Tiputa is a village on the

French Polynesian )Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze") , anthem = , song_type = Regional anthem , song = " Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui" , image_map = French Polynesia on the globe (French Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of Frenc ...

atoll of

Rangiroa Rangiroa ( Tuamotuan for 'vast sky') or Te Kokōta (Cook Islands Māori for 'the Hyades star cluster') is the largest atoll in the Tuamotus and one of the largest in the world (smaller than Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands and Huvadhu in the M ...

, in the

Tuamotu archipelago The Tuamotu Archipelago or the Tuamotu Islands (french: Îles Tuamotu, officially ) are a French Polynesian chain of just under 80 islands and atolls in the southern Pacific Ocean. They constitute the largest chain of atolls in the world, extendin ...

Geography

It is located on the Northern edge of the atoll, approximately 7 km East-southeast of the village of

Avatoru Avatoru is the chief town of Rangiroa, a coral atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago. It is located in the northwestern part of the atoll, and is home to the atoll's administration buildings, its post office and several churches. Rangiroa Airport is l ...

. The two villages are separated by the

Tiputa Pass Tiputa Pass is a strait in the northwest portion of Rangiroa lagoon in the Tuamotu Islands of French Polynesia, joining the lagoon to the open ocean. There are only two such passes in Rangiroa, the second one being Avatoru Pass. Tiputa Pass separa ...

, a world-renowned spot for

underwater diving Underwater diving, as a human activity, is the practice of descending below the water's surface to interact with the environment. It is also often referred to as diving, an ambiguous term with several possible meanings, depending on context ...

.Tiputa Pass is one of the best spots in the world to drift dive with sharks and mantas
Accessed 18 February 2010 It is necessary to travel to Avatoru by means of a

water taxi A water taxi or a water bus is a watercraft used to provide public or private transport, usually, but not always, in an urban environment. Service may be scheduled with multiple stops, operating in a similar manner to a bus, or o ...

to make it to

Rangiroa Airport Rangiroa Airport is an airport on the island of Rangiroa, French Polynesia . The airport is located on the northwestern edge of the atoll, 5.5 km southeast of Avatoru. The airport was built in 1965.

. The population of Tiputa is around 900 inhabitants, making it the most populous village of the atoll of Rangiroa. The main economical activity in Tiputa is tourism. There are hotels and other touristic installations.

References

Geography of the Tuamotus Populated places in French Polynesia {{FrenchPolynesia-geo-stub