kneptoon
Contributor
I posted a trip report a few weeks back regarding my experience in North Fakarava, this is the bookend to that first piece. We were picked up at our pension in North Fakrava and taken by van to the boat dock and our further trip by boat to Tetamanu Village in the South. The ride covers around 30 miles and takes a little over an hour. It was great to be back at Tetamanu, seeing Annablelle waving from the dock just as we had left her the previous summer. Tetamanu Village is owned and operated by Annabelle and her husband Sonny (sorry if I missed the spelling). Annabelle is what makes this spot so perfect, she oversees every aspect of the operation with joyful enthusiasm. They have added a new group of bungalows about a ten minute walk from the original settlement. The original bungalows and dining dock hang right over the waters of Tetamanu Pass, really a spectacular setting. The new bungalows are on a small spit of land surrounded on three sides by water. At first I had misgivings about moving out to Sauvage (the name of the new area) and away from the central older area. But I grew to prefer the quietude and off shore breeze. We dove with Eluthera divers who were fine if not a little overwhelmed by the amount of guests this summer. Tetamanu Pass is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and well deserves the attention. All of the diving is tide dependent. There is the outgoing tide dive which is always done across the channel on the west side of the pass. This is always an interesting dive as there is a lot of fish action and very large schools of fish. But most people come for the incoming tide dive. The boat drops you off outside the mouth of the pass. Drop down to around 80' and fin back in the direction of the village. Around half way back is a coral wall at 60', where we stop and watch the 300 or so black fin sharks cruise the channel. It is really mesmerizing. The water visibility is 100' or more and the sharks are beautiful as they cruise by just a few feet away. We finish our dive swimming back along a beautifully abundant coral wall and exit the water on the sandy bottom in front of the dive shop. So convenient. This is really a great dive. My wife never tires of it because of the sharks. I love this dive but it is not variable. For me the best diving in Fakarava and Rangiroa are the out going tides. The fish action is unparalleled though the visibility is not so great. I really recommend a stay at Tetamanu Village. The diving is great, the food delicious and the hospitality unsurpassed.
