Diving the South Pass at Fakarava

The weather was calling for calm winds for a few days, so we took advantage and went over to the South Pass. This place is world class diving. Incredibly clear water and lots of fish and sharks. We dove here the first time we came though as well. At that time it was the season for the Grouper spawning, but not this time, so it was a bit more tame.

To go diving on our own, we took a 60 foot line and tied it to the painter of our dingy and just trailed it overhead.

Already a few sharks are around.

Miguel waves hello sharkies!

A Napoleon Wrass swims by, but not as big as the one we saw in Tahanea.

This is just a junior, not a full adult.

Sharks are coming into view 

Then there are several and getting closer.

These two come pretty close. Notice the ramora or shark sucker on the belly of the one on the left.

Three surgon fish swim above the reef, but on the lower left, trying to blend in with the reef, is a fairly large Yellow Margin Trigger fish (double click to blow up photo).

A large school of unidentified fish.

A big eye brown fish in the foreground.

The live reef here is quite impressive. A Moorish Idol checks it out.

Yellowfin Surgeon fish, lower right.

A Bird Wrass with along nose and a Dot n Dash Butterfly fish.

The long nose Butterfly fish.

Two photos of a school of little blue fish.

This parrot fish is mostly black with a yellow blob on his back, but could not find one that looked like him in the book.

These are raccoon fish with masks over their eyes.

A pair of Threadfin Butterfly fish on the right, with unknown white tailed black fish.

Four spotted Butterfly fish and a Moorish Idol.

A Moorish Idol with Dot n Dash Butterfly fish.

The Pennant Bannerfish looks similar to the Moorish Idol, but has brown and white stripes and a fatter fin at the top.

The Emperor Angel fish, always makes an impression!

These are the best shots from two different dives. The book I try to identify them with is called “Reef Fish, Tropical Pacific”, which has over 2000 species of fish identified by photos!! Not always easy to figure out which ones we see!