The Hotel Rangiroa

 Arriving from Tikehau on a twenty mile motor sail just off the wind to the east, we tucked into the tumultuous Avatoru Pass on the northern boundaries of Rangiroa.   Steering india elegantly through the reefs impinging the entrance, we surfed swiftly through the narrows past the main pier and red spired church at the end of town.  The wrecked sailboat at the western most corner visibly confirmed that the wider turn at the eastern end of the channel was the correct path in the Y that formed along two sides of a small island as we swept past and emptied into an immense and translucent royal blue lagoon.  Coming in from a long day on the agitated seas, stunning Avatoru is one of the most exciting and scenic passes we’ve ever seen.

Rangiroa, meaning ‘Vast Sky’ in the local dialect, is an enormous atoll in the northern Tuamotos, so vast that it has its own horizon.  Not only is it the largest atoll in French Polynesia, it is reputed as the second largest atoll on the planet.  It is large enough in area to fit the entire island of Tahiti inside of its lagoon.   In many ways unique, this atoll is well known for spectacular diving and snorkeling, vast marine life, two deep and navigable passes, scenic motus encrusted with jagged lava sculptures, and the only commercially producing vineyard in French Polynesia.

So where does one begin to explore this particularly inviting paradise?  On high recommendation, we wandered into the village at the far end of the main atoll near our anchorage to a small pension and restaurant called Relais Josephine.  We found refreshment on a wooden deck overhanging the other pass, Tiputa.  Relais Josephine has the best viewing platform around where it is possible to dine, have a beer or sip a glass of the local wine, all with a front row seat to a frolicking family of dolphins and the stampede of local dive craft on the incoming tide.  What a spectacle!  And the local wine?  The Rose Nacarat is exquisite!

Tiputa Pass

Avatoru Pass

Relais Josephine also rents bicycles, so the next day we set off across the flat roads of the largest motu from one end to the other (about 12.5 Km) on our rusty retro steeds.  It was a breezy day but still very hot, with sunburn inducing, skin piercing rays.  It is a fun way to explore the island and the most common way to get around amongst the tourists and locals alike.  We stopped to admire the church and pier we buzzed on our way in through the channel on the far side of the motu, and visited a few pearl shops and grocery stores and had a fresh fruit smoothie en route.  A great way to get a little exercise while exploring the nooks and crannies of Rangiroa!

Most days, we tied the dinghy to a mooring at the appropriately named ‘Aquarium’ nearby for a snorkel.  A healthy coral reef flows outward from the small island at the bottom of Tiputa Pass and inside of the currents are numerous schools of tropical fish in myriads of colors and shapes and a diversity of healthy sponges and corals and always a few black tipped sharks.  We’ve become accustomed to them as they follow us around.  Ever timid, they dart away when we chase them, much like playing with a friendly stray pup.  Soon we were visiting our favorite territorial reef fish every day, so familiar we became with this giant aquatic museum, and it never grew tiresome.  One day David spotted a giant and very menacing brown eel halfway out of its cove in the rocks.  We wanted to take a closer look.  Even though I am familiar with eels from my SXM days and I know that they are somewhat blind and breathe with their mouths wide open, fangs exposed, lending to the alarming optics, we left him alone.  I have seen them rush out when provoked and I estimate this monster at six feet long by the size of its head! 

Before long, we were signed up for a couple of SCUBA dives with Dive Rangiroa in the Tiputa Pass.  Having watched the progression of professionals from the decks of Relais Josephine, we thought it prudent and infinitely more enjoyable and trouble free to dive with a company rather than risk the strong currents on our own with a small dinghy.  It was the right decision for the aforementioned reasons but also saved time and disaster being led to the most advantageous spots to see the varied marine life at its best.  Our first dive was mid morning.  Having battled the incoming seas on the powerful dive boat outbound Tiputa Pass, we were briskly deposited on the exterior reefs just before the tide turned.  It was a steep slope into a deep blue abyss but the wall of reef leading towards the pass was vibrant with abundant marine life.  We followed along the wall at a leisurely pace stopping to admire a large puffer fish and a plethora of other fish each more colorful than the last, until the current grabbed us at the entrance and swept us inside.  Putting on the brakes as best as we could we slipped into a series of caves.  There we could easily pause and adjust our vision to the fish taking refuge in the motionless shadows.  It was exhilarating and we quickly signed up for the sunset dive on another day to see the sharks and dolphins!  This dive deposited us on the wall again but further out.  As the light fades, the sharks come up from the depths to feed.  We were pleasantly amused by an onslaught of hundreds of petite black and white damselfish appearing like a swarm of butterflies on a wildflower field until the first shark arrived.  Soon it was a cavalcade of Black Tips and Lemon Sharks and a couple of white finned sharks as well.  I stopped counting at sixteen when we reached the pass.  Our Divemaster, Alex, motioned for us to hold position on some dead corals in the current while he banged on a rock, presumably to call the dolphins.  And just when we had almost given up, they appeared!  A family of five or six!  I was so excited to see them and get them on film while fighting the strengthening current that I blew through my air reserve!  They are magnificent and I had never seen them while IN THE WATER.  I managed to film them in the dimming light at a distance but to see them is a moment I will never forget.

Around this time a very friendly couple from a neighboring sailboat stopped by india to say hello.  Vicky is British and has traveled the world by sailboat and Greg hails from California, also very well traveled on his own sailing vessels.  They were a great source of information and super fun company.  They told us they were headed to a notch on the south end chain of motus to shelter from a Mara’amu Blow coming our way.  We had been thinking along the same lines, so followed them over a day later after our second dive and a chance to buy fresh citrus from the Marquesas from the visiting supply ship.  Not only was it a great place to hide from the weather but we found the enchanting lagoon and rugged windward coast with the incredible lava formations sculpted by nature.  We passed the time climbing around and exploring the amazing scenery together by day and entertained each other with food and drinks and delightful conversations in the evenings.  After the blow, india headed out first to take in the notable tourist attraction of the Blue Lagoon on the western end of Rangiroa.   After a beautiful downwind sail of 12 NM, we were in for a surprise that evening as the wind picked up around the very exposed anchorage causing the waves to roll in and dump on this western most edge of the atoll.  Our first inclination was to get the hell out, another small monohull did just that, but we decided to tough it out for the night since we were already there and scrambled into the dinghy early the next morning to see the famous Blue Lagoon.  It was panoramic, calm and certainly beautiful.  The locals had cultivated a shark tank for the tourists outside the entrance channel.  We watched the snorkelers squeal and jump out of the local tourist rigs into the shark infested waters for a moment on our way out, but by that time we had seen what we came for and were anxious to be on our way!  Is wasn’t as secluded and pristine as the other small lagoon we had found earlier in the week and we hope the locals keep that one to themselves!

Our penultimate anchorage was tucked up in the lee of the Avatoru pass where we entered the atoll from Tikehau on our very first day.  We hoped to find some shelter from the next batch of weather coming our way and maybe pick up some cell service while waiting out the blow.  It was closer to the town of Avatoru, and on good recommendation we found fresh vegetables, fuel for the dinghy, and it was only a mile’s walk to the Vin de Tahiti Wine Cave.  The anchorage was lined with coral and pretty sand beaches of cocotiers.   We enjoyed our stay but the uncooperative weather and unfavorable wind direction was causing uncomfortable delay for our next destination of Ahe to the Northeast, so we decided to scrap it altogether and head Southeast to Toau with the next weather window instead.  Beautiful as it was, it was starting to feel like Hotel Rangiroa, where we were checked out and ready to go, but never able to leave.  We had spent almost six weeks in Rangiroa, the longest time we’ve spent anywhere else in French Polynesia.  Other destinations were calling, so we moved to our original anchorage as soon as the weather broke to time our exit out of the eastern Tiputa pass.