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The Indian Ocean region has some of the best dive sites in the world and Naïade Resorts’ hotels in The Maldives, The Seychelles and Mauritius are particularly well situated for this sport.
There is some fine diving to be had in Mauritius and many hotels either have their own Dive Centres or nearby facilities.
Beau Rivage
Beau Rivage is a 5-star hotel on Mauritius’ east coast, with its own Diving Centre and with some famous dive sites located close by.
Dive Sites
The sites are situated 10 minutes by boat from the hotel. They are 1.5 km apart and, as well as the corals, the sights include Tuna, Barracudas, King Fish, Eagle Rays and small White Sharks.
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Depth in metres |
| Aquarium |
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12 |
| Japanese Garden |
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17 |
| Castle |
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20 |
| Long Cliff |
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24 |
| Sea Fan Valley |
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30 |
| Sea Fan Forest |
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34 |
| Canyon |
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24 |
| Yen Place |
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26 |
| Belle Mare Pass |
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16 |
Legends
Tranquillity and harmony are key in the Feng-Shui inspired 4-star Deluxe Legends, in the north of Mauritius near the village of Grand Gaube.
Scuba Diving (P.A.D.I) features at the Diving Centre and excursions focus on the area around Gunner’s Point, a landmark islet a short distance from the hotel. Les Pavillons
Closed for renovation as from January 2008 until October 2008
On the southwest coast, the 4-star Les Pavillons combines tropical elegance with a romantic, barefoot atmosphere. It has its own Diving Centre, registered for Scuba Diving (P.A.D.I). The hotel has a massive lagoon area with several interesting dive sites only a short distance away both in the lagoon and beyond the reefs.
Merville Beach
Merville Beach is a popular 3-star Superior hotel on Mauritius’ northern coast, walking distance from the lively seaside resort of Grand bay.
The hotel has an independent diving centre, managed by a qualified instructor (CMAS/DIWA). Tuition is available for beginners as well as for experienced divers.
Le Tropical
With a cosy atmosphere, the small 3-star Le Tropical is a little further along the east coast from Beau Rivage.
There is an independent Diving Centre a few yards from the hotel.
Desroches Island Resort
This island paradise is close to some of the finest dive sites in The Seychelles, sites of quite exceptional beauty.
Dive sites
None of the dive sites is further than 20 minutes away from the island. The dive boat always follows the divers and stays close by at all times.
There are too many sites to mention them all, but they include ones suitable for beginners to more challenging ones for experienced and advanced divers.
Canyon
This is formed out of big stone blocks and provides excellent swimming through a long, narrow canyon where lots of soft corals and gorgonian fan corals grow. The fish life is remarkable - big shoals of snappers and fusiliers, sweetlips and sleeping stingrays. Nursery sharks like this spot for a little nap underneath the big rocks.
Big Cave
The challenge for every experienced diver - it’s deep and dark. The long tunnel is 6 m wide and goes straight towards the reef wall. It ends after 60 m in a big round room. Sometimes sleeping nursery sharks and turtles are found here. The best part is on the way back as you start to see the entrance again – a blue hole, brilliantly lit, as you return to reality.
Airport Reef
The main area to explore is the big overhang, with famous sea grass pipefishes, living together with napoleons and bumphead parrotfish. Divers may also come across grey reef sharks and turtles. The wall is completely covered with lots and lots of colourful soft corals.
Secret Passage
Away from the main reef, there is a huge rock, with a secret passage on one side, leading into a tunnel (ranging from 18 to 24 metres in height). Inside are lionfish, lobsters and glassfish. The water outside is full of fusiliers, snappers, young barracudas and sometimes some of the big old guys!
Mini Wall
While drifting along this beautiful wall, divers can explore various sized overhangs, which are full of soft corals and gorgonian fan corals. They may also spot special kinds of nudibranchs or snails, as well as a variety of moray eels. In the open water, divers are likely to find themselves swimming near foten eagle rays, turtles and napoleons.
Diva, Maldives
Opening in January 2008
Watersports and Diving are what The Maldives is famous for! From the Resort, guests can access some of the Maldives’ most beautiful sites and encounter parrot fish, eagle and sting rays, clown fish, stone fish, and bullhead and whale sharks.
White Sands Resort & Spa has a long-established reputation as an excellent base for exploring some of the best dive sites in The Maldives, which are, in turn, some of the best dive sites in the world.
The Diving Centre has highly processional and qualified staff and offers an extensive range of courses, suitable for beginners, but with upgrade courses for more experienced divers. All the monitors are qualified to run courses from beginner up to PADI level and are trained in rescue techniques. NITROX diving courses are also available.
Courses available include Discover Scuba Diving, Scuba Diver (leading to PADI Scuba Diver certification), and an Open Water Diver Course, on which, within 5 or 6 days, you will have gained an internationally recognised PADI scuba diving certificate, a card that entitles you to rent equipment and dive any where in the World, to a depth of 18 metres during daylight hours.
The Resort’s facilities are currently being upgraded and White Sands will reopen as the 5-star Diva Resort & Spa shortly. A new Diving Centre will be opened in 2008 as a Euro Divers PADI 5 centre.
Already certified divers receive a free orientation dive. Two diving sessions are organised daily, with at least one monitor for 4 divers.
The Diving Centre offers 37 different dive sights in a distance from 10 minutes. to 1 hour away by boat. It also organises regularly wreck dives to our two different wrecks. Night dives are scheduled on a regular basis and there are early morning dives to some of the more famous dive sites like “Kuda Rah Thila” or “Broken Rock”. Full day trips are also arranged, if weather conditions are suitable. Dive sites include Maamagili, suitable for beginners, Aa Thila for the more experienced and Thinfushi Beru Tila for advanced divers.
Welcome to the Under Water World
The living reef
On the reef, guests encounter colourful reef fish like Sweetlips, Triggerfish, Butterfly fish, Porcupine fish and many, many more. Stonefish, Scorpion fish and Lionfish can have a dangerous sting, but they are only to be found on the reef and mainly under coral blocks, not in the sandy lagoon.
Around White Sands Resort, sharks and rays can be found. These creatures are considered harmless, when treated in a proper manner, everywhere in The Maldives. This is a great opportunity for you to have a closer look. You can see baby Black Tip Reef sharks when you go for a walk on the jetty or along the beach in the lagoon.
In the evening, outside the jetty leading to the Water Village bar, it is also possible to see quite big sting rays (Blotched Fantail rays).
From December to April is the season for the great Manta Ray, but on the reefs around White Sands it is possible to see them most of the time, all year around.
Other rays around White Sands are Mangrove whip-rays, Torpedo Rays, Blotched fantail ray, Porcupine rays, Patterned eagle rays and Spotted eagle rays.
Other sharks in the area include White Tip Reef sharks, Grey Reef sharks, Nurse sharks, Guitar sharks, Zebra sharks (variegated shark) and Whale sharks.
It is also possible to meet the Hawksbill turtle and the Green turtle. The Hawksbill turtle is the more frequent one and as, they are quite curious creatures, they may sometimes come very close to have a look at you.
Dolphins are also quite common around White Sands and can sometimes be seen passing the island outside the house reef.
Dive Site
Click here to download the pdf of dive sites - (32 kb)
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