Marine life
Réunion is an island of the Mascarenes Islands archipelago, located in the Indian Ocean, but also a French department. The island is ideal for divers thanks to its numerous dive sites like the Sec Jaune or the Pointe de Sel. Once out of the water, it is also possible to observe some wonders of nature since Réunion is famous for its hiking spots, its landscapes and two volcanos, the Piton des Neiges and the Piton de la Fournaise which is still active. Despite the strong presence of sharks, the probability that you meet one underwater is almost nonexistent.
When to go diving in Reunion ?
Located in the Indian Ocean, this island has a tropical climate. This region has two seasons. A dry one, called austral winter that lasts from May to November. During this period, nights fall earlier, temperatures are colder and winds more frequent. From November to April, it is the austral summer where the air is heavier, there’s a lot of clouds and small showers appear late in the evening. Besides, from December to February, showers are more often. Finally, from October to December, it’s spring! At this time of the year, plants are sumptuous and a lot of fruits occupy the area.
The best period to dive in Réunion is from February to May.
Scuba diving conditions
The visibility in Réunion waters is excellent: from 65 to 164 feet!
Currents: Even if currents are frequent, you cannot predict them. You should remain very careful since they can be quite violent!
Difficulty: The difficulty level of the dives depend on the sites. Some are only open to advanced divers whereas others are accessible to beginners.
The water temperature in Reunion is pretty high: between 26° and 29°C 75° and 84°F.
What to see diving and snorkeling?
Réunion offers a large scale of beautiful landscapes but also splendid dive spots. The red, orange and yellow gorgonians, the black coral and abundant marine life will permit you to live an extremely rich and colorful experience. In these waters, you will find a large number of crustaceans like lobsters. For the foodies, it will be possible for you to meet again with lobsters… in your plates! Indeed, the Lobster Curry is a famous dish made by Réunion locals for great occasions. You will also be able to dive among Manta rays, the biggest kind of ray that can reach 22 feet long and 2 metric tons. Several varieties of moray eels live in these waters: the snowflake moray, giant morays, viper morays… Turtles are very common. You will be able to observe them during both first and advanced dives. From June to October, humpback whales come there during the egg-laying season. So you may admire them during this period.
