Marine life
Martinique is an island located in the Lesser Antilles and also a department region to France. It’s a heavenly destination for white sand beaches and turquoise waters lovers, but also for divers who will find there a diversified flora and a diversified fauna. If there is a lot of dive sites, the most famous remains Le Rocher du Diamant, in the south of the island. We also recommend you to look around Saint-Pierre Bay where several wrecks are laying.
Best time to go diving in Martinique?
Located in the Caribbean Sea, Martinique is a tropical and humid climate area. As in Guadeloupe, there is a dry season and a rainy and humid season. The dry season goes from December to April. During this period of the year, the sun is up and high and the showers barely occur. The rainy season is between June and December and the weather is more humid. A lot of showers and storms occur, especially between July and October. The best period to dive in Martinique is from December to May.
Scuba diving conditions
Visibility while diving is pretty good, since it goes from 32 to 131 feet. However, it is sometimes distorted during rainy season heavy showers, in August, September and October.
Currents: Depending on the spot, the currents intensity varies from weak to extremely strong. Do not hesitate to ask dive centers for those information.
Difficulty: Once again, the difficulty of the dives depends on the spots, but it is possible to make your first dive in Martinique. The wreck Lady V or the Pointe Burgos dive site are open to beginners for example.
The water temperature in Martinique is high: between 26° and 28°C 79° and 82°F all year long.
What to see while diving and snorkeling?
The underwater fauna and flora are part of the wealth of this region. Martinique’s sea bottoms are covered with sumptuous corals, sponges and colored gorgonians. Lots of species live in these full of promise waters, from the small crustaceans to big predators: there is something for everyone!
Lobsters, as well as shrimps, are very present in the waters of Martinique. It is also a very famous dish among locals.
Another star attraction is the Cassiopea jellyfish. This jellyfish which has a very uncommon shape has a particular characteristic: it lives with algae in its cells.
Different kind of turtles lives in this region: leatherback sea turtle, green sea turtle, hawksbill sea turtle… You will have great chances to meet some in Saint-Pierre Bay.
During your underwater explorations, you will also be able to observe moray eels. This fish able to reach 120 centimeters width has a particular feature: it has no scales but a thick and slimy skin.
Thanks to their large quantity and poor vivacity and mobility, urchins are easy-to-observe animals. The maximum size of an urchin is around 12 centimeters diameter.
Finally, several shark species live around the island: the blue shark, the hammerhead shark, the nurse shark…
