Tumakohua Pass

別名： Tetamanu Pass · Passe Sud Tumakohua · Tumakohua Channel · Tumakohua

Tumakohua is only about 200 m wide and lies near the old village of Tetamanu, an hour or more by boat from Rotoava. Hundreds of grey reef sharks gather in the pass and form the famous wall of sharks; O2 Fakarava cites an estimate of around 700 animals. The pass is dived as a drift, ideally on the incoming current, over coral gardens with barracuda, tuna, napoleon wrasse, snappers and groupers. Every year between the full moons of June and July thousands of marbled groupers arrive to spawn, drawing the sharks, while manta rays wait at the exit for the eggs. Tetamanu Diving mentions a cave in the right flank of the pass where many sharks gather, and its dives end in front of the Tetamanu Village guesthouse.