Mauritius
in General
Mauritius
is an island in the Indian Ocean, found east of
Madagascar. The weather is sub-tropical, with
air temperature along the coast usually in the mid-20's(
celcius ) during the daytime. During the summer this
may rise to the mid-30's ( celcius ). Water
temperature varies from 20 to 30 celcius depending on
the season and diving location. For some time now,
Mauritius has been regarded as a choice destination,
mainly by European scuba divers. Many say that diving
here ranks with some of their best dives in the Red
Sea or the Maldives. Much of the diving done in
Mauritius is along the west coast, and outside the
coral reef which is ranked as the world's 5th largest.
Altogether there are around 200 species of coral,
including the famous black coral. The reef supports a
wide range of marine fauna such as turtles, rays,
eels, game fish, octopus, squid, lobster, sharks,
rays and a myriad of tropical fish. It is also quite
common to see whales and dolphins on deeper dives in
the open water.
Not all of the diving
is based around the reef. Mauritius is a volcanic
island by nature, and there are numerous cliff
faces and caverns to explore.There are hundereds of
shipwrecks, some dating back to the days of the
pirates. A popular wreck with divers is that of the
"Sirius", a 19th century British frigate
which sank during a naval battle with the French
fleet. Mauritius used to be a French colony until the
early 1800's, and was a strategic point in the Indian
Ocean. A naval battle was fought between the British
and the French close to the town of Vieux-Grand-Port
and the British lost. The victorious French engraved
the name of the town on the Arc of Triumph in Paris
which can still be seen to this day. A few years
later, however, the British managed to gain control
of the island.
There are a number of
artificial reefs along the west and north coasts.
These were scuttled by the Mauritius Marine
Conservation Society to relieve the increasing
pressure of divers on the reefs, and to help promote
marine fauna around areas of the reef which have been
damaged over the years.
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Dive
Sites of Mauritius
So where are the best
dive sites on the island I hear you say! Well that
depends on what you want to see. The diving
conditions vary around the island. For example, the
east is colder than the west both on land and in the
water. However, the east has some of the best dive
sites of the island. Some parts in the south do not
have any reefs at all and are quite dangerous to dive
into due to the large breakers. The west and north
have some recent wrecks which were scuttled to
promote reef life. Below is a list of dive sites
common with Mauritian divers.
Q:
How safe is Mauritius?
A: Mauritius is
considered by many to be a paradise on earth and
crime levels are low, but to be on the safe side
simply do not bring the Rolex, diamond rings and the
gold on your trip. Its amazing how many silly people
do this! Keep those massive wads of Dollars out of
sight and d'ont divulge to anyone, no matter how
friendly, the amount of money you have brought along
on your trip.
Q:
How warm is the water on average?
A: During the
summer 20 to 30 Celcius, during the winter 20 to 25
Celcius. The sea is calmer and warmer on the west
coast throughout the year. The east coast is blown
over by the Trade Winds which makes it colder and
rougher. The east coast however, has some of the best
dive sites in Mauritius.
Q:
Does Mauritius compare to The Maldives or Red Sea?
A: From what I
hear, the diving can be almost just as fun. The
geographical location greatly influences the type of
diving done, with the west coast having numerous
cliffs, the north, south and east having an abundance
of coral reefs. If you have little experience in
diving Mauritius waters, it is wise to ask what you
can expect to see in different regions.
Q:
What kind of marine life is present?
A: Several species
of shark,barracuda, tuna, red-snapper, rays, eels,
bass, whales, dolphins, turtles,over a hundred
species of coral, octopus, crabs, squid, lobsters,
gorgonias,lionfish, angelfish, parrotfish, grouper,
seargent-major fish, ancientship wrecks, cliff faces,
caverns, coral reefs and much more.
Q:
Do the sharks bite?
A: Sharks in these
waters are relatively tame due to the plentiful fish
stocks. Heres a bit on theside: the worlds largest
Mako shark was caught in Mauritian waters and weighed
in at 1500 pounds ( 600 kg ). Luckily sharks of this
size are a very rare occasion !!!
Q:
Are there any poisonous fish?
A: Yes, namely
lionfish and stonefish. You could also get stung by a
ray if you accidentally stepped on one lurking
beneath the sand.
Q:
What equipment do I need to bring with me?
A: Most hotels and
dive operators in Mauritius have their own equipment,
but I recommend you bring your own wetsuit, buoyancy
control device, regulator, fins and mask.
Q:
Can I get trained to become a diver?
A: Yes, almost all
the hotels do a PADI training course, although I don't
know how much it costs.
Q:
Is there a re-compression chamber?
A: Yes, full
hyperbaric facilities and medical care are available
on the island. However, getting to them is a slow
process as there is no helicopter service. Divers
with the bends are driven to these centres, usually
by their dive buddy, as there is no ambulance service
on the island. This can take from 30 minutes
upto an hour. As a precaution many divers perform a
minute safety stop at 6 metres. In many cases this
can easily be acheived by grabbing hold of the dive
boat's anchor line!
Q:
Are mixed gases available?
A: No, not
officially, although you might encounter some
Mauritian divers who do prepare their own NITROX
mixes by first partially filling their cylinders
using a standard air compressor,and then topping up
with clinical grade oxygen. Unless you have know
these guys for a long time ( a few years ), trying
their mixes is NOT recommended !!!
Q:
How much does it cost to dive?
A: On average,
fees per dive are around 600 rupees (15 Pounds
Sterling or 25 USD)
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Dive Clubs in Mauritius
The
Mauritius Underwater Group ( MUG ), is the oldest and
probably the most renowned scuba diving club in
Mauritius, with its roots dating back to the early
1960's. Its headquarters are at Railway Road in the
town of Phoenix. You can't miss the building, an
early 19th century cannon and anchor mark the
entrance. Almost every diver in Mauritius knows the
place. Just ask your dive masters and they will tell
you how to find it.
The club
meets every Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. All visiting
divers are welcome to attend. Summer evenings are
usually very entertaining with lots of beer and rum
being served, with a barbecue where members bring
meat marinaded in their own recipes. The club forms
part of BSAC. Dives are conducted on Saturdays and
Sundays during the daytime. Thursdays are usually
reserved for night dives. To participate one needs to
be a BSAC sports diver, PADI open water diver, or
CMAS 2 star. You will need a form of transport, as
the club conducts dives all around the island. I
recommend you hire a Suzuki jeep which is available
at the car rental firms.
Once you
have registered and become a temporary member, you
may hire equipment. The MUG has several sets of
regulators, buoyancy control devices, and air
cylinders. You must have your own wetsuit. Equipment
rental rates are fairly inexpensive.
Some
members of the MUG have formed the Mauritian Marine
Conservation Society which has scuttled several
vessels off the coast to form artificial reefs.
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