Taotoi Pass

Taotoi is a narrow pass cutting through Moorea's northwest reef, funneling tidal flow across a coral-encrusted channel floor between 15 and 25 m. Incoming tides push divers gently into the lagoon past dense aggregations of blue-lined snapper, unicornfish, and paddletail snapper sheltering in the current shadow of large coral heads. Whitetip reef sharks rest on the sandy bottom between surges, and grey reef sharks occasionally patrol the pass mouth on the ocean side. The channel walls are draped in orange and purple sea fans at depth, making it an outstanding wide-angle photography site.