(08-10-09) The first people to set foot on Mauritius, as early as the 15th century, were Arab sailors and merchants. Since them, this paradisiacal island situated near the Tropic of Capricorn conserves its entire splendour and virgin nature, rounded by blue crystal waters full of life.

   Of volcanic origin and generally sheltered by barriers of coral reefs forming natural, safe, crystal clear lagoons, Mauritius has long been a dream destination. Known to the Arabs as early as the 10th century, but officially «discovered» in 1505 by the Portuguese navigator Pedro Mascarenhas, the island was occupied successively by the Dutch (1598-1712) and the French (1715-1810), and was ceded to Great Britain in 1814 through the Treaty of Paris. On 12 March 1968, Mauritius became Independent.

   Most people in Mauritius are bilingual and are equally fluent in English and French. Creole and French are the main languages in the everyday environment and several oriental languages are also spoken.

   Mauritius is located approximately 2000 kilometres to the south eastern coast of Africa and lies east of Madagascar on 20°5, 57.5E. The country covers an area of 1865km with 330 kilometres of coastline. Mauritius is 45km in width and 65km in length.

    In Mauritius, diving is possible all year round but the best season remains at summertime, from November to April, where the water’s temperature can reach 29°C. In winter, the sea cools down noticeably and can fall below 20°C: the waters are rough and visibility is quite poor.

    Gathered together within the MSDA (Mauritian Scuba Diving Association), around forty diving centres offer underwater trips in the region where their centres are located. Nearly all of them are established within an hotelier complex and offer the usual services: rent of materials, first diving, licence exams, night diving, etc.

    The island offers a diverse range of diving sites: coral reefs abounding in life, endless drops decorated with sumptuous gorgonian fans, sceneries with an imposing architecture made of arches, tunnels and mysterious caves, rusted shipwrecks that conceal unsuspected “treasures”...

    The attractive sites can be found all around the island, rather exclusively behind the coral reefs. The Lagoon is not much interesting, except the marine parks of Blue Bay and Balaclava. It is rather poor in animal life due to the damage caused by fishing (with the use of dynamite in the past!), pollution and the development in the tourism sector.

THREE BIG ZONES TO DIVE

    The island can be divided in three big zones: the South-West (from the Morne to Flic en Flac), the North-West (from Tombeau Bay till the islands of the North) and the East (from Belle Mare to Mahebourg). The Southern region of the island is not suitable for diving due to a rough and dangerous sea. Each geographic zone possesses its own particularities:

    The South-western part is famous for the presence of dolphins that take shelter in the bays of Tamarind or of Black River. At Flic-en-Flac, two sites outweigh the others: the “Cathedral”, which offers a spectacular décor due to the topography of the place (cavities, caves, arches) and “Rampart Serpent”, which shelters a rich fauna composed of an astounding grouping of different species of stonefish, scorpion fish, lionfish and moray eels. Such an agglomeration of tease species is unique in Mauritius and maybe in the whole World!

    The presence of numerous shipwrecks, willingly immersed in this region so as to create artificial reefs, has enriched diving possibilities, particularly that of “Tug II“ and the “Kei Sei 113“ located at Flic-en-Flac or the “Hoi Siong“, recently sunk off the coast of Ile aux Bénitiers. Other such wrecks can be visited but they are found at rather inaccessible depths: the “St-Gabriel” (-41m), the “Orient” (-47m) or still, the “Car” (-72m).

THE GREEN TREE CORAL: 2 METERS HIGH

    The North of the island shelters diversified and interesting sites: “Peter Holt's Rock“, with its giant moray eels and titan triggerfishes; “Roches Baleines“ with its magnificent drop abounding in numerous fishes and sometimes turtles; “Stenopus Reef“ that is rich in giant gorgonias and corals amongst which is found the green tree coral, more than 2 metres high.

    In this region, shipwrecks are plentiful: the “Hassen Mian” (Balaclava), “Stella Maru” (Trou aux Biches) or the “Silver Star“ (Grand Bay) are the most interesting ones. Other wrecks, less attractive, can be further explored at Trou aux Biches: “Amar“, the “Star Hope“, and the two barges, “Water Lily” and “Emily“.

    The islands of the North offer particularly attractive diving and surprisingly, are rarely visited by the clubs due to their distant location. Yet, they remain easily accessible for one little hour is enough to reach them.

    Various sites at Gunner's Coin are worth the visit: “The Wal” for a rendezvous with the pelagic species, the wreck of “Jabeda” or still the “Sleepers' Cave” that often shelters sleeper sharks. Round Island is found among the most spectacular diving sites: an unequalled place for watching the “big” ones (sharks, shoals of barracudas, marlins).

    “Banc Rouge“, located in between Round Island and Serpent Island, is just as much as attractive: a steep peak reaching up to -80m to the surface, and where there is an ever-perfect visibility. But, the most famous and visited sites of the Northern islands is undoubtedly the renowned “Shark Pit”, behind Flat Island, at the foot of “Pigeon House Rock“.

THE SEA CAN BE VERY ROUGH

    From November to the month of May, it welcomes a significant number of black-tailed sharks (Carcharinus wheeleri). Oblivious to the divers who come to observe them, they swim in the waters that are much oxygenated due to the disturbance of the swell. In this region, the visits depend on the conditions at sea, which can be very rough when there are violent winds.

    On the Eastern coast, the magnificent lagoon bordering the coasts is scattered with many channels that allow easy access to the open sea. The channels are rich in plankton life and attract numerous pelagic species. The channel of Belle Mare is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places of the island, though diving there is rather sporting due to the frequent violent currents (drift dive).

    You will definitely come across a spectacular agglomeration of species: sharks, rays, barracudas, jacks... Impossible to dive here twice for surprises are always popping up! Further to the south, towards Mahebourg, the sites offer a fabulous topography. The amazing geological structure allows the divers to swim in a decor made up of peaks, caves, breaks, tunnels, canyons, arches…

    The sites of “Roche Zozo” and “Colorado” are the two stars of the place, without forgetting the remnants of the historical wreckage of the Sirius. A genuine relic of the past, this British ship had sunk in 1810 during the naval battle of Grand Port, which opposed the French to the British. Unfortunately, there’s not much left and visibility is quite poor in those waters. Nevertheless, the discovery of cannons, cannonballs and the debris of the two-centuries-old hull will certainly evoke strong feelings!