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Mahebourg Bay hosts a tiny patch reef, located approximately 1,3 kilometers from the shore and only accessible by boat. It is located in one of the largest lagoon areas of the island. With its preserved coral and its wide variety of fish (including barracudas and clownfish), this reef is definitely one of the snorkeling best-kept secrets on Mauritius island. We recommend you to use a a local guide to explore this spot.
The easiest way to snorkel the reef is to book a tour from Mahebourg. It will cost you from 850 rupees (€20) per person for approximately 2 hours. You can book it from local operators in Mahebourg or asking to boat owners on the waterfront. Only take the boats that have a commercial permit to do the trip (those having the prefix PC, not PPC, on their boat).
You will enter the water directly from the boat.
The spot covers a 500sqm patch reef in the lagoon, an area that is sheltered from the waves and currents. The water depth ranges from 1 to 8 meters (4-25ft), but your skipper will drop you in a 2-3m water depth area.
On the reef, you will observe a wide variety of fish at all water levels: needlefish, schools of juvenile barracudas, damselfish, sergeant majors, and dozens of other species. The corals are mostly tabular ones with interspersed massive and staghorns, with patches of fire coral.
In the central part of the spot, you will observe a rock outcrop with a group of anemones with mature Mauritian clownfish (Amphiprion chrysogaster), endemic from Mauritius and Réunion Island.
Ask for details about what is included in your excursion when booking. As this spot is relatively close to the shore, tours duration generally does not exceed 2 hours.
These spots are accessible to anyone with basic snorkeling skills, and feeling comfortable in the water and with his snorkeling gear. You will enter the water from the shore (beach, pontoon, ladder, rocks) or from a boat. The water height in the sea entrance area is reasonable, but you will not necessarily be within your depth. Moderate currents can occur in the area, even when the sea conditions are good. The distance to swim to reach the most interesting snorkeling areas of the spot does not exceed 200 meters.This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
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