Scuba Diving in Mauritius: where to dive, 2026 prices and reviews

This is the Mauritius discovery-dive package that comes out on top on Manawa, with 5 out of 5 from 4 verified reviews. Tamarin Bay sits on Mauritius's west coast, in an area both protected by a coral barrier and fed by plankton-rich currents rounding the island's south-west tip. The result: dense wildlife (clownfish, parrotfish, occasionally green turtles) and good visibility from October to April.

Allow around 4 hours on site (including the boat trip), of which 20 to 30 minutes are spent underwater at a maximum depth of about 6 metres. The technical briefing happens on the boat or directly on the surface, and the instructor stays with the diver the whole time. No experience is required; being able to swim helps, but some clubs don't insist on it.

Who it's for: travellers who want to try diving at a well-known west-coast spot, more scenic than the south-east, from age 10 with adult supervision. Who it's not for: travellers prone to seasickness (water entry happens after a boat transfer), or those staying in the north (Grand Baie is more convenient for transfers).

Manawa price: €93 per person. Flexible weather cancellation. Included: full gear, supervision, boat transfer. To bring: swimsuit, towel, reef-safe sunscreen (oxybenzone and octinoxate filters are banned in several Mauritian marine reserves), a snack for after the session.

Blue Bay is one of Mauritius's 2 most strictly protected areas, a marine park since 1997. Visibility regularly exceeds 20 metres and the wildlife is noticeably denser than in the unprotected lagoons of the north. It's also the cheapest listing in my selection at €80 per person for a discovery dive, with a Manawa rating of 4 out of 5 from 3 verified reviews.

It lasts around 3 hours, of which 20 to 30 minutes are underwater, at a limited depth for beginners. Departure is from Blue Bay village, a 5-minute drive from SSR Airport (handy for fitting the dive in on your arrival or departure day). The briefing stresses the marine park rules: no touching, no gloves, reef-safe sunscreen compulsory.

Who it's for: travellers staying in the south-east (Mahébourg, Pointe d'Esny, Blue Bay), children from age 8 with a guardian, travellers who care about marine conservation. Who it's not for: underwater photographers who want to light up the wildlife (powerful lamps may be restricted in the marine park), travellers staying in the north (a 1.5-hour drive from Grand Baie).

Manawa price: €80 per person, the cheapest discovery dive in Mauritius in my selection. Flexible weather cancellation. For certified divers, the same team offers an exploration dive at €50 on this spot (see package 4).

This is the only package in my selection that combines a discovery dive (a maximum of 6m, constant supervision) with a short exploration dive at 12 metres straight after. The instructor assesses the diver's comfort on the first descent and decides whether the second, deeper one, is possible. Manawa rating 5 out of 5 from 3 verified reviews.

It costs more than a classic discovery dive (€123 per person versus €80-93 for the others), but you dive for roughly twice as long and reach a Level 1 diver's depth without holding the certification. Departure is from Trou aux Biches, in the north-west, a 30-minute drive from Grand Baie or Port Louis.

Who it's for: travellers who've already done a discovery dive elsewhere and want to step up without enrolling in a full PADI course, teens aged 12 and up comfortable in the water, anyone who found a classic discovery dive too short. Who it's not for: younger children (the instructor may refuse the second descent), travellers who just want to try it out (book Blue Bay at €80 instead).

Manawa price: €123 per person. Flexible cancellation. The same team offers a standalone exploration dive at €96 for certified divers (package 6).

This is the cheapest option in my whole Mauritius diving selection on Manawa: €50 per person for a 1h30 to 2h exploration dive in the Blue Bay marine park. No reviews published yet (a recent listing), but the same club also runs the discovery dive rated 4 out of 5 on the same spot.

Access requires a recognised Level 1 diving certification: PADI Open Water Diver, French FFESSM Level 1, CMAS *, SSI Open Water, or equivalent. The club will ask for your logbook and certification card at the briefing. Depth is usually 12 to 18 metres depending on the site, with the group supervised by a certified instructor or guide.

Who it's for: certified divers travelling in Mauritius, travellers based in the south-east or in transit through the airport (Mahébourg is 10 minutes away), divers who want to maximise their number of dives during their stay without blowing the budget. Who it's not for: beginners with no certification (book the Blue Bay discovery dive at €80 or the Tamarin discovery dive at €93 instead), divers who haven't dived outside a pool in over a year (the €60 refresher dive on the same spot is more suitable).

Manawa price: €50 per person. Flexible weather cancellation. Same reef-safe sunscreen recommendations as the discovery dive on this marine park.

This isn't scuba diving, but it deserves its place in my selection: a genuine tourist submarine from Blue Safari Submarine descends to 30 or 35 metres with around ten passengers in a pressurised cabin. Manawa rating 5 out of 5 from 4 verified reviews, one of the best ratings in my Mauritius diving selection.

It lasts around 2 hours, of which 40 to 50 minutes are an actual descent over wrecks and drop-offs off Trou aux Biches. Each passenger has their own panoramic porthole, and an audio commentary plays in French during the descent. Departure is from Pointe aux Piments (north-west), a 20-minute drive from Grand Baie.

Who it's for: families with children too young for scuba diving (from age 6 on the submarine), travellers with a medical contraindication to diving (ENT issues, high blood pressure, asthma), travellers who are curious but claustrophobic (the cabin is bigger than a car, with natural light through the portholes). Who it's not for: travellers who genuinely want to dive (book the Tamarin discovery dive at €93 instead), travellers very prone to seasickness in an enclosed space.

Manawa price: €126 per person, pricier than most discovery dives but a completely different experience. Flexible weather cancellation. There's a compulsory safety briefing on the surface, and the whole outing takes 2h.

This package targets certified divers who want to see the drop-offs and wrecks of northern Mauritius, an area known for more technical dives than the Blue Bay lagoon. Manawa rating 5 out of 5 from 1 verified review (only one review so far, so more feedback is needed).

Allow around 4 hours: the boat leaves from Trou aux Biches for 2 exploration dives, with a surface interval between them. Depth is usually 18 to 25 metres depending on the site. The best-known sites in the north are La Cathédrale (an underwater arch), Holt's Rocks and the Stella Maru wreck (a former Japanese trawler deliberately sunk in 1987).

Who it's for: Level 1 and above divers travelling in Mauritius, travellers based in the north (Grand Baie, Trou aux Biches, Mont Choisy), divers who want to see the historic wrecks. Who it's not for: uncertified beginners (book the €123 discovery + exploration combo on the same spot instead), divers who prefer dense coral sites (Blue Bay at €50 is a better fit).

Manawa price: €96 per person for 2 exploration dives (€48 a dive, in line with the Mauritian average). Flexible weather cancellation. A certification card and logbook must be shown at the briefing.