A community of 25 to 30 bottlenose dolphins resides all year round on the Tiputa pass area and into Rangiroa lagoon. Adult bottlenose dolphins can reach up to 3.3m in length and weigh up to 450kg. The Tiputa dolphins use to surf and leap daily into long breaking waves generated by strong outgoing currents in Tiputa Pass. They may be observed from shore when the tide conditions are good.
Since about three decades, scuba divers influenced some of the dolphins’ behaviors toward humans (e.g., habituation, conditioning) and scuba divers and snorkelers encourage repeated physical interactions with these dolphins. Consequently, a few dolphins may behave intrusively in the presence of divers. For 15 years, these dolphins’ behaviors and the risks associated with close human / dolphin interactions have been studied by Pamela Carzon who defended her PhD thesis on this topic in 2024. Pamela and her NGO Dauphins de Rangiroa work in partnership with the Rangiroa Diving Center to implement an ethical and sustainable dolphin tourism in Rangiroa.
