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A few granite rocks lapped by the waves, a handful of palm trees swaying in the wind – tiny St Pierre Island is the perfect desert island. Located approximately 1 mile off Praslin, it can only be reached by boat, but it is not possible to land there. The waters around the islet, although sometimes a bit choppy, are poor in corals but rich in fish.
St Pierre island is located off the coast of Praslin, in front of Anse Volbert. You will easily find on the island (particularly on Anse Volbert beach) tours to take you to St Pierre. Tours often combine snorkeling in St Pierre with a visit to Curieuse Island.
Your guide will show you where to get into the water. If you go to the snorkeling spot in your own boat, get into the water near the islet, on Praslin’s side. This is where the calmest waters are.
While the coral is badly damaged all around the island, the location is still very rich in fish. The most lively area lies to the west of the islet, facing Praslin.
The seabed is mostly covered with rocks and rubble (↕6-13ft/2-4m), with scattered small living corals attached to the rocks. Despite the damaged seabed, St Pierre still hosts lots of sea life, including a diversity of colorful reef fish. Lined surgeonfish and powder blue tang are common near the granite boulders, as well as sergeant majors, fusiliers, spinefoot and jacks.
St Pierre is not a very sheltered location, and the sea can get rough around the boulders when there is surf. This spot is also sometimes invaded by jellyfish.
Day tours to St Pierre and Curieuse usually include lunch.
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.
