The Buoy

Also known as: La Bouée · Poito

The site takes its name from the only mooring buoy at the exit of the pass, on its left-hand corner, which gives beginners a descent line. The plateau under the boat lies at five to six metres and is busy enough for introductory dives, while certified divers follow the reef towards the pass from the drop-off that begins at about 20 m. Most life is between 15 and 20 m: schools of bigeye jacks, paddletail snappers, surgeonfish and unicornfish, big moray eels with their cleaners, lionfish, napoleon wrasse and turtles. In the blue divers may meet the sharks known locally as tapete, eagle or manta rays, tuna and barracuda, and Raie Manta Diving Tikehau mentions the tapete especially at sunset.