The outer reef of Abemama runs for roughly 20 kilometers along the ocean-facing edge of the atoll, a nearly continuous barrier of coral that takes the full force of Pacific swells. On the lagoon side, the water is calm and clear; on the ocean side, conditions can be rough, but the reef itself is pristine.
Fishing on the outer reef is excellent, and local fishermen will sometimes take visitors out in traditional outrigger canoes. The coral gardens near the passes — the channels where lagoon and ocean meet — are particularly rich. Giant clams, schools of trevally, and occasional tiger sharks make the passes both fascinating and worthy of respect. This is one of the least-disturbed reef ecosystems in the Pacific, far outside the fishing range of commercial operations.