Tikehau island is 20 min away from Rangiroa by plane, and about 50 min from Papeete. An atoll of untamed charm, it encircles a lagoon 26 kilometers wide, and opens up to the ocean through the Tuheiava pass. When Cousteau and his team assessed the biological diversity of the Polynesian atolls in 1987, the Tikehau lagoon was found to be richest in fish species of the lower atolls. Yves Lefèvre created the Raie Manta Club in 1993. Today the club is open everyday of the year.