Top 13 Best Dive Sites in Martinique (France)
This volcanic island has a magnificent mountainous appearance that rises high out of the Caribbean's blue seas. Mon Pelée is the island's central volcano, ... read more...which is still smoking to this day. The island itself is a stunning combination of white sand beaches, dense jungles, breathtaking hiking paths, and a plethora of activities. Martinique Diving is ideal for divers of all certification levels and allows you to enjoy mild water temps and magnificent reefs. On the surface, you'll be surrounded by coconut trees and white sand beaches. You will be plunged under the waves into an underwater paradise. The average visibility is 80 feet, and all that is required on the coldest day is a 3mm complete suit. Here are the top 13 best dive sites in Martinique (France).
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Martinique's most famous diving location is the fabled Rocher du Diamant, which translates as Diamond Rock. It is located in the southern part of the island, near Diamond City, and draws hundreds of divers from all over the world. This diving location is world-class due to its topography and richness of marine life. The rock's form is very appealing for diving and ascending to 49 feet.
- Martinique's most famous diving site
- Divers can explore a really distinctive topography.
- A fantastic location for photography practice.
What you will see: The rock itself is the most recognizable feature of this diving location. With its magnificent structure, numerous caverns, arches, and drop-offs, it has been dubbed a mystical location. The rock itself is teeming with life, with many Barrel sponges, moray eels, and schools of dancing damsels swarming over the coral. The visibility and purity of the water make it a must-do when visiting this area.
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What was once a magnificent ship is now one of the greatest diveable wrecks in the world. The Roraima sank when Mount Pelee erupted on May 8th, destroying the town and boats in St. Pierre's water. It burned for three days and claimed the lives of 53 people. Since Michel Metery uncovered the wreck in 1974, it has been a popular diving site in the balmy Caribbean seas.
- Coral reefs have invaded a beautiful shipwreck.
- This metal construction has a high concentration of marine organism aggregates.
- See how many distinct coral species you can identify.
What you will see: This 337-foot-long structure rises to a height of 36 feet and is surrounded by some of the area's most amazing marine life. Corals, elk horns, crimson sponges, and black barrel sponges abound. Since it was destroyed, the wreck has been preserved reasonably intact, providing divers with a rare view into the past. Because of the tragedy and loss of many lives, it is not recommended to explore the wreck site; nonetheless, the trumpetfish, lizardfish, schools of barracuda, and groupers swimming about will not disappoint.
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In the surrounding vicinity of Cape Solomon, there are some fantastic diving spots. The pool, located on the north side of the coast, is a tranquil and serene spot. This dive location offers shallow water diving via coral arches and rocky outcrops. Even inexperienced divers can explore a small cave. Another vast length of reef and a tiny pool may be found farther south. The quiet pool area is ideal for shallow water diving and spotting wildlife.
- Dive in calm water, which is great for novice divers.
- Excellent location for seeing crabs and other camouflaged animals.
- Consistently high visibility
What you will see: Divers who swim to the cape's tip will be able to observe a plethora of caves, outcrops, and crevasses teeming with crustaceans. Slowly swim through this region, counting how many tentacles or antennae you can spot jutting out from between the rocks. There are also a lot of reef and pelagic species swimming about. Keep a watch out for barracuda, wahoo, bluehead wrasse, Chromis, damselfish, and other species!
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The well-preserved Nahoon is another great diving wreck in Martinique. It's a freshly buried wreck that sank beneath the seas in 1993. Only the front half of the boat survived Hurricane Lenny in 1999. The Nahoon was a construction boat that washed up on a shallow section of the Caribbean Sea floor at a depth of 33 feet. This makes it easily accessible to both novice and snorkelers, however, it is only suggested for expert dives to avoid accidents.
- The shallow wreck dive location is recommended for experienced divers.
- On the wreck, there are some spectacular coral reef growths.
- The wreck attracts a wide variety of aquatic life.
What you will see: Barrell sponges, soft corals, and gorgonian fans cover the wreck. Divers may swim into vast compartments on the wreck itself. The growths on the wreck, on the other hand, might cause cuts and other injuries, thus using gloves or avoiding handling the wreck at all is advised. There are several triggerfish, damselfish, and other reef species in the area. Crayfish, stonefish, angelfish, porcupine fish, Spanish mackerels, and barracudas await you!
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The Enraged Cape is a spectacular dive location that is appropriate for all levels of divers. Photographers, biologists, novices, and experienced divers will all enjoy this dive site's gorgeous coral and rich marine life. The afternoon brings forth a swarm of fish life, which swims about the diving site. It is classified as an aquarium because the transparency of the water allows you to admire each marine life.
- An aquarium-style dive with all of the coral life
- The Enraged Cape dive location is suitable for divers of all skill levels.
- At a drop-off, there are beautiful and extensive coral gardens.
What you will see: Soft corals, hard corals, gorgonian fans, and whipped corals abound in the stunning coral gardens. There are scorpionfish, barracuda, coral reef fish, and stingrays on this vivid reef. Another attraction in this region is the canyons, tunnels, and caverns. Nothing beats the allure of the unique underwater volcanic terrain.
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The Canyons of Babodi is one of the best dive sites in Martinique (France). These breathtaking canyons were formed by Mount Pelee's volcanic activity, and you may now dive amid the ancient lava flows. The magnificent canyons reach 160 feet from the coast. While the dive location contains depths suitable for all certification levels, if you want to go to the canyon's bottom, you must be at least advanced.
- Excellent diving spot for all certification levels, although best suited for expert divers.
- Underwater volcanic formations that are breathtaking
- Explore hundreds of feet of passageways.
What you will see: This dive location has great visibility, so you'll have a great chance to observe coral reefs, beautiful fish, and swimming stingrays. Stingrays swim throughout the region in search of their preferred prey: crustaceans. Moray eels, sea snakes, angelfish, and school wrasse are also plentiful. Swim throughs with whip corals, gorgonian fans, narrow tunnels, soft corals, and barrel sponges are also plentiful.
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This stunning 660 ft long reef is an easy-to-reach dive spot on the east of Sainte-Luce. It is a great dive site for beginner divers as well as more experienced adventurers. Scientists consider this spot as one of the most ecologically biodiverse and rich coral reef sites in the region. It is also a great spot for night diving to complete your advanced open water course or specialty dives.
- Great dive spot for night diving
- Well suited for all levels of diving
- Extremely healthy and biodiverse ecosystem
What you will see: Along with a diverse collection of growing coral in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors! Some of the most vibrantly colored corals can be found at depths of 15 feet, making them accessible to snorkelers. On cloudy days, you may see trevallies and smaller fish engaged in fierce hunting bouts. Crustaceans, squids, sleeping parrotfish, and other marine life can be seen on night dives.
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The Citadel is one of the best dive sites in Martinique (France). Divers may explore a variety of regions at this wonderful dive destination. Dive sites are fantastic in a variety of depth ranges. A stunning coral plateau stretches as far as the eye can see between the depths of 19 and 98 feet. Divers with greater expertise can descend to 150 feet of steep cliffs teeming with beautiful coral growths.
- Excellent diving spot for divers of all skill levels.
- A breathtaking display of coral stretches throughout the plateau.
- The location is surrounded by large schools of fish.
What you will see: For beginner divers sticking close to the surface, you will be met with beautifully colored coral and fish basking in the clear water. There are gorgonian fans, barrel sponges, soft corals, and whip corals. The brightly colored growths on the rock make a perfect picture! The healthy coral reefs attract a wide variety of fish including coral groupers, damselfish, angelfish, giant trevally, lionfish, and more!
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A half-mile outside of Anse Couleuvre, amid the pristine waters of the Domenica Channel, lies Pearl Rock. The depth drops to 130 feet, attracting a wide variety of megafauna. Because of the location of this dive site, there are often strong currents in this region, making this dive more suitable for experienced divers. Rocher de la Perle is one of the best dive sites in Martinique (France).
- Because of the strong currents in this location, Pearl Rock is best suited for experienced divers.
- Deep dive with a diverse array of megafauna swimming around
- A fantastic diving place for seeing turtles.
What you will see: Pearl Rock is home to a diverse array of fish, green turtles, barracudas, and stingrays. Strong currents draw megafauna from all over the island, while stingrays like cruising in the flowing water. Whether you choose to look for prawns and crabs in the crevasses or attempt to find barracudas in the deep blue.
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This diving spot is located south of Grande Anse D'Arlet and boasts rocky outcrops and a variety of marine life. Some of the stony faults drop to 196 feet and give unique viewpoints for intrepid divers. The region is well-known for being teeming with massive amounts of fish. It is one of the most beautiful diving locations and is easily accessible from all dive sites. The current, on the other hand, maybe rather powerful, so use caution.
- One of Martinique's most spectacular diving sites
- Excellent dive spot ideal for divers of all abilities.
- A fantastic opportunity to see megafauna.
What you] will see: The stunning coral plateau is home to a plethora of species swimming about. Porpoises, groupers, frogfish, flute fish, snapper, and large batfish can all be found here. Test your photography skills by capturing images of this underwater beauty.
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When it comes to the best dive sites in Martinique (France), people always mention Lady V. This steel boat, 60 feet long, is sitting on the ocean floor at a depth of 45 feet. Because of its moderate depth and little possibility of a strong current, it is an excellent dive spot for beginning divers. The boat sank many years ago and is now covered with coral and teeming with life.
- Shallow diving location ideal for first-time divers
- The coral-covered wreck, it's a great place to practice photography.
- There is a lot of fish life in the region.
What you will see: The soft and hard coral growths at this shallow dive spot are magnificent. Sergeant fish, damselfish, angelfish, wrasse, and other dark-loving animals have flocked around the wreck. If you take your time and swim gently around the wreck, you'll notice hundreds of eyes peeping out of the shadowy buildings.
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This dive location is best suited for experienced divers because of the strong currents. It was founded in 1988 by Michel Privette and now displays spectacular marine life for everybody to see. Because of the constant flow of clean water caused by the current, this location is well-known for its excellent visibility. There are tremendous drop-offs, vast regions of healthy coral, and breathtaking mega and macrofauna.
- Divers that are experienced should visit this dive location since it is really diversified.
- The currents in the region are often strong.
- The vibrant corals conceal camouflaged individuals such as moray eels, stonefish, crustaceans, and others.
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The Jardin Vert, often known as the Green Garden, is a lesser-known yet popular diving site in Martinique. It is close to the Ti Voilier, a tiny sailing boat. It is an area rich in coral life and beautiful marine life. The coral patches occupy a huge region of the dive site, with some of them extending 65 feet in circumference. Every coral patch appears to be its own ecosystem. To safeguard the delicate ecosystems, it is necessary to maintain adequate buoyancy at this dive location due to the widespread coral.
- Sheet coral covers large regions.
- It's a fantastic site to see turtles and other grazing animals.
- Divers must use caution due to the dense coral coverage.