Madagascar diving: What's the best place?

[globalfox]

I'm planning a trip to Madagascar in july and want to do some serious diving, but struggling between some places... any experience, suggestions and comparison (corals and fish life) on:
Ifaty, Anakao, Belo-sur-Mer, Sainte Marie and Nosy Be?

I know that Ifaty and Anakao has dead corals ashore for snorkeling, but how about further out for diving?

Thanks for all info!

 

[drbill]

Welcome to SB. You might want to use the search feature here to find previous threads about diving Madagascar. You might find an answer there. I hope to go there myself some day.

 

[donncha]

Hello there

I dived in Toliar, Ilse St Marie and Nosy Be in April 1998, and Nosy Be again in August 2006.
Of those places, I thought the best was Nosy Be - most variety, and best infrastructure too.

It seemed to have deteriorated a lot in those 8 years, but that goes for a lot of the world I suppose; hard to say from just a few days diving.

In NB, we saw lionfish, blue spotted rays, octopus, small schools of jacks and trevelly - but no big numbers of fish. Water 25C in August. In '98 saw mantas and whale sharks too, and they are probably still around if you are lucky. There is coral damage there, but still some nice gorgone corals.

Personally I would not go to Madagascar just for the diving, but the diving is a nice add-on to one of the most amazing places in the world.

Donncha

 

[Magnus.s]

I had some brilliant diving on Nosy Bee in 2003. Really good corals around Nosy Tanikely, and we also had Mantas (lots) and a Whale Shark

I dived eight weeks diving around Anako for a Marine Science Project, did a few good dives down there (rock formations, and lots of lobsters)

Don't miss some "above water" parks if you go there, Mada has a lot to offer...

 

[penti]

Hi,

the best diving you can get in Mada is definitely on a liveboard in the Radamas or Mitsio Archipelagos... Both leave from Nosy be and last about 5-6 days....

2 dive ops who organize trips :

Plongez avec Nomade !
Diving in Madagascar - Dive center in Madagascar

You'll get decent, good day diving from Nosy Be too.

At Sainte Marie the viz is usually bad... locals say there are 2 seasons there : the rainy season and the season when it rains
But in July you'll be able to see heaps of Humpack Whales, which is a good enough reason to go there...

 

[piet2do]

This are the latest infos I could find here on the board on Mada-Scuba: more then 9 months old.

Now, anyone at Nosy Be lately during the political unrests? Should be quiet but have heard of police scams there.

Would appreciate any update, as I am going in April.

 

[travel girl]

With the unrest at the moment I would rather go to Mozambique The diving is just as good if not better

 

[piet2do]

With the unrest at the moment I would rather go to Mozambique The diving is just as good if not better

If you had been at Nosy Be within past month, please let me know, which "unrests" you observed there and how they did interfer in the daily life of tourists. That would be quite helpful.

I am not looking for a CNN-biased comment given from a distance. Thank you.