In 2015, Mauritius was awarded the highly-coveted “Best Indian Ocean Diving Destination” and for good reason. With exceptional sights such as optical illusions shaped like underwater waterfalls, this island perfect for anyone who wants to indulge in diving and snorkelling. More importantly, it is extremely easy to book diving in Mauritius. Affordable and entertaining, these classes offer certifications that are recognized worldwide. Consequently, as soon as you earn your beginner’s certification, you won’t need to repeat this particular diving course again, no matter which corner of the world you plan on diving again. Check out the best diving spots in Mauritius below!
Beachcomber Diving Experience
The Beachcomber Group of resorts offers various diving packages based on your qualifications, budget and experience. From PADI certifications to CMAS, you can be sure to enjoy a thrilling experience while keeping both environmental concerns and safety in mind. Most Beachcomber hotels are found at the edge of the Mauritian coastline, which means that you only need a 20-minute boat ride to reach the diving destination. If you’re a novice or if you need to earn the required first certification before venturing into the ocean, rest assured that most hotels will allow you to take your budding classes right in the swimming pool. With the Beachcomber Diving Experience packages, you can be sure to be treated to bountiful corals and shoals of colorful fish.
Maritim Diving Centre
Founded by the prestigious Maritim Hotel, the Maritim Diving Centre is perfect for tourists who want to explore the unique underwater world of Mauritius. Ideal for both experienced and novice divers, this centre prides itself on its exceptional level of service. Open to both hotel guests and non-guests alike, this center can help you earn a PADI certification. If you’re already certified, Maritim Diving Centre can plan a tailor-made diving trip to help you explore Mauritius’ many natural underwater wonders. With this group, you can explore no less than 21 different dive sites that will suit both novice and advanced divers.
PADI Discover Diving
Ideal for amateurs and less experienced divers, the PADI discover diving will enable you to explore spectacular coves and underwater caves. In fact, you might even be lucky enough to dive next to large shoals of colourful tropical fish and rare water marine turtles. This diving session starts off from the scenic beach on the North Coast of the island. Known for its calm waters and truly impressive marine wildlife, the North Coast is also brimming with caves and some of the rarest fish species in the world, such as reef sharks, angelfish and several types of eels. Best of all, you’ll also get to explore shipwrecks that date all the way back to the 19th and 18th century. The visibility in this area is excellent and the water remains a comfortable 25 degrees C throughout the year.
The experience starts with a 1-hour introductory lesson where you practice in a pool or shallow water to get used to the basics. Then, a boat will bring you to the open sea, where you dive together with an instructor at a maximum depth of 12 metres. This adventure can cost 79€ per person.
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Most Scenic Diving Spots in Mauritius
Trou Aux Biches Reef
With diving companies, you can be sure to visit some of the island’s most picturesque spots such as the Trou aux Biches Reef. With a depth that varies between 14-19m, this diving spot is known for its shoals of Titan triggerfish, Stone Fish, Numbibrach, Ribbon Eel and Morays, among others. As far as its environment is concerned, this spot is enhanced by sandy banks and coral patches.
Credit: mancini18 on Instagram
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Blue Bay Marine Park
From the surface, Blue Bay Marine Park may look like any regular stretch of lagoon seawater that’s commonly found in every corner of Mauritius. Under the surface, however, is a whole other story. Indeed, this marine park became a protected marine area back in 2000 and has since been described as a diver’s dream. With crystal clear waters, this region is reputed for its endless shoals of rare fish as well as its striking marine fauna and flora. Some of the most common fish in the area include – but are not limited to – sailfin tangs, trumpet fish and damselfish, among others. Because the lagoon is only around 6-7 metres deep, this is also the ideal spot for budding divers.
Credit: Kh3Rv1N on Flickr
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La Passe du Puits
Located on the eastern coast of Mauritius, ‘La Passe du Puits’ is easily one of the most picturesque diving sites in the entire island. To reach this site, you need to take a boat from the silky white beach of Belle Mare, which is known for its rugged coastline and emerald green shrubbery. The ‘Passe du Puits’ takes you on a drift dive which goes all the way down to 17 meters. At the bottom, you’ll find various types of fish such as white-tipped reef sharks, tuna, barracuda, eagle rays and even blackjacks.
If you dive further down south, you will reach another dive site known as the Colorado. Ideal for more experienced divers, this site has a 40-meter drop and is especially known for their rows of rugged rocks which shelter plenty of rare fish.
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Shark Pit Site
If you would like to get up close and personal with sharks, you might want to check out the Shark Pit diving site in the North of Mauritius. Not far from Flat Island- one of the many islets that dot the surrounding lagoons, the Shark Pit does live up to its name since it houses hundreds of different shark species. If you want some additional safety, you can also opt for a cage diving experience, during which you will be lowered into the water from the safety of a solid cage in order to watch the shakes from up close. This adventure can cost you around Rs.10,000.
Cathedral
Cathedral is an excellent diving spot which is located on the West coast of Mauritius. Not far from the popular beach of Flic en Flac, this diving spot very easily caters to both amateur and experienced divers. Considered the very best diving site in the entire island, Cathedral starts off at 18 meters and takes you across a scenic dive all the way down to 27 meters. It gained its name thanks to the cathedral-shaped cove at the bottom which houses different globefish, wrasse and squirrelfish. Through this cove, you can also access another dive site known as Snake Reef which is known for its snake-like formation that lies at the very bottom of the site, around 25 meters underneath the surface. In this place, you’ll find plenty of lionfish, stonefish and scorpion fish. Bear in mind that Snake Reef is best suited to experienced divers only.
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