go Back

Tikehau

 

Tikehau (meaning Peaceful Landing in Tuamotuan) or Porutu-kai is a coral atoll in the Palliser Islands group, part of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia. It is included in the commune of Rangiroa and is located 340 kilometres (210 miles) northeast of Tahiti in the Tuamotu Islands. The nearest atoll, Rangiroa, lies only 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) to the east. Mataiva, the westernmost atoll of the same group, is located 35 kilometres (22 miles) to the west.

The atoll's oval-shaped lagoon is 27 kilometres (17 miles) long and 19 kilometres (12 miles) wide with a lagoon area of about 461 square kilometres (178 square miles). The atoll is made up of two major islands and numerous islets. The Northeastern quarter of the atoll is a single, mostly uninhabited island. The whole atoll is surrounded by an almost continuous coral reef. There is a single pass deep and wide enough for navigation in and out of the lagoon: Tuheiava Pass is located on the Western shore. The islands and islets are covered with coconut palms. The main village is called Tuherahera.

On a visit in 1987 Jacques Cousteau's research group made a study of Tikehau's lagoon and they discovered that it contains a greater variety of fish species than any other place in French Polynesia.

Today, Tikehau is a touristic destination popular for its pink sand beaches and its exceptional underwater fauna.

​

​

​

​

Rangiroa

 

Rangiroa (meaning Vast Sky in Tuamotuan), is the largest atoll in the Tuamotus, and one of the largest in the world. The nearest atoll is Tikehau, located only 12 km to the west. It is about 355 km northeast of Tahiti.
Rangiroa houses about 2500 people on almost 80 km2. The chief town is Avatoru, located in the northwestern part of the atoll.
 

The atoll consists of about 415 motus, islets and sandbars comprising a total land area of about 170 km². There are approximately one hundred narrow passages (passes), called hoa, in the fringing reef. The atoll has a flattened elliptic shape, with 80 km in length and a width ranging from 5 to 32 km wide. The width of land reaches 300 to 500 meters wide and its circumference totals up to 200 km. The lagoon has a maximum depth of 35 m and its surface is 1446 km². 

Only two islands, located on the northern end of the atoll, are permanently inhabited. As of 2007, the total population on the atoll of Rangiroa was 2,473 inhabitants. The main villages are Avatoru (pop. 817), Tiputa (pop. 971), Ohutu (pop. 546), Taeo'o, Fenuaroa, Otepipi and Tevaro. They are separated by the major Tiputa Pass. The other major pass of the atoll is Avatoru Pass, immediately to the West of the island of Avatoru. Rangiroa is a major underwater diving destination because of its lagoon's clear blue water and exceptionally diverse marine fauna. The most popular diving sites are the Blue Lagoon, Avatoru pass, Tiputa pass and Les Sables Roses ("The Pink Sands").