BluEwater Travel's 2024 Fakarava Grouper Spawning
Group Trip Recap June 2024
Words and Pictures by Tim Yeo
Underwater Camera Equipment Used: Sony a6400; Ikelite Housing; Sony 10-18mm lens; dual Kraken KR-S02 strobes
This June, our Bluewater Travel General Manager and experienced Trip Leader, Tim Yeo, led a group of 16 divers to experience the annual grouper spawning event in Fakarava. Despite the logistical challenges this far-flung destination posed, our inaugural 'Travel with Bluewater' Grouper Spawning Trip was a resounding success!
Day 1: Arrival Day
More than half the group arrived early, with some spending time on other motus (islands) before flying to Fakarava. One guest missed a connection in Los Angeles and was delayed by a day getting into Tahiti. After contacting the Trip Leader and working with Bluewater Agents in the office, the guest found a last-minute cancellation on the flight the next day: otherwise, the next available flight would have been a couple of days later.
Pro tip: Arrive in French Polynesia early to avoid missing the domestic flights between Papeete and Fakarava, as they do not operate every day. Purchase your flights early to avoid disappointment, as seats are limited.
Video recap of Bluewater Travel's 2024 Fakarava Grouper Spawning Trip
Air Tahiti only allows 5 kg of carry-on bags, so you will need to check your camera equipment.
Pro tip: Inform the counter agent that your carry-on bag contains camera equipment and that you would like to cabin check it. You will receive a special tag, allowing you to carry the bag to the plane, where you will hand it off to an airline staff member on the tarmac as you board. The bag will be stored with the rest of the checked bags after all other checked bags are loaded onto the plane. Upon landing, your cabin-checked bag will be the first item removed and handed to you on the tarmac as you step off the plane. Note that the total weight must still comply with the limits stipulated by your ticket fare rules for checked bags; otherwise, you will need to pay excess baggage fees.
We arrived at Fakarava airport and were greeted by the cutest transfer bus, which took us to our resort, just 15 minutes away. Havaiki Lodge is a wonderful resort in the remote Tuamotu Atolls of French Polynesia. Within 5 minutes of our arrival, we spotted half a dozen sharks swimming around the beach right in front of our rooms. Our beachside accommodations featured a mix of Polynesian and modern architecture and amenities, and each room was equipped with air conditioning—the only resort in Fakarava that offers this comfort.
Dinner on the first night was a special BBQ by the water instead of in the restaurant. The 3-course meal was scrumptious, and the service was excellent. Since it had been a long travel day and diving would start early the next morning, most of us turned in early. The rest spent some time on the dock getting to know our weeklong dive buddies better.
Day 2/3
Our dive plan was to complete three dives per day for the first couple of days—two in the morning and one in the afternoon. Dives in Fakarava are done in the pass, an opening between the ocean and the lagoon that allows water to flow between them. The Garuae Pass is also known as the Fakarava North Pass. The dive times varied based on the tides. On the first day, we started at 7 a.m., and on the second day, we started at 8:15 a.m. The boat ride from the resort to the dive site was about 20 minutes, and we spent the surface interval on the boat or on a rocky beach, depending on conditions. We typically returned to the resort at 12:30 p.m. for a nice à la carte lunch, then headed back out at 2:30 p.m. for our afternoon dive.
Day 4
Today was a two-tank dive day, so we were back at the resort by 12:30 p.m. and had the afternoon free. Some of us took the opportunity to get a massage at the on-site spa, some took a nap, and others grabbed the resort’s bicycles and rode to the local supermarket and around the island.
Day 5
Today is transfer day, and we woke to big waves crashing on the beach and the pier. The winds picked up to 20 knots, preventing our dive boat from docking at the resort's pier. As a result, we were bussed to a larger dock 5 minutes away to board our dive boat. The diving was unaffected, with lots of sharks in crystal clear water.
For the transfer to Motu Aito in the south, the original plan was to board the boat at the pier at Havaiki Pearl. However, it was still too choppy, so we and our bags were transferred to a larger dock where the transfer boat could pick us up. The rough seas caused significant delays, turning the usual 90-120 minute transfer into a journey of over three hours. Everyone made it safely to Motu Aito by early evening. After dinner, we headed off to bed, as it had been a long day for everyone.
Interested in sharks? Check our list of the Best Places in the World to Dive with Sharks!
Day 6
Today, we started diving in the famous Tumakohua Pass, also known as the Fakarava South Pass. As we reached the dive site, just 5 minutes from our resort, we could see massive swells in the ocean and waves crashing into the shore. I even spotted a couple of surfers riding the waves—a first for me! The big waves reduced visibility from the usual 60-80 feet to about 30 feet. Due to the less-than-ideal conditions, starting the dives in the ocean at an area known as the Roses, where most of the groupers were concentrated, was not possible. Instead, we began our dives in the pass and in the lagoon. Despite the conditions, we saw a lot of groupers in the pass and on the lagoon side, which was a good sign.
Day 7
During incoming tides, we would start our dives out in the ocean, drift into the pass and end in the lagoon. Visibility is typically in the 60-90 foot range during these dives as clear blue water flows from the ocean into the lagoon. When the tide changes, the outgoing current brings milky water from the lagoon into the ocean and visibility usually drops to the 40-foot range during these dives. We typically start in the lagoon and drift out toward the ocean through the pass.
The swells had dropped significantly since our arrival day, and we were excited to see the groupers aggregating in the pass. On our first morning dive, we dropped into the water from the ocean side of the pass and descended directly to the Roses at 100 feet, where we were amazed by the abundance of marine life. In addition to the usual grey reef sharks swimming among schools of soldierfish, the area was covered with marbled groupers as far as the eye could see. Thousands of groupers had gathered in this area for their annual spawn. The massive school of groupers was mostly motionless near the bottom and barely moved as we swam through them. The sheer number of groupers was incredible, with so many in the Fakarava South Pass that they spilled over into the channel and the lagoon.
As we swam into the pass, hundreds upon hundreds of grey reef sharks passed by us. The area known as the observatory and the shark cave were so filled with sharks that counting them was impossible as they slowly glided by. Among the grey reef sharks, there were also blackfin sharks, identified by their stockier frames and prominent lateral lines, and the occasional silvertip sharks, known locally as Tapete sharks. Closer to the reefs in an area known as the coral garden, massive 10-foot-long lemon sharks also made multiple appearances.
Having dived the Fakarava South Pass in September and October every year since 2019, I was amazed that there could be even more sharks than usual.
Day 8
Tonight is the full moon, and we began the day eagerly anticipating the thousands of groupers aggregating at an area called the Roses. When the female groupers are full of eggs, they release the eggs mid-water during the outgoing tide. The female groupers are followed by a couple of dozen males who release their sperm at the same time, and the fertilized eggs are carried off into the ocean by the outgoing tide.
As we descended to the reef, we were puzzled to see fewer groupers than the day before, even though several still had bellies bursting with eggs. Instead of the thousands of groupers we had witnessed the day before, there were only hundreds left. It seems the groupers may have spawned a day early. Nonetheless, the hundreds of sharks were still around to amaze us on every dive.
Day 9
Even with the spawning happening a day earlier than expected, we went out at dawn for our first dive. Since night dives are not allowed in the south pass, we got ready at 5:15 a.m. and backrolled into the ocean right at dawn. Once again, there were fewer groupers than the previous day at the usual spawning site, reinforcing our belief that the groupers may have spawned a day early. Some groupers, however, got the timing right and spawned this morning. We witnessed a few groupers spawning, which lasted only a couple of seconds each time.
Day 10
As quickly as the groupers had gathered in the pass, they left the area with even more haste. It was amazing to see the bulk of the groupers disappear from the Roses, only to return again on schedule the following year. Even though the spawning event had passed, the diving was still exceptional, with hundreds of sharks still gliding along in the pass. We thoroughly enjoyed our last day of diving.
After two morning dives, we had a nice lunch and then headed for an excursion to Pink Beach. Pink Beach is a small motu with a long sandbar surrounded by turquoise waters. It is one of the most picturesque places in Fakarava. We spent the afternoon walking along the sandbar, swimming in the crystal-clear waters, and exploring the motu and the mangroves next to it.
Day 11
Today, we said goodbye to our friends at Top Dive and Motu Aito and headed back to the airport. We left early, anticipating rough conditions that might prolong the boat ride, but it was a smooth two-hour journey. We arrived with plenty of time to spare before checking in for our flight back to Papeete.
Fakarava is one of the premier shark diving destinations in the world, offering an unparalleled underwater experience. While the north and south passes are typically teeming with sharks, the week of the grouper spawning in the south pass elevates the excitement to a whole new level. Thousands of groupers flood into the pass, attracting an even greater number of sharks, creating a spectacle that is nothing short of breathtaking. Witnessing the grouper spawning in Fakarava is a bucket-list dive for any avid diver who loves sharks. Don’t miss out on this extraordinary adventure—join Buewater Travel in Fakarava during the grouper spawning for an unforgettable diving experience!
Click here to learn more about diving in Fakarava.
