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A well-known tropical island’s best kept secret
Mauritius has never been punted as a diving destination. Honeymooners go there, families go there to enjoy the world class water sports, golfers go there to enjoy superbly manicured golf courses, but diving? Maybe with your partner on a lazy Sunday. For the Europeans and Scandinavians it’s inexpensive, well run, has fabulous resorts with superb all-inclusive entertainment packages, stunning enclosed lagoons, and white sandy beaches where the kids can safely play. Dive boat launches are among the easiest and most relaxed I have ever experienced anywhere in the world. Boats launch from the lagoon, which is flat calm, and you step onto the boat, either from the beach or off a jetty.
After a thorough briefing on the type of reef and safety procedures in the dive centre, you are good to go. Dive groups are small, and the dive masters and instructors are normally Mauritians, whose safety training and service levels are exceptional. The dive team loads the cylinders on board, and you saunter down to the boat in your wetsuit. You climb onto the boat and kit up your cylinder while the boat putters along to the dive site, normally 5 to 10 minutes away.
A backward roll and you are into amazing clarity and breath-taking fish life. In Mauritius, you don’t need to hunt for moray eels. I have countless videos of them hunting and killing on the reefs, and the extremely rare weedy scorpion fish is a superb example.
The visible re-growth of new corals and the re-establishment of coral reefs on this fabulous holiday island playground is undoubtedly world news.
Mauritius reefs are fairly deep on the global scale and to a certain extent they have been protected from the worst of the ravages of global over-heating of the sea.
Against the global trend, where worldwide reefs are suffering from damage caused by over-population, over-fishing and pollution, there are tiny acrapora corals breaking through the previously dead areas of reef. Ever cautious, the scientists still have to establish the rate of growth, and the Marine biologists at Reef Mauritius in Pereybere are planning to put down coral growth plates to establish the rate of growth.
It’s also probably the safest place in the world to live right now, with a benign climate, unobtrusive governmental controls and almost zero crime. If you leave your handbag on the seat in the Mahebourg airport public lounge and go back to look for it an hour later after trying to check in unsuccessfully without your passport, it’s still there. If you leave your flip flops on the beach they are still there when you go to fetch them a week later. I have done both.
How does a nation that for centuries depended for its livelihood on sugar farming and subsistence fishing ever change its economy, and encourage its marine-dependent population to protect their resources? Mauritius did, and against the world trend, the coral reefs are re-growing.
The Mauritian Government incentivised its population away from sugar cane towards tourism in the early part of the century, and passed protective legislation to limit damage to the undersea world from over-fishing, agricultural chemical run-off, and to clean up the disposal of sewerage and encourage aquaculture.
The legislation was clever, as it did not confront the sugar industry with dramatic change. Instead of passing draconian laws, Government introduced incentives that made the sugar companies happy to shift their focus. The IRS, or Integrated Resort Scheme was introduced to entice sugar farming companies to partner with property developers and build spectacular lifestyle resorts around the island. This not only limited sugar planting, with its chemical overspill into the sea, it also enriched the local population, weaning it away from subsistence level fishing.
The government passed legislation to enable the creation of protective tourism-based entities whose main entertainment offering was the marine world. High end five and six star tourist resorts sprang up on the most beautiful of the Island’s beaches, and of course it was in their commercial best interests to protect their primary attraction, and the resorts zealously guard their maritime resources. Most resorts have an affiliated dive operator, and all of them offer superb service to divers. Francois Besson of Diving World is typical of these, with a powerful conservation policy and a strong affiliation to one of the world’s leading resort chains.
With the construction of Cyber City at Ebene, and the introduction of high speed fibre, the Mauritian population had an alternative source of revenue in the form of IT based activities and above all of call centres. This is a godsend for both English and French speaking companies, as Mauritius has a 95 percent literacy rate, and a highly intelligent labour pool, so the Islanders became less dependent on fishing for their daily meal. Wealth lessens any population’s dependence on its natural resources. The Mauritius supermarkets are packed with shoppers every evening and over weekends. Much easier to buy your food from the local supermarket than to get up at 4am, wheel the engine down to the boat, paddle out in a tiny skiff to load it up, then travel for 2 hours to the local fishing ground.
Mauritius undoubtedly offers some of the world best diving. It is varied, and can be relaxed, dramatic, adventurous or simply fun. The spectacular volcanic structure of the island lends itself to deep diving, where the deco divers can enjoy some spectacular scenery in over 40 metre viz where massive shoals of pelagic fish congregate. Many Europeans spend the winter months in Mauritius, diving with Ocean Spirit, and exploring untouched reefs.
There are sensational dive sites on the East at Bel Mar and in the North in Pereybere where the current is so strong it’s like riding an undersea wave. There are mid-water cleaning stations where the giant tuna come in to be attended by minute cleaner wrasses and damsels, and increasing numbers of hunting barracuda and blue-fin kingfish. There are secret islands off-shore where there are washing machine circular holes filled with the oceanic white-tip sharks who come to spend the daylight hours sleeping, without fear of losing the water-flow over their gills that they need in order to stay alive.
Each reef is different, and all of them have something to offer the recreational diver, and of course it’s a wide-angle photographer’s paradise. In summer the viz can go up to 80 metres, and the lowest I have dived in was 15m viz in mid-winter on a turning tide.
It is really exciting to see the once-dead brown corals sprouting new polyp-tips, and to see the burgeoning growth of the soft corals. With the growth of the soft corals come the coral crabs, banded pipe fish and bower shrimps, so Mauritius is rapidly becoming a paradise for macro photography. With the growth of the corals comes protection for the eggs of the shoaling fusiliers, big eyes, glow-fish, snappers and goat fish, and these are now showing up in massive hatchings that bring in the game fish.
Diving in Mauritius is exciting, and different from anywhere in the world.
It’s an Island with its reefs reborn through the clever intervention of an enlightened government.
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Sources: CORALS and Indo-Pacific Reef Guide by Harry Erhardt and Daniel Knop
Pics: Jill Holloway
Pics: Chrystelle Besson Diving World
© Ocean Spirit
Are you planning your next tropical diving holiday? With literally the world at your feet and so many different types of diving to choose from it can be tough deciding where to go…
The Indonesian province of North Sulawesi lies in the heart of a marine rich region and offers incredible wall diving in the Bunaken Marine Park: wreck, critters and reef combinations in Manado Bay; colorful coral reefs surrounding Bangka island; and the world’s best muck diving in the Lembeh Strait. So how do you begin to choose which region to allocate your holiday time to?
Whilst many divers have heard of these world class diving destinations, many may not realize the close proximity within which they are located. Taking a scuba diving holiday in North Sulawesi does not mean that you have to choose between locations – you can see all that is on offer and explore the areas which appeal to you – IN ONE TRIP!!!
Bunaken Marine Park was one of the first Marine Protected Areas in Indonesia – and it shows! The dive sites around this small island are characterized by staggering coral walls which are teeming with life. The resident population of green sea turtles has grown from strength to strength and at some dive sites you’ll lose count of the number of turtles you see in a single dive.
North Sulawesi, Nord Sulawesi, Celebes Sea, Murex Manado
Manado Bay is home to wide ranging marine life and diverse dive sites. Manado Bay is becoming increasingly recognized for its black sand, muck diving sites, which are home to a plethora of unusual critters from numerous cephalopod species through to seahorses, nudibranch and crustaceans. The Molas wreck is an exciting wreck dive and also offers a myriad of fish and critters. To the South of Manado Bay lays Poopoh – a record breaking site where 385 different species of fish were recorded in just one morning.
Bangka Island is as beautiful underwater as it is on land. This white sand, paradise island is surrounded by kaleidoscopic, soft coral reefs. Schooling snappers, passing reef sharks, occasional dugongs and an array of reef fish and critters have all made Bangka Island their home. Bangka offers phenomenal diving coupled with the chance to completely get off the grid on this stunning, remote tropical island.
The Lembeh Strait is home to the highest concentration of rare and unusual marine life on Earth. Exploring Lembeh’s world famous muck diving sites is akin to opening a treasure chest of critters. Even the most seasoned of divers can’t help but be impressed by the species found here: eight different species of frogfish, flamboyant cuttlefish, wunderpus, mimic octopus, blue ring octopus, bobtail squids, harlequin shrimps, tiger shrimps, three species of pygmy seahorses, countless species of nudibranch, bobbit worms, Ambon scorpionfish and rhinopias – just to name but a few!
The idea of moving from resort to resort can seem arduous and result in wasted diving days – but in North Sulawesi this does not need to be the case! Stay with us at Murex Manado (for diving Bunaken and Manado), and smoothly transition to Murex Bangka and then on to Lembeh Resort too. You can choose the number of nights you wish to stay in each location and transfers between resorts are by boat and include two dives along the way! No wasted diving days, no logistical planning, no drying and packing gear and your dive guide will stay with you from start to finish. Dive your way, hassle free, from one place to the next. Two resort combinations are also available.
For those of you who want to experience the full diversity of Indonesia, choose from up to 150 dive sites and maximize your diving opportunities – a Passport to Paradise is the dive trip of a lifetime.
For more information or for enquiries: reservations@murexresorts.com
Once I’d organised my 6 day/5 night Jurassic Komodo trip, I knew, if I was going to travel all that way, I needed a bit more time to acclimatise and explore. With flying through Bali a popular route from the UK to Labuan Bajo, it made complete sense to spend a couple of days there before flying out. What better way to get the trip started than revisiting where my underwater photography journey started back in 2013 and diving around Nusa Penida? The opportunity came up to spend 2 nights with an amazing little dive resort on Nusa Penida Island called Pure Dive Resort, and it was the perfect start to my trip.
Pure Dive Resort was created in January 2019 after the owners sold their share in a dive resort they built on Ceningan, and has been operational since 1st May 2019. Pure Dive Resort has big plans to create a full-scale dive resort offering quality diving on Nusa Penida. Unfortunately, the Covid outbreak caused delays, and at the moment only the dive centre is operating. However, while I was there, you can see work is in full effect and the place is already looking amazing. After speaking to the owner Ark and the ambition he has for the place, it’s clear that Pure will be a sought-after resort on the island; a place focused on high service and safety standards, while concentrating on keeping it personal for each and every guest.
While the plans for the resort proceed, Pure Dive Resort are using Ring Sameton Hotel for their dive and stay packages, just a 2-minute stroll from the dive centre. Pure Dive Resort are running 2 custom built dive boats, each capable of taking up to 14 divers (including guides) onboard. I for one was very impressed with the dive boat and how spacious and comfortable it was, especially as ‘Manta Point’ is quite a ride away and it can be a little choppy; however, on this occasion the journey was a super comfortable and a fun ride out. The boats are equipped with marine radios, 2×100 4 stroke engines, emergency O2 and life jackets, keeping safety paramount. Not only is Pure Dive Resort a well-equipped dive centre, it also has a freediving school, and they use their own custom-built boat with the capacity of a maximum of 10 freedivers onboard.
While I was impressed with the professionalism and facilities of Pure Dive Resort, it was the equipment for hire and the capabilities of the centre which really stood out. As I was flying to Labuan Bajo late the next day, and I was only scheduled for 3 dives, I was reluctant to use my own dive gear for fear of drying time. I requested a wetsuit and BCD and was really impressed with the quality on offer. Almost brand new ScubaPro equipment is available, and you can see it is well looked after and kept in perfect order in a dry room at the back of the centre. So, after the formalities were over, it was time to get familiar with diving in Nusa Penida once again. Our first dive was scheduled for ‘Manta Point’, easily the most famous/popular dive site of Nusa Penida. I was really looking forward to getting back to a dive site that was the catalyst for me becoming an underwater photographer 10 years ago. The journey to ‘Manta Point’ is an adventure in itself, and just adds to the experience. The rough and ready coastline of dramatic cliffs, pounded by a lively sea, leave you in awe, as the rising sun breaks over the top of the island, creating dramatic rays of light through the spray and mist. The boat skips along the surface, with the excitement building over every swell.
After around a 45-minute journey, we arrived at ‘Manta Point’ earlier than a lot of the other boats that were heading there, thanks to Pure Dive Resort working to create the best experience for their guests and aiming to beat the crowds. Ark was my dive guide for the dive and one other diver would join us. After a thorough dive briefing, where you could tell Ark was very knowledgeable about the area, dive site and mantas, we dropped in and were soon graced by the presence of a black-morph manta ray. Honestly, it couldn’t have been much more than 2 minutes into the dive and the manta went gliding over my head. What a start! Two more manta rays were seen during the dive, but they didn’t seem to want to stay around. That’s wildlife for you; you can’t guarantee the manta rays will circle above you for the whole dive. We still got guaranteed manta rays and saw three, along with a fever of blue spotted stingrays all huddled together on the reef floor. A great start to my trip, and seeing a manta ray within 2 minutes of entering the water is pretty incredible.
Our manta fix wasn’t quite finished though. While we headed back along Nusa Penida to our next dive site, we stopped at a known manta feeding spot for juveniles. It’s an area where a lot of the snorkelling boats go to experience manta rays, and sure enough, we could see a lot of activity in the bay. Ark made the decision to take us over and see what kind of action was happening. It wasn’t long before we spotted a large black shape breaking the surface, and Ark asked if we’d like to jump in and snorkel. It was a unanimous decision and we were dropped in the path of the manta ray. More incredible manta moments were had, as it passed by circling the bay area as it fed. I managed to grab some cool shots showing the contrast of the top of the manta to the seafloor. Nusa Penida really is a unique place and great for manta ray interactions.
After a brief snorkel, we were soon back on the boat skipping across the surface to our next port of call located on the North West side of Nusa Penida. Our next dive site of choice was ‘Pura Ped’, a sloping hill reaching down from the surface creating a gradual descent broken up with stunning hard and soft coral spread throughout the site. The visibility was just amazing, and while Ark kept an eye on the depths in the hope of seeing Mola Mola, I concentrated on the reef and marvelled at the amazing coral on show. While we had no luck with Mola Mola, Titan triggerfish, huge pufferfish and three hawksbill turtles kept me entertained throughout a thoroughly peaceful dive.
Before I descended for my third dive of the day. We ventured back to the dive centre and enjoyed an incredibly tasty lunch, included with a dive day package. The Soto Ayam in the restaurant opposite the dive centre was bursting with flavour and well needed after two great dives.
My third dive was to concentrate on some macro critters that call Nusa Penida home, and Intan was highly recommended to be my guide. Intan had a big reputation with the other guides who said she was incredible at finding the small stuff. I wasn’t originally planning on doing any macro, so it was lucky that my room wasn’t far, and I rushed back to change my lens. The dive site also wasn’t far, as we made a short journey out to ‘SD Point’. I’m so glad I switched to macro and could witness and document the diversity of diving here. Intan’s reputation was well deserved, as she continually pointed out some amazing critters, with leaf scorpionfish, peacock mantis shrimp, scorpionfish, nudibranch, porcelain crab and more spotted throughout another amazing dive.
My trip to Nusa Penida with Pure Dive Resort was short and sweet, and left me wanting a lot more. A day of diving was nowhere near enough that’s for sure, with Ark confident he can find Mola Mola within a few days during the high season of August and September. I feel a trip must be planned for that time next year to explore so much more that this area has to offer. I feel I also missed out on exploring more of the island and its rugged beauty. A trip across to Kelingking Beach is a must next time (even though it is the quintessential tourist view of Bali). While I enjoyed meals at Penida Minang and Penida Colada, a week of culinary exploration is also much needed while I take in the sites. The only question I have now is – ‘Who’s joining me and Pure Dive Resort for an amazing week in Nusa Penida?’
For more information about diving in Nusa Penida:
Whatsapp: +62 811 3999 852
Sean Chinn Instagram: @greatwhitesean
Email: sean@greatwhitesean.com
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