Tikehau · French Polynesia · Channel & pass · Drift
Tuheiava Pass
Hammerheads and tigers in a pass drifted above 10 m
Area photo: Tikehau-SE.jpg: Urs Neumeier derivative work: Hic et nunc (talk) · CC BY-SA 2.5
Tuheiava is the only pass deep and wide enough to navigate in or out of Tikehau's lagoon, and it is the atoll's headline dive. It is run as a one-way drift on the incoming tide, shallow enough that the ride happens above 10 m even though the channel bottoms out at 30 m. Great hammerheads, tiger sharks, mantas and eagle rays are all logged in it.
Also known as Passe de Tikehau, Passe de Tuheiava.
Where it is and how deep
15.0093° S, 148.2777° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The dive is timed to the tide and run one way. You drop in on the incoming water and let the flood carry you through the channel, so nothing about it is a swim against anything. The pass reaches 30 m at its deepest, but the drift itself is worked in less than 10 m of water: the bottom stays close and the profile stays shallow from the entry to the end of the passage.
Tuheiava is a small pass and a rich one, which is what makes the trip up to the atoll's western shore worth it. Great hammerhead and tiger sharks are both recorded here as frequent sightings rather than one-offs. Manta rays and eagle rays come through on the same moving water, and a large school of yellowmouth barracuda is the fixture of the dive.
Background
Jacques Cousteau's expeditions described the sea around Tikehau as one of the richest in fish in the world, and in 1987 his research group reported the lagoon holding a greater variety of fish species than anywhere else in French Polynesia. That assessment is what the atoll's diving reputation still rests on. Tuheiava is the one pass deep and wide enough to navigate in or out of that lagoon, and the traditional fish parks are all built near it rather than elsewhere on the rim.
Marine life and season
- Hammerheads
- Tiger sharks
- Manta rays
- Eagle rays
- Barracuda
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows Tikehau: Apr–Oct is drier with the calmest passes; the wet season from November to March brings rain and more wind but warm water.
Know before you go
- This is the only navigable way in or out of the lagoon, so every boat on the atoll uses the channel — stay with the guide through the drift and surface under an SMB.
Dive videos
Tikehau - Tuheiava Pass - 4k · REVA E MOANA on YouTube
Tikehau's Shark & Fish Paradise | Dynamic 30-Min Drift Dive in Tuheiava Pass (w/ Fish ID) · Talk to the Fish on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Tuheiava Pass?+
The pass reaches a maximum of 30 m, but the drift is worked in less than 10 m of water, so the dive profile is far shallower than that number suggests.
What sharks are seen in Tuheiava Pass?+
Great hammerhead and tiger sharks are both listed as frequent sightings, alongside manta rays, eagle rays and a large school of yellowmouth barracuda.
Sources
- Passe de Tikehau - Tuheiava — Scubago / SSI MyDiveGuide
- Tikehau — Wikipedia
- Tikehau — Wikipédia
In The Logbook
- Drift diving: how to read and ride a currentDrift & current · 8 min read
- When and where to dive with hammerheadsBig animals · 16 min read
More dive sites in Tikehau
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