The reef surrounding Fakarava is a protected UNESCO Biosphere Reserve; as such, its thriving coral and marine life make for fantastic sights while diving and snorkeling here. Tumakohua Pass, on the southern end of the island, is where you can dive with sharks. When the tide is coming in, hundreds of gray reef sharks can be seen on the right side of the pass. You’ll need to be an experienced diver to do this, however. If you don’t dive, stick with snorkeling at the edge of the pass, where you’ll see small and large reef fish, as well as healthy coral formations and even some whitetip sharks in the shallow areas.
Grey Reef Sharks - swimming into the Fakarava Lagoon, an unusual sight except in the passes through the coral reefs of the Tumotos, where they’ve not been killed for their fins (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos)
© Ron and Valerie Tay/© © Ron and Valerie Tay
