Diving and Snorkeling in Madagascar: Explore the Underwater Wonders

Discover the most beautiful diving spots in Madagascar! While not the most well-known travel destination, Madagascar definitely deserves a spot on your list. When it comes to diving, Madagascar is a must-visit destination, with its minimal tourism impact and numerous dive sites that are considered among the best in the world. Explore the underwater wonders of Madagascar today!

The Most Beautiful Diving Spots in Madagascar

Madagascar may not be the most well-known travel destination for travelers, but it definitely deserves a spot on your list! When it comes to diving, Madagascar also deserves a place on these many lists of the “best diving destinations in the world”! The impact of tourism is low and the numerous diving spots are a delight to discover. In fact, the waters of Madagascar are home to a wide variety of marine animals such as whales, dolphins, mantas, sharks, turtles, colorful fish, which can be found in wrecks, etc.

Coral reefs, colonies of giant gorgonians, and even caves can be found in Madagascar. To enjoy this activity, below are the best diving spots in Madagascar.

Similar to the Galapagos Islands and the Australian mainland, the island has a unique flora and fauna that sets it apart from the rest of the world. In fact, about 90% of Madagascar’s animal species are distinct subspecies found only on the island.

The main island and surrounding archipelagos are surrounded by healthy coral reefs. Madagascar’s reefs indeed boast beautiful biological diversity and high biomass. Divers will delight in finding uncrowded sites with excellent visibility. Madagaskar

Die besten Tauchspots in Madagaskar bieten eine Vielzahl von Unterwasserlandschaften und eine reiche marine Vielfalt. Von Korallenriffen bis hin zu Wracks gibt es für Taucher jeden Geschmack etwas zu entdecken. Einige der beliebtesten Tauchspots sind Nosy Be, Nosy Tanikely und die Insel Sainte Marie. Taucher können das ganze Jahr über die atemberaubende Unterwasserwelt Madagaskars erkunden und die pelagische Aktivität in vollen Zügen genießen.

Nosy Be and the surrounding islands

Located off the northwest coast of Madagascar, the island of Nosy Be remains a hidden gem forgotten by the modern world. The tropical waters boast dozens of untouched coral reefs and hide a variety of underwater life that is unmatched in beauty and diversity. Diving in Nosy Be reveals a fantastic diversity of species that have been preserved from mass tourism. Here, you will embark on authentic exploration dives in small groups, far away from the crowds…

Nosy Tanikely: The country’s most beautiful marine protected area

Like a giant aquarium, the marine waters of Nosy Tanikely represent an important biotope reserve. As the… Fishing is prohibited there, so beginner divers have no trouble observing marine life. It’s also the perfect spot for snorkeling with the family in Madagascar. You’ll find many species of colorful fish, green turtles, and blue-spotted stingrays in a beautiful coral reef.

Nosy Be is an important sanctuary for mantas, but also home to many fish wrecks.

Nosy Tanikely certainly earns Nosy Be’s reputation for its huge aquarium, but the archipelago also has other equally interesting sites like wrecks, whale sharks, and manta rays.

Old fishing boats, The shipwrecks sunk off the coast of Nosy Be have been transformed into artificial reefs. The spot known as “4 Wracks” is one of the best diving sites in the archipelago, located at a depth of about 30 meters. Here, you will encounter groupers, large stingrays, guitarfish, barracudas, and more. The visibility is generally very good, making it ideal for diving among wrecks and schools of fish.

Manta Point is also a must-visit. It boasts the largest concentration of manta rays in Madagascar. Situated at a depth of around 30 meters, this sand plateau is home to manta rays, mobula rays, tuna, groupers, and whale sharks.

Soft and hard corals and many other species.

Keep in mind that the best time to travel is from March to December.

Diving Advice Madagascar

The diving industry in Madagascar is fairly well developed, but it is nothing compared to other countries. In other words, the impact on the marine environment is controlled and currently very low.

When diving there, opt for a responsible and environmentally friendly approach. In short, the impact on the marine environment remains low as dive operators have a large number of sites for the few divers. Madagascar bieten eine Vielzahl von Optionen, je nachdem, ob Sie mit einer Tauchbasis oder einem Tauchkreuzfahrtschiff tauchen. Beide ermöglichen es Ihnen, die atemberaubenden Tauchplätze der Insel zu erkunden und bieten eine Vielzahl von gesunden Riffen und Unterwasserlandschaften.

Es ist erwähnenswert, dass eine Tauchkreuzfahrt eine großartige Möglichkeit ist, Ihre Taucherfahrung zu maximieren und mehrere Inseln zu besuchen. Die meisten Kreuzfahrten starten von Nosy Be aus und ermöglichen den Zugang zu abgelegenen Tauchplätzen, die von Tauchzentren aus schwer zu erreichen sind. Urlaub in Madagascar empfiehlt einige der besten Tauchboote der Insel und bietet ein effizientes Buchungssystem auf Anfrage.

Madagascar Tauchpreise

Die Preise für das Tauchen in Madagascar variieren je nach gewählter Option. Mit einer Vielzahl von Tauchbasen und Kreuzfahrten zur Auswahl, gibt es für jeden Taucher das passende Angebot. Erkunden Sie die faszinierende Unterwasserwelt von Madagascar und erleben Sie unvergessliche Tauchabenteuer. Diving prices in Madagascar vary depending on the region or island, but especially on the type of diving. Here is an overview of the average diving prices in Madagascar:

A snorkeling trip: +/- 30€.

Discovery dive: +/- 90€.

2 dives with equipment: +/- 95€.

Price for Level 1 / Open Water courses: +/- 480€ (including dive computer)

Price for Level 2 / Padi Open Water Advanced: +/- 400€.

Price for Level 3 / Rescue Diver: +/- 460€.

Dive instructor: +/- 800€.

+ 120€ Emergency First Response

We recommend not only looking for the cheapest rate, but also choosing your dive center based on where you feel most comfortable.

Sometimes it’s wise to pay a little more to be in better conditions!

Diving spots on the island of Sainte Marie

The island of Sainte Marie, located about 7 km off the northeast coast of Madagascar, is a true sanctuary for humpback whales. Every year, boat trips for their observation are organized between July and October.

For diving enthusiasts, there are many spots on the island, some of which are archaeologically excavated and therefore not accessible to the public. These sites are highly sought-after for their unique underwater beauty.

The island of Sainte Marie is a paradise for diving enthusiasts, with a focus on pirate shipwrecks as the island was a refuge for pirates before the 18th century. If you want to explore wrecks like the Coconut Grove or the Leopard, contact one of the local diving centers.

The best public diving spots include La Grotte, Pointe Albrand, the Atoll of Sand Islands, and the Merou Wall.

The lagoon of the island of Sainte-Marie is naturally preserved, home to many intact coral gardens inhabited by coral fish, sea turtles, rays, pelagic fish, and large marine mammals such as dolphins, dugongs, and humpback whales.

To practice this activity under the best conditions, visit the island of Sainte Marie for an unforgettable diving experience. Here is a proposal for a stay in Sainte-Marie.

Diving Spots in Ifaty/Manguily and Salary

The underwater depths of the southwest coast of Madagascar can also be discovered with a vacation in Madagascar, first in Mangily Ifaty and now further north in Salary. Here, life consists of great dives, amazing encounters, strong moments that we share on the water, underwater, and on land, with stops in Vezo villages or in stylish accommodations where beauty competes with conviviality, always in magnificent landscapes of lagoons, dunes, coral reefs, and fiery sunsets.

Himmel, … Meer.

Diving Courses

Madagascar is an excellent destination to learn diving. In fact, diving centers usually offer the full range of international certifications such as PADI. Training is done in a relaxed atmosphere and in a beautiful environment, instructors take much more time than in Europe. My guests have only had very good experiences so far.

There are also locations for divers of all levels, with or without specialization. However, if you want to complete your diving training, most specialization courses in Madagascar are offered.

Diving Conditions

Diving conditions in Madagascar are ideal all year round. Excellent, except for the risk of approaching a cyclone/tropical storm. Visibility is generally over 30 meters, with few exceptions when there are many algae. Although algae reduce visibility, pelagic creatures come close to divers!

In addition, water temperature varies between 25°C and 32°C. Most of Madagascar’s most beautiful dive sites also have very few or no ocean currents.

Snorkeling and Fishing in Madagascar

Madagascar not only offers an incredible opportunity for diving, but also for snorkeling. You can snorkel from many beaches in the country, as the reefs along the coasts of the islands are shallow.

Underwater Fauna: Fish and Corals

Madagascar is a typical destination in the Indian Ocean and benefits from a wide variety of species. There are 34 different species of whales and dolphins as well as 5 species of sea turtles. In addition, there are around 56 species of sharks around the islands. Finally, there are 300 different species of hard corals as well as many species of soft corals, hosting about 1300 species of fish!

Diving Safety

If you are planning to travel to Madagascar, I recommend investing in a good travel insurance that also covers diving. One knows Travel insurance is essential to protect yourself from unexpected events while traveling. I recommend this travel insurance because it provides worldwide coverage and includes many risky sports such as diving. Don’t wait until it’s too late, get insured now!

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