Scuba diving in Mauritius | Flic en Flac & the best of the West Coast

The scuba diving in Mauritius holds more wonders than you could expect! The tropical waters of this paradise island are home to amazing sea life. Be prepared for mind blowing encounters with sperm whales and dolphin pods on your surface interval. The reefs are teeming with hundreds of bright-coloured fish and you will literally feel like in an aquarium. And the heaven is not only underwater! Above the surface Mauritius has everything you need for the perfect vacation.

Photo by Vitamin Sea

 

The Pearl of the Indian Ocean

“Mauritius was made first and then heaven, heaven was copied after Mauritius” – Mark Twain

This quote by the famous American novelist is one that every person who has visited the island of Mauritius can attest to. 

Mauritius is also known as the ‘star and key’ of the Indian Ocean or ‘The Paradise Island’. It is one of the top tropical destinations in the world, surrounded by warm, crystal clear waters and turquoise lagoons. The exquisite marine life all year long makes the island a diver’s dream come true. With an explosion of history, diverse culture, languages, and cuisine along with breathtaking sceneries and landscape, your stay is guaranteed to be a memorable one. 

Photo by Vitamin Sea

 

West Coast – Where the best scuba diving in Mauritius is

You might be asking yourself, why the west coast specifically? Well, you know what they say! West is best and that is definitely true for Mauritius. The best diving happens on the west coast as it has the largest diversity of marine life of the island. From megafauna such as whales to the tiniest nudibranchs. Your mind will be blown by the beauty and wonders of the west coast underwater world. 

Video courtesy of Katharina Dohmann and SeaUrchin Dive Centre

 

Flic en Flac

The Flic en Flac beach is the longest and most popular beach on the West Coast. This is where most dive boats are launched from. The beach is sheltered from the strong south east wind which makes it perfect for swimming, snorkelling, and diving. The town of Flic en Flac offers a wide range of accommodation from five-star resorts to more affordable Airbnbs. It also has a great variety of shops, restaurants, and bars. And after a day of epic diving, you will be able to sit back and relax on the beach while witnessing the picturesque sunset and even venture for a sunset snorkel. 

It is relatively easy to get to Flic en Flac wherever you’re staying on the island. There are taxi services or rental car services easily available at reasonable prices. 

 

Mauritius diving season and conditions

Being a tropical island in the Southern Hemisphere, Mauritius experiences only two seasons. Summer starts in October up to mid-April and winter runs from mid-April to end of September. January to March is cyclone season which results in torrential rain, strong winds and a lot of cancelled dives. The best time to enjoy Mauritian waters is from May to December.

In winter the water temperature ranges from 25°C to 26°C. A 3mm wetsuit will do or you might even dive in your swimsuit. In summer, the temperature goes up to 30°C, the perfect time for bikini dives! Most winter days, the visibility is about 20m to 30m while in summer, the visibility ranges anywhere from 12m to 35m.

As for currents, depending on the wind, it can vary from no current to light current to very strong currents. Some dive sites in the situations of strong currents can require going against the current or it may be the ideal time for some drift diving. It all depends on your diving level and what you feel comfortable with. But worry not! The west coast has over 50 dive sites and is ideal for divers of every level. Whether you are an open water diver or a divemaster, there are plenty dive sites to choose from.

Video courtesy of Katharina Dohmann and SeaUrchin Dive Centre

 

Marine life you can see when scuba diving in Mauritius

The West Coast is home to the largest diversity of marine life on the island. But what exactly can you see while scuba diving in Mauritius?

Well, be prepared to have your mind blown! From stingrays to schools of over 40 eagle rays to pods of bottlenose and spinner dolphins to reef sharks and turtles. Every dive promises to be thrilling and full of surprises. But perhaps the most exciting and unforgettable encounter, if you are a whale enthusiast like me, are the resident sperm whales. The west coast of Mauritius is one of the largest near shore and breeding populations of sperm whales. These majestic creatures can be seen all year round. Humpback whales can also be seen from July to November when they are migrating from colder to warmer waters to breed.

Photo by Vitamin Sea

 

While whales are not guaranteed to be seen on every dive, what will most certainly captivate your attention are the hundreds of colourful fish. The island has over 1,000 fish species and the common ones you can see on most dives are porcupine fishes, puffer fishes, box fish, lionfish, leafy scorpionfish, scorpion fish, stone fish, school of barracudas, school of eagle fish, school of snappers and so so many more. Not to mention the nudibranchs, mantis shrimp, moray eels, sea snakes and little ocean critters adorning our reefs. You will constantly be clearing your mask from all the smiling!

Simply check out this video to see for yourself.

Video courtesy of Katharina Dohmann and SeaUrchin Dive Centre

 

As everywhere around the world, our corals have been negatively affected by climate change and human pressure. But due to conservation efforts happening around the island I can gladly say that the reefs are recovering. 

 

Top dive sites

The west coast has over 50 dive sites and caters to every type of diver. Whether you are a keen photographer, an avid wreck diver, a deep diver or simply an open water diver, scuba diving in Mauritius will leave you stunned!

Having been diving the west coast every week for the past year and a half, I’ve compiled a list of my favourite dive sites that are a must when you visit the island.

 

Aquarium/Big Rock (5m – 26m)

These two dive sites are often combined for a magical reef dive surrounded by colourful fish. Suitable for both open water and advanced diver, these two dive sites are famous for sightings of eagle rays and turtles. Possibly one of my most memorable moments scuba diving is drifting with a school of over 40 eagle rays from aquarium to big rock. 

 

Snake Reef (26m)

Surrounded by sandy bottom, Snake Reef is a photographer’s paradise. You can spot stingrays, lionfish, stone fish, the weedy scorpion fish and the ever-elusive octopus. The best way to describe this dive site is you will be swimming in fish glitter. No matter how many times I dive this site, it always leaves a smile imprinted on my face.

Video courtesy of Katharina Dohmann and SeaUrchin Dive Centre

 

Cathedral (28m)

A fantastic combination of drop-offs, swim-throughs, and caves. This dive site is home to the white tip and black tip reef sharks in winter. It is a great spot to see turtles, nudis and giant puffer fishes.

 

KeiSei Wreck/Parc (34m – 40m)

KeiSei, an old Japanese fishing boat which now serves as an artificial reef is my favourite wreck on the west coast. It is adorned with bubble corals, giant moray eels and inhabited by a wide range of fish species. This dive site can be combined with another dive site called Parc. Parc sits at 40m and is surrounded by schools of blue banded yellow snappers. Even though this is a short dive as the bottom time is limited due to its depth, this dive is nonetheless a special one. 

Video courtesy of Katharina Dohmann and SeaUrchin Dive Centre

 

Sperm whale and dolphin encounters with Vitamin Sea!

One of the most wonderful experiences you can have while visiting Mauritius is freediving or snorkelling with Sperm Whales and dolphins. While the resident sperm whales and dolphins live on our west coast permanently, finding them can be tricky. The best guides that know how to find them are Vitamin Sea! Founded by Marine Ferrat and Cedric Fevrier who are certified freedivers and ocean advocates, Vitamin Sea is the best boat tour agency on the West Coast. They offer a great sunrise snorkel/freedive experience with wild dolphins and a magical whale expedition where you have the incredible opportunity to be in the water with these magnificent creatures. They conduct their expeditions in a sensitive way so as to never overwhelm or disturb these graceful beings while giving you a unique experience.

Photo by Vitamin Sea

 

Who to dive with? The best dive centre of the island, SeaUrchin Dive Centre!

To have a memorable underwater experience, you’ll undoubtedly need the right dive center to accommodate you. Well, I have the ideal one for you! I can say with confidence that SeaUrchin Dive Centre is by far the best.

SeaUrchin is a female-owned dive centre, run by two incredible women, Katharina and Perrine, who are the best dive professionals I’ve crossed paths with. Not only is the dive centre one of the most experienced dive centres of the island, but it is the only one in Mauritius to offer PADI, SSI and CMAS courses. Whichever dive organisation you’re looking to do courses with, whether it’s your advanced or a few specialties or even start your Dive-Pro journey, they’ve got you covered!

I was a shy and novice diver when I started diving with SeaUrchin but under the fantastic instruction and the supportive, encouraging and watchful eyes of Kat and Perrine, I have progressed into a confident diver and I am currently a divemaster in training.

Whether you are a newbie open water diver looking to get practical experience while discovering more of the underwater world or an experienced diver looking to have a great time, they will make sure you’re comfortable and ensure you have an absolute blast of a time. They are undeniably the best guides of the west coast!

They are also mindful of the delicate marine life inhabiting our west coast and will make sure you get to witness and interact with these majestic creatures respectfully in order for the experience to be highly enjoyable for all parties involved. You’re in for a once in a lifetime experience with the SeaUrchin team!

All in all, Mauritius offers exceptional underwater experiences and you now have the guide to plan your visit to our paradise island.

 

About the author

Sadiyah is a marine biologist and oceanographer originally from Mauritius. She is a divemaster in training and spends most of her free time underwater or hiking in the mountains. Sadiyah is a passionate ocean advocate and has dedicated her life to the ocean.