About Revisions Otugi Pass, To’au, Toau Atoll Fakarava, Tahiti, French Polynesia Entry Type: Boat Aquatic Life: Plenty To See 1/25/2013 1:01 PM LatitudeAdjustment

Otugi Pass, To’au, Toau Atoll is a boat accessible salt water dive site, located in Fakarava, Tahiti, French Polynesia.

From SportDiver Planet’s 50 Greatest Dives, #34, Part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, To’au Atoll in French Polynesia has pristine hard-coral gardens on its seaward slopes, and its lagoon serves as a nursery for myriad reef fish. But it’s Otugi Pass, a thrill ride like a controlled car crash, that’s the real fun. The guide drops into the blue, leads his divers down to 80 feet, where curious gray reef sharks cruise in the mild currents. As the divers reach the mouth of the pass, large schools of gray reefs and some silvertips make passes. Once divers drift into the lagoon, there is a final surprise: A depression in the reef has created a low-current haven for hundreds of bigeye scad. By the time the divers surface, they have moved through a mile of South Pacific crystal-blue warm water in about 45 minutes. During an outgoing current, dive the fringing reef to the side or in the lagoon, and look for juvenile sharks and mantas. — Simon Buxton
sportdiver.com/tahiti

http://www.sportdiver.com/photos/planets-50-greatest-dives?cmpid=enews011713&PodID=030&spMailingID=14460532&spUserID=NzY5MDMwNzA0OQS2&spJobID=210377095&spReportId=MjEwMzc3MDk1S0

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toau