
I personnaly would spend a couple of days on each if I had the option so that you can dive the lagoon, passes and outer walls.
If you search SB for the island names, island group name or FP, there are a few trip reports in the last few years which can provide more detail.
In the Societies and Tuamotus, there was not alot of coral as say Fiji but there were fish and sharks. I did see mantas in Rangaroa on the outer wall and dolphins in the pass in the late afternoon with incoming tide.
Diving the passes depends on the time of day/tide so plan accordingly.
I did see more sharks in the Societies than Rangiroa. These were mostly black tip reef and lemon sharks.
I personnaly would spend a couple of days on each if I had the option so that you can dive the lagoon, passes and outer walls.
If you search SB for the island names, island group name or FP, there are a few trip reports in the last few years which can provide more detail.
Wingy
Contributor
Rangiroa is not a place for coral its for big shark numbers and big schools of Pelagics, heaps of eagle rays and cetaceans (getting dolphin buddies isn't a bad thing) while Fakarava which also eludes me has corals and is UNESCO listed for a reason.
I find the diving in the societies poor in comparison and partly blame the shark feeding activities - it's been done so often every lemon shark from Tahiti to Fiji knows the sound and schedule of the feeding boat so divers are mobbed by sharks the second they roll in. You will find great hammerheads, Tigers, makos, longimanus, silkies and your usual lemons and reef sharks in the Tuomotos but I've only seen boring sharks like lemons in the societies.
I've seen one manta ray in French Polynesia - one. And a fairly small one at that known as "grandma" in Boring Boring. Eagle Ray's on the other hand - they seem to be like palm trees. Not in short supply - from free diving under my bungalow with a small mating chain in BB to seeing them become food and find food in the Tuomotos they're most awesome. Have had as much enjoyment watching their behaviours to make up for the lack of mantas I've encountered.
Where ever you choose - have a wonderful time and wishing you screaming currents and happy bubbles.
I find the diving in the societies poor in comparison and partly blame the shark feeding activities - it's been done so often every lemon shark from Tahiti to Fiji knows the sound and schedule of the feeding boat so divers are mobbed by sharks the second they roll in. You will find great hammerheads, Tigers, makos, longimanus, silkies and your usual lemons and reef sharks in the Tuomotos but I've only seen boring sharks like lemons in the societies.
I've seen one manta ray in French Polynesia - one. And a fairly small one at that known as "grandma" in Boring Boring. Eagle Ray's on the other hand - they seem to be like palm trees. Not in short supply - from free diving under my bungalow with a small mating chain in BB to seeing them become food and find food in the Tuomotos they're most awesome. Have had as much enjoyment watching their behaviours to make up for the lack of mantas I've encountered.
Where ever you choose - have a wonderful time and wishing you screaming currents and happy bubbles.
Manuel Sam
Contributor
There is abundant and healthy coral on the walls at both Rangiroa and Fakarava, but if it is the colorful soft corals that you have in mind, then no, because it is 99% hard corals here. If by fish life you mean big schools of fish, the mouth of the passes and the passes themselves will not disappoint, especially in the area of the Pass in North Fakarava that some call Ali-Baba and some call The Valley.
The Tuamotos are among my favorite places to dive for big stuff, so two days is never enough for me. It took me three trips before I saw a Great Hammer, and a fifth trip before I saw a Tiger and a marlin.
On the other hand, if what you mean by diverse is a lot of different dive sites, no, not in Rangiroa or Fakarava. Not counting lagoon dives, I have done 4 dive sites in Rangiroa, and 3 in Fakarava.
I have never seen whalesharks in the Tuamotos. Mantas, I have seen on the outer wall dives in both Rangiroa and Fakarava but they are not a common sighting and they are the reef mantas (Manta alfredi) as opposed to the oceanic ones (Manta birostris). In fact I have seen all of one at each site in 5 trips.
I don't know what led you to say that Socorros and Cocos are not warm (around 80 degrees). Socorros (8 prior trips) is warm in November and most of December, with seldom a thermocline. Cocos (7 prior trips) has always been warm during the July-September timeframe that I go, but thermoclines do happen.
The Tuamotos are among my favorite places to dive for big stuff, so two days is never enough for me. It took me three trips before I saw a Great Hammer, and a fifth trip before I saw a Tiger and a marlin.
On the other hand, if what you mean by diverse is a lot of different dive sites, no, not in Rangiroa or Fakarava. Not counting lagoon dives, I have done 4 dive sites in Rangiroa, and 3 in Fakarava.
I have never seen whalesharks in the Tuamotos. Mantas, I have seen on the outer wall dives in both Rangiroa and Fakarava but they are not a common sighting and they are the reef mantas (Manta alfredi) as opposed to the oceanic ones (Manta birostris). In fact I have seen all of one at each site in 5 trips.
I don't know what led you to say that Socorros and Cocos are not warm (around 80 degrees). Socorros (8 prior trips) is warm in November and most of December, with seldom a thermocline. Cocos (7 prior trips) has always been warm during the July-September timeframe that I go, but thermoclines do happen.
divinh
Contributor
I found FP to be about large creatures, not so much macro opportunities. Both atolls have plenty of sharks. I saw about five varieties, though no Great Hammerheads or Tiger, just Black-Tip Reef, White-Tip Reef, Gray, Nurse and Lemons. Napoleons are plentiful, as well as schools of Rabbit fish. Rangiroa is famous for the pods of dolphins that live in the pass. Fakarava is famous for the sharks, especially ones resting on the bottom in Ali-Baba.
There are plenty of reviews here and you can look up videos on YouTube.
There are plenty of reviews here and you can look up videos on YouTube.
Wingy
Contributor
By not a place for corals I meant I wouldn't say to a diver focused on corals to visit there, other opportunities abound. I meant the reason one goes to the Tuomotos is sharks and Pelagics.
If anyone knows the correct name for the massive parrot fish there with a blunt head similar to a mahi mahi I'd love to know more than "Grand Blu Parakeet" - I saw them most often hanging around the same areas as the Napoleans but wow what a beautiful fish.
@Manuel Sam - how cool are billfish when you encounter them diving? I saw a sailfish in Tipuata and years later my guide and I both are positive we saw a Marlin at dive site east of Halmahera although no one else did and that old saying
"If you haven't got a pic it didn't happen"
Obviously Marlin are not your usual visitors to RA and everyone felt we both were wrong because it was too shallow or two warm so I guess all I can say is ...."whale shark in Lembeh" or "great white at nusa penida"
I've been thinking about billfish encounters lately after someone posted some amazing pics of a Marlin to a FB group and wondered how often divers get lucky enough to encounter them.
I know of an area where big game fishing (catch and release) tournaments are still held that is billfish rich....maybe we should start targeting areas they frequent and see if encounters happen more than twice a decade or five trips to FP (not that that's a bad thing)
Anyone else had billfish encounters?
If anyone knows the correct name for the massive parrot fish there with a blunt head similar to a mahi mahi I'd love to know more than "Grand Blu Parakeet" - I saw them most often hanging around the same areas as the Napoleans but wow what a beautiful fish.
@Manuel Sam - how cool are billfish when you encounter them diving? I saw a sailfish in Tipuata and years later my guide and I both are positive we saw a Marlin at dive site east of Halmahera although no one else did and that old saying
"If you haven't got a pic it didn't happen"
Obviously Marlin are not your usual visitors to RA and everyone felt we both were wrong because it was too shallow or two warm so I guess all I can say is ...."whale shark in Lembeh" or "great white at nusa penida"
I've been thinking about billfish encounters lately after someone posted some amazing pics of a Marlin to a FB group and wondered how often divers get lucky enough to encounter them.
I know of an area where big game fishing (catch and release) tournaments are still held that is billfish rich....maybe we should start targeting areas they frequent and see if encounters happen more than twice a decade or five trips to FP (not that that's a bad thing)
Anyone else had billfish encounters?
Manuel Sam
Contributor
Wingy: That was my first marlin ever whil ein the water, so it was definitely thrilling but I hope for a better encounter someday. Not that it would be easy to get close to one, but it was impossible while drifting inside Tiputa pass with the tide coming in and with the marlin heading out. I still got crummy (far and shaky) footage of it on my GoPro tho. A year later while snorkeling the Isla Mujeres whalesharks, two sailfish swam right past. By the time I reacted, all I got were tail shots.
On a rare occasion, sightings of marlins and of sailfish have been reported in Cocos.
Will try my luck with striped marlins north of Cabo San Lucas in November.
On a rare occasion, sightings of marlins and of sailfish have been reported in Cocos.
Will try my luck with striped marlins north of Cabo San Lucas in November.
HalcyonDaze
Contributor
By not a place for corals I meant I wouldn't say to a diver focused on corals to visit there, other opportunities abound. I meant the reason one goes to the Tuomotos is sharks and Pelagics.
If anyone knows the correct name for the massive parrot fish there with a blunt head similar to a mahi mahi I'd love to know more than "Grand Blu Parakeet" - I saw them most often hanging around the same areas as the Napoleans but wow what a beautiful fish.
@Manuel Sam - how cool are billfish when you encounter them diving? I saw a sailfish in Tipuata and years later my guide and I both are positive we saw a Marlin at dive site east of Halmahera although no one else did and that old saying
"If you haven't got a pic it didn't happen"
Obviously Marlin are not your usual visitors to RA and everyone felt we both were wrong because it was too shallow or two warm so I guess all I can say is ...."whale shark in Lembeh" or "great white at nusa penida"
I've been thinking about billfish encounters lately after someone posted some amazing pics of a Marlin to a FB group and wondered how often divers get lucky enough to encounter them.
I know of an area where big game fishing (catch and release) tournaments are still held that is billfish rich....maybe we should start targeting areas they frequent and see if encounters happen more than twice a decade or five trips to FP (not that that's a bad thing)
Anyone else had billfish encounters?
Not sure about the species (probably a smaller one), but marlin are occasionally spotted off Moorea. One of the crew on our trip had been gored through the leg by one; he and his buddy were freedive spearfishing, the buddy shot the marlin, and it decided to return the favor.
Personally, I've only sighted one sailfish off Jupiter, FL; it was a very quick encounter and I only managed to snap a couple proof-of-life photos before it got out of visual range.
bananas75
Registered
I spent three months sailing the Tuamotus this year, and had about fiveteen dives in each Rangi and Fakarava followed by a few scattered across the Society Islands. In short, the societies are not worth the bother. Rangiroa was amazing for pelagics and sharks. If you can persuade the dive centre to take you down to the Blue Lagoon, pay the money and go, outstanding shark and Manta encounters and the actual lagoon is possibly the most beautiful place I have ever been. Fakarava is just outstanding. We lucked out and arrived for the Grouper spawn which was amazing and got somewhat lively (I believe that they are no longer night diving the south pass in Fakarava.....) but every day you could could see at least fifty sharks between the wall and the pass.
I would go back to Fakarava in an instant.
If you fancy somthing really wild go to the Marquesas, the vis is terrible, the coral is limited, but the sharks are so big and inquisitive you will litterally need to wash out you pants afterwards
I would go back to Fakarava in an instant.
If you fancy somthing really wild go to the Marquesas, the vis is terrible, the coral is limited, but the sharks are so big and inquisitive you will litterally need to wash out you pants afterwards
I spent three months sailing the Tuamotus this year, and had about fiveteen dives in each Rangi and Fakarava followed by a few scattered across the Society Islands. In short, the societies are not worth the bother. Rangiroa was amazing for pelagics and sharks. If you can persuade the dive centre to take you down to the Blue Lagoon, pay the money and go, outstanding shark and Manta encounters and the actual lagoon is possibly the most beautiful place I have ever been. Fakarava is just outstanding. We lucked out and arrived for the Grouper spawn which was amazing and got somewhat lively (I believe that they are no longer night diving the south pass in Fakarava.....) but every day you could could see at least fifty sharks between the wall and the pass.
I would go back to Fakarava in an instant.
If you fancy somthing really wild go to the Marquesas, the vis is terrible, the coral is limited, but the sharks are so big and inquisitive you will litterally need to wash out you pants afterwards
Just seeing this now, thanks!!
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