Africa's Indian Ocean - where to dive next?

[Diver Below]

Hi guys
Does anyone know if there's a good liveaboard working in any of those places in eat Africa. expecially Madagascar?

Thanks

 

[Wingy]

Does anyone have an idea of dive conditions for Madagascar and Seychelles and Moz in April?

 

[stuntchica]

I just started a new thread, but curious for those of you that have dived in Zanzibar where the best dives are? It looks like there are over a dozen in Mnemba and a good amount in Misali Island off Pemba. Was it difficult to get to Mafia Island? We are newly certified open water padi divers, and I know some of those places say for advanced divers only. Advice??

 

[Christian]

My dive buddy and I looking for our next 10 day dive trip to Africa's Indian Ocean. Planned timing is anytime between September to mid- November. We have been diving in Mozambique, South Africa and Zanzibar and are now searching for a new destination. I have been trying to find out about Seychelles, Mauritius, Reunión, Rodrigues Is. but it seems I am "search challenged" since I cannot find much on scuba diving.

Any suggestions and recommendations? Specifically:

1. Diving in Mauritius vs. Reunión vs. Seychelles vs. RS - where do you like best in regards to reef life, coral health, large pelagics?
2. Any other places you could recommend?
3. Cost not (quite) important
4. We prefer places that have a more laid back feel (not looking for all inclusive resorts or "I could be anywhere in the world" places)
5. Hopefully good vis and water temp above 25 C
6. Our main activity would be diving - diving -diving
7. Any dive operator that you could recommend that does NOT have cattle boats.

Thanks!

Perhaps not Africa, but the Maldives are "close" and might be an option.

 

[scubajunky17]

how good is the palegic diving in Madagascar then ? how does it compare to Aliwal shoal and protea banks / Moz etc

 

[champacs]

I think there's not a lot of information in English about diving at Nosy Be, Madagascar so FWIW here's a blog post I wrote recently about our diving trip there last month: Smart Travels: Diving at Nosy Be

---------- Post added November 18th, 2013 at 07:35 PM ----------

Here's a link to the English version of the local tourist board's promotional video about diving at Reunion Island: Diving : various, Reunion Island, 2013 - YouTube

 

[PeterNBiddle]

I think there's not a lot of information in English about diving at Nosy Be, Madagascar so FWIW here's a blog post I wrote recently about our diving trip there last month: Smart Travels: Diving at Nosy Be ---------- Post added November 18th, 2013 at 07:35 PM ---------- Here's a link to the English version of the local tourist board's promotional video about diving at Reunion Island: Diving : various, Reunion Island, 2013 - YouTube

Will you go back? Is it a good choice as our first scuba trip in that region?

 

[champacs]

Rodrigues occasionally crops up as a possible SW Indian Ocean dive destination, and as I'm just back last week from a week's diving there I thought I'd let you know how I got on.

(For those that don't know:Rodrigues is a small Mauritian island about 600 km ENE of Mauritius. It covers only 108 sq. km, but its lagoon covers 230 sq. km).
There are about 3 dive clubs on the whole island (one each north, east and south), and we only dived off the east coast, which is supposed to have the best dive sites.
Its coral reefs are quite rich and colourful, and we saw many species of reef fish while there, including some enormous porcupinefish, as well as some green turtles and lots and lots of trevallies.
March is the end of cyclone/rainy season/summer in this part of the world and is supposed to be the tail end of the best season for diving. However the sea was quite choppy and visibility was never wonderful while we were there, and apparently around November would be the best time to go: calmer sea and better visibility.
We did 11 dives on ten different sites. The two most memorable were the St François Pass (which we dived twice), and Canyonwhere we had to used ropes! (a first for me) You can see a few photos here: http://travelssmart.blogspot.com/2015/03/scuba-diving-in-rodrigues.html.

For me the best diving in the SW Indian Ocean so far has been Mayotte, followed by Nosy Be in NW Madagascar. (In the SW Indian Ocean I've also dived at Tulear in SW Madagascar, Sodwana Bay (SA), Mauritius and I'm based in Reunion).

 

[champacs]

I'm just back from my dive trip to Moheli in the Comoros Islands.
It was very off the beaten path.
Moheli is the smallest of the three Comoros Islands and only gets about 400-500 tourists a year, only a small percentage of whom are divers.
You can dive Moheli Marine Park from Laka Lodge Hotel in the south and you are virtually guaranteed to be the only divers there. Groups are small (there's only one small boat) and although diving is possible year-round, instruction and try-dives are not so that can be a plus-point for some ;-).
Diving conditions are apparently best in September; we were there in January so didn't get to see any sharks (apart from one small nurse shark) but saw rays, barracudas and turtles.
Humpback whales visit from June to October.
I've blogged about the trip here: Smart Travels: Moheli diving