Home to some of the worlds finest coral reefs and vividly colourful marine life, scuba diving in Mauritius is among the highlight attractions of the island.  This popular activity showcases spectacular underwater scenery, teeming with Mother Nature’s most fascinating of creations.  Nothing quite gets the blood pumping like witnessing an innocent school of fish passing and then unexpectedly coming face to face with a majestic beast of the ocean.  What makes this even more thrilling is that the water offers excellent visibility. 
An enticing aspect for new and veteran divers alike, is that diving sites in Mauritius are secure and divers are spoiled for choice in the variety of sites available.  With over 100 dive sites there is plenty of choice from beginner to advanced levels, ranging in depth from 7metres to over 45 metres and covering reefs, walls and wrecks.

The majority of major hotels and beach resorts offer licences diving instruction with daily scheduled trips out to sea.  In addition there are several independent dive centres found along the East and North coasts.  The Mauritius Scuba Diving Association regulates the island's dive centres, which must all be run by qualified, experienced dive masters, who have been trained to International standards.  Mauritius regulations require that visitors dive accompanied by an instructor and are escorted by a boat.  All centres are managed by CMAS or PADI international diving instructors who can give courses from beginners up to experts and additionally organise snorkelling excursions.

Although favourable diving experiences can be had almost year round, summer is said to be the best period for diving because the warm water attracts a wealth of exotic fish and marine life.  There are approximately 27 dive centres located around the island.  General consensus among divers that while diving is good for most of the year, from June to October the southeast tradewinds make for rough seas in certain areas and therefore make for more difficult dives.  December through March is considered to be the best time for diving as the waters are clearest.

For divers who have limited time and not much access to remote parts of the island, we would recommend you to dive on one of the artificial reefs, which have been created by the Marine Conservation Society at various parts of the island.  Many of the wrecks around Mauritius are deliberately sunk artificial reefs.  Do not let this put you off as even though these vessels did not sink from ‘natural and/or historical’ causes & events, does not make them less fun, interesting and impressive to dive.

TIP:  While most operators do provide equipment, avid divers would do well to take their personal dive gear along, not only from a cost perspective but also familiarity with your own equipment.

NOTE:  Remember this is a small selection of dive sites in each area.  As time goes by, names have been changed, and local divers have their own unique names for these sites. It’s not uncommon to arrive at a site, and find each local knows it by another name.

Most popular Dive sites

NORTH COAST
From Pointe aux Canonniers stretching over to Grand Gaube in the East. Including the off-shore islands:  Coin de Mire, Flat Island, Gabriel Island, Round Island and Serpent Island.

• Whale Rock (26 to 38 metres):  This site is so wide that it has been divided into two distinct areas according to depth and dive level so that any diver can explore the abundance of its fauna. Up to 20 metres you generally find angelfish, butterflyfish, triggerfish, small moray eels, parrotfish, wrasses and clownfish.  In the 38- metre area you might well meet leopard moray eels showing off their up to two-metre long bodies, big pufferfish, groupers and occasionally, a small shark. In summer, big species such as sailfish and hammerheads make their appearance.
• Coin de Mire:   (10 to 20 metres).  Rock walls in certain area around Coin de Mire island drop around 100 metres.  The sites around the island are suitable only for experienced divers because of the tides and currents.  Average depth is between 10 and 20 metres and the dives are usually drift dives.  Barracuda, dogtooth tunny, large parrotfish, wahoo and white-tipped shark are relatively common and there are lots of oyster clams, cowries and hermit crabs.
• Flat Island:  (15 to 25 metres).  Due to rough seas and strong currents, this site is generally only dived in summer and by highly experience divers.  The biggest attraction in the area is probably Flat Islands 25m deep dive called 'Shark pit' shark dive, so named for its large concentration of sharks.  The shark pit has been hollowed out of the wall of a huge rock called pigeon rock. Originally a cave, the roof at some time collapsed to leave the open pit now visible. This pit has become sanctuary for sharks. This dive is considered as a drift dive as there is almost always a slight tidal current. Divers will encounter white and back tip reef sharks ranging from 1to 1.5 meters in length as well as Grey reef sharks and silvertip reef sharks swimming in a circular pattern in the open pit. The entrance to the pit itself is found at 10m and descends to 14m inside. Outside the pit the depth ranges from 16 down to 22m where you can see a wide variety of fish such as Tuna, big King fish, schools of Mackerel and many others.
• The Silver Star wreck:  (22 to 39 metres).  This is a favourite in the area.  The wreck of an old fishing boat which sank in the early 1990’s.  The wreck sits upright – partially on the reef and partially on the sandy bottom and visibility is approximately 20 to 30 metres.  It is a haven for a wide variety of marine life including barracuda, scorpion fish and angel fish. The interior of the wreck can be accessed safely allowing you to explore this relic of the past. Truly a fantastic experience to dive on this wreck. 
• Djabeda Wreck:  (26 to 34 metres).  Djabeda wreck is a Japanese fishing boat lying upright on a sandy bottom at 34 metres. Just off Gunner’s coin island, the wreck has been damaged slightly over the years and debris can be seen strewn across the sandy floor.  The vessel is approximately 35 m long, 10m high and 5 m wide. The site is full of king fish, moray eels, trigger fish, stone fish, lion fish, parrot fish, leaf fish and sea slugs. Sometimes the wreck is visited by sharks, barracuda, sting rays and dolphins.
• Gunner’s Coin (10 - 35 metres):  On the left of Gunners’ Coin Island in the north of Mauritius, you will come across a magnificent wall covered in gorgonians, with beautiful casts rising up to the surface, sheltering a reef fauna where big parrotfish can be spotted during each dive. If you are lucky, you might spot one of the big predators which sometimes stop by. Drop off, Jabeda Wreck, up to 30 metres, usually very clear visibility and opportunity to see turtles, large rays, tunas; garupas, snappers and schools of small barracudas together with a usual display of all islands coral species. This dive can be difficult in the presence of strong current.
• Aquarium: (10 to 15 metres).  This site has good visibility (20-50 metres) and has a slight current before new and full moon. The area is teeming with a variety of marine life making.  It a great night dive site with most operators working in this area.
• Coral Gardens & Lost City: (Coral Gardens 18 to 21 metres) & (Lost City 18 to 35 metres).  Majestic rock structures, gorgonian fan coral, soft coral and an abundance fish life including larger fish and a giant moray eel.
  The spectacular attraction on this site is the two big Titan trigger fish who will follow you on the whole dive and even allow you to touch them
• Grand Bay and Péreybère offer about 6 diving sites along the coast ranging in depth from 11metres to 18 metres. You can see a large variety of colourful fish and corals of all sorts in the clear water. The sites are named:  Grand Bay Aquarium, Coral Head, Island Reef, Péreybère Aquarium and Merville Patche.

NORTH WEST COAST
North-West:  Starting at Pointe aux Piments to Pointe aux Canonniers in the north. This site is dived all year round because of the excellent diving conditions that prevail in the area. Water temperatures range from 19-30 degrees Celsius. In this area Japanese Dragon, a small elusive, yet beautiful and rare species has been spotted on occasion.

• Stella Maru:  North West.  (26 metres)  Many of the wrecks around Mauritius are deliberately sunk artificial reefs. The Stella Maru was sunk in December 1987 and lies upright on a sand bottom, next to a rocky reef. The wreck is in great shape and there is remarkably little sea growth on the vessel apart from algae, small soft corals and other marine organisms such as anemones and sea urchins. The real attraction lies in the spectacular sight of the ship lying virtually intact on the ocean floor - few can deny the sense of drama felt when seeing a wreck looming ahead as you descend into the depths! Angler fish and large stonefish are relatively common on the wreck and a large green moray has made its home here.
• Waterlilly & Emily:  North West.  (26 metres).  Two barges, Water Lily and Emily, lie about 30 metres apart.  These two barges were scuttled to create an artificial reef.  A wide variety of fish life can be seen on and around both vessels - in particular a number of Raggy and Tass elled scorpion fish lurk about and a number of eels have made their homes in different corners of the wrecks.  A quirky and rather friendly moray has made its home in the tyres lying in the sand – this dandy fellow likes to be stroked under the chin (Note: Never attempt to touch the marine wildlife on your own – only under professional supervision).  Due to the clear water conditions, this site is perfect for photography.
• Caravelle:  (26 – 30 metres).  This dive site has many caves and tunnels and a large marine presence. Keep an eye out for batfish, pineapple fish, unicorn fish, barracuda and spotted eagle-rays.  It is said that divers have encountered white-tip reef shark, hammerheads and the odd tiger shark. Giant reef rays of 2m, weighing 200kg have apparently also been seen in this area.
• Holt’s Rocks (Boulders): (18 to 21 metres).  Holt's Rock is made up of huge basalt rocks of volcanic origin surrounded by corals.  The caves, cracks tunnels and crevices offer ideal spots for titan triggerfish, which come and greet you as soon as you dive in.  Look out porcupine fish, giant moray eels and big eye emperor fish, parrotfish, angelfish, butterfly fish, lyretail, groupers, triggerfish, clownfish, schools of snappers, scorpion fish, stonefish and an abundance of crayfish.  The highlight of this dive site however, is when you meet the up with giant moray eels, which are up to 2 metres long and curious enough to come and beg for gentle strokes and attention. (Note: Never attempt to touch the marine wildlife on your own – only under professional supervision).
• Lost Anchor: (22 to 30 metres).  A spectacular site with two sunken anchors, one on the reef and the other on the sand. Lost Anchor comprises a small reef patch with a hole containing a 17th Century anchor, the origin of which remains a mystery to this day. The site has many hard and soft corals, and gorgonians including picturesque sea fans.

WEST COAST
This are stretches from Black River to north of Flic and Flac. Most diving is just outside of the reef; drop-offs may be encountered as well as caves, caverns, archways and other interesting underwater scenery. This is a popular area for photographers and divers of all levels. Diving is relatively good in this region as it has mild currents and good general visibility (from 20 to 30 metres).  Night dives are recommended in this area as polyps open, Spanish dances flaunt their beauty in search of food and the corals take on a magnificent hue. Beware of strong currents at certain times. 
The most popular sites are:

• Cathedrale: (22 to 27 metres) An impressive underwater cave which starts as an underwater cliff just close to Flic en Flac and offers spectacular visual beauty due to the topography of the site.  This dive takes place on the drop off, beginning at 18m at the top of a rock formation that drops steeply along two connecting cliffs to a depth of 27m. The bottom is sandy and barren but the walls of the chamber teem with an abundance of life.  Various creatures inhabit the cracks and crevices in the rock face. The dive follows a chute into a higher chamber with large quantities of crayfish and shrimps, and culminates in a huge cave which is open at the rear. A huge Giant moray lives at the back of one of the overhangs. Due to the filtering light entering through a crack in the ceiling, it feels like you are in a high-vaulted cathedral – hence the name. Generally the water in the cavern is calm although you may feel a sucking surge as you travel up the chute.

Two wrecks and cannon can be found in this area. 

• Kei Sei 113:  (35 to 40 metres).  This converted barge was sunk in 1988 to form an artificial reef. An Interesting dive and a large variety of marine life from red snappers and hawkfish to giant moray eels have made this their home.
• Tug11 was sunk around 1981 to form another artificial reef. Again large shoal of fish can be seen around the wreck. Look out for lionfish, devil fire fish and stone fish.
• The cannon can be seen on a shelf around 12 metres, this is rumoured to belong to the Banda, Admiral Pieter Both’s ship, which was wrecked during a violent storm in 1615 some distance from the current site. The actual wreck site is not suited for the beginner and intermediate divers. 
• Aquarium: (7 to 18 metres).  This site has good visibility although mostly drift diving. A rocky reef area that harbours the likes of Angelfish, clown fish, and butterfly fish plus lots of wire coral.  A fair number of stonefish may be encountered on the dive, as well as the black coral.  This is where night dives are arranged for experienced divers.
• Rempart Serpent:  (25 metres).  Close to Flic en Flac and also known as Shark place, this site resembles a large snake moving across the sand. It is home to an impressive range of tropical fish, however, it is the number and varieties of stonefish, scorpion fish, lionfish and moray eels that make it special. The inhabitants include Bearded and Weedy scorpion fish, Decoy scorpion fish, Humpbacked or Devil scorpion fish, Mauritius scorpion fish, Indian lionfish, Clearfin lionfish, Leaf fish, Indian waspish, Common stonefish, Ocellated dwarf lionfish, Yellow-mouth and Yellow-edged moray eels.  The sharks sometimes spotted here are normally grey reef sharks although hammerheads occasionally visit the area.
• Tamarin Bay:  Famous for dolphins. In groups of four or five, the dolphins are more than happy to perform their ballet in the water, for their spectators enjoyment and delight. There are more dolphins in this area during autumn and winter - May to August.
• L'Eveille:  (27 to 30 metres).  Descending over a wall, this site has two very distinguishing features: the first is the stepped terraces making up the reef and the second is a concentration of anemones and Mauritian anemone fish. Shoals of Lunar and Blue and gold fusiliers decorate the site.

EAST COAST
East:  From Grand Gaube to Mahebourg in the south. This area is known for high winds and rough seas. Beware of tidal currents. Water temperatures vary from 18-26 degrees Celsius.  The East coast is a bit wilder and rather less affected by mass tourism than certain other regions and it is famous for its beautiful beaches and magnificent lagoons.  The coastline is scattered with many channels that allow easy access to the open sea. Dives are very often weather-dependent and during winter, high tides and strong winds in the region make diving in other areas of the island a better option. Of the four sites, one is particularly good; Dive into the current of the Belle Mare lagoon (12-30metres) and here one generally finds a variety of sharks, rays, barracuda, tuna fish and kingfish. Due to high winds and rough seas, organised dives are done in only 4 places along the East coast:

• Lobster Canyon:  (20 to 25 metres). Just beyond the reef is a gulley ending in a cave, with an abundance of lobster. Kingfish and white-tip reef sharks are seen in this location at times, as well as eagle-rays.
• The Pass: (8 to 25 metres).  Depth varies along the dive of 2km long. You can drift-dive through the pass in the barrier reef, admiring the psychedelic tapestries of coral and reef fishes.  Starts at 7m and ends at 25m. Turtles frequent the area and sharks are seen as well.
• La Passe De Bella Mare:  This dive covers an area of 2 km long and 1.5 km wide. It is suggested to split this into 4 separate dives (shown below). Depth is between 20 metres and 33 metres and visibility is between 10 and 20 metres.  This is a drift dive from the lagoon starting from 3 metres and going down to 17metres through a natural pass in the barrier reef. One of the finest dive sites on the east coast. Carried effortless through the pass by a strong current, divers can see eagle rays, magnificent giant kingfish(30-40kgs), shoals of horse eye king fish, pick handle barracuda, big Wahoo and a wide variety of reef shark including bull sharks throughout the dive.
• Shark Point / Flats:   (20 to 30 metres).  As its name suggests, this site starts as a flat sand bottom bay surrounded by cliffs and coral outcrops. A multilevel dive, with a mild current and visibility of 25 to 30 metres. Divers can see various species of Sharks, specifically Bull sharks ranging from 2 to 3.5 metres long. Schools of Barracuda and Trevally as well as other pelagic fish and black-tip reef shark often pass through this site. Numerous varieties of soft corals, parrot fish and other reef fish can be seen along the cliff faces and coral outcrops.
• Sea Fan Valley:  (16 to 28 metres).  A multilevel dive boasting various species of Giant Sea fans “Gorgonia” growing along the cliff face.  These grow amongst the coral create a spectacular Scenery which hides numerous exotic fish and crustaceans. Schools of black chub, Blue striped snapper, King fish and many other fish and rays patrol the reef. Sometimes dolphin can be seen as well.
• Castle:  (10 to 18 metres).  An interesting dive with good visibility from 20 to 30 metres. The depth on the bottom is 18 metres and goes up 10 metres on the top of the reef, with small sand bottomed gullies and channels weaving in and out of coral outcrops and overhangs creating a maze like atmosphere.

Divers can often see white tip reef sharks sleeping under low outcrops, Schools of black chub fish, Snake eels, Moray eels, Sting rays, crustaceans and a diversity of corals and other fish.

• Aquarium has a large variety of fish species that frequent this area.

Again try out the other sites that include Le Touessrok Pass (22-26m), The Wall (23-25m) and Drift Dive (17-23m)

SOUTH COAST

Diving in this area is an exquisite experience. The marine landscape is absolutely breathtaking and each sweep of your flippers will propel you through an ever-changing landscape. Starting from Mahébourg up to Blue Bay, waves and currents have created caves, canyons, crevices and tunnels that make up very interesting diving sites.  Diving in this region is heavily weather-dependent and due to high winds and rough seas, dives beyond the barrier reef are restricted. Visibility is often disturbed due to the presence of fine silt, which is continuously discharged by neighbouring rivers.
The most interesting diving sites are:

• Roches Zozo:  (33 to 40 metres).  An impressive underwater rock pinnacle
• Blue Bay Marine Park: (7 to 10 metres).  Good visibility with up to 50 metres at times.  This is a protected marine park and small scale fishing is still done by locals around the fringes. However the designation has allowed this area to thrive with many varieties of corals, including huge Brain corals, Staghorn corals and Cabbage corals. There is also a wide range of fish species including Damselfish, Butterfly fish, Surgeonfish and juvenile Sailfin tangs. Large Trumpet fish are also found as well as tiny pipefish. This is a peaceful dive, more about relaxing rather than adventure.
• Purple Cave: (18 to 20 metres).
• Colorado: (33 to 40 metres).  In these deep waters, you find the remains of Dalbair. The area has lots to offer, from a mini-grand canyon (hence the name), caves, large amphitheatre, arches and caverns. Also frequented by turtles, kingfish, and hammerhead and black-tip reef sharks.
• Le Sirius Wreck:  (18 to 25 metres).  The remnants of the historical wreckage of the Sirius, which was sunk in 1810 during the naval battle of Grand Port between the British and French.  The wreck lies in the Mahebourg Channel; visibility poses the biggest problem on this site, as the silt is easily disturbed by careless divers – but still a great dive
• Pass St. Jacques:  (15 to 25 metres).  This is one site where you can enjoy a good drift dive in both good and bad conditions.  Visibility is between 8 and 25 metres.  Quite an exciting dive with its narrow pass and cliffs on either side.  The dive starts inside the reef at 5m and ends at depth of around 24 metres. The cliff faces on either side are crowded with various species of tropical fish. Divers can expect to see anything from schools of barracuda, giant trevally, bull sharks, grey reef sharks, white tip reef sharks, sting ray, schools of eagle rays, giant lobster, giant moray eel and often Dolphin as well.

SOUTH WEST COAST: 
This area covers the stretch from north of Black River to south of the Le Morne peninsula.  This underwater area is mainly sandy seabed with rocky outcrops and coral patches. Visibility can usually be expected in the range of 20 to 25 meters, reaching up to 40 metres at times.  Water temperatures range from 20 to 30 degrees Celsius, depending on the time of year.

• Needle hole:  (12 to 16 metres).  A very good spot for night diving. You can expect to find Sergeant-majors and Fusiliers in large schools in this area.
• Anthony’s place:  (14 to 16 metres).  Conditions and visibility is good on most days. The area features a rock, with coral pinnacle that allows for some great under-water photography.
• Cliff:  (22 – 25 metres).  A drop off site near the Paradis Hotel.  The site has a few resident moray eels, groupers and wrasse. Conditions can be quite badly affected by strong tidal surges.
• Casiers: (26 to 32 metres).  A flat horseshoe-shaped reef, this is generally considered a deep dive, with depths of 26 to 32m easily reached. You could find yourself face to face with game fish, such as tuna, barracuda, surgeonfish, kingfish and Wahoo.  Tidal influence is a little more pronounced and visibility can be adversely affected by suspensions in the water.
• Japanese Garden:  (14 – 28 metres).  This site offers good visibility (20 to 30 metres) with very little currents.  A dive that begins from a sandy bay at 17 metres and ends on the top of a coral outcrop at 12 metres with hardly any current at all. This site has been named “Japanese Garden” because it looks like a typically structured and tiered Japanese garden, with many types of coral, teeming with various tropical fish, Moray eels, Octopus, rays parrotfish, pipefish, ghost morays and sometimes shark as well. This site is well known for its Stone fish population.