Mauritius – Trou aux Biches Diving — Mauritius
Trou aux Biches on Mauritius's sheltered northwest coast is one of the island's premier dive areas, where volcanic rock formations create dramatic swim-throughs and the famous 'Cathedral' cavern. Spinner dolphins are regular visitors, and the calm lagoon conditions suit all levels. World-class resorts and a buzzing food scene make Mauritius an ideal luxury dive-holiday destination.
- Score
- 68.8 / 100
- Country
- Mauritius
- Region
- Indian Ocean
- Area
- Trou aux Biches, Pamplemousses
- Nearest airport
- Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU)
- Visibility
- 15–35 m
- Water temperature
- 22–28 °C
- Max depth
- 40 m
- Current strength
- mild
- Dive types
- reef, wall, drift, wreck
- Best months
- October, November, December, January, February, March, April
- Minimum certification
- Open Water
- Access type
- boat
- Average 2-tank dive cost
- $90 USD
- Budget tier
- mid range
- Key species
- spinner dolphin, eagle ray, moray eel, scorpionfish, lionfish, green turtle
- Google rating
- 4.6 (280 reviews)
- Top operators
- Blue Water Diving Centre, Dive Dream Mauritius
- Nearest hyperbaric chamber
- SSRN Hospital Hyperbaric Unit, Pamplemousses (~35 km)
SCORE
-20.0376°N
57.5515°E
Trou aux Biches on Mauritius's sheltered northwest coast is one of the island's premier dive areas, where volcanic rock formations create dramatic swim-throughs and the famous 'Cathedral' cavern. Spinner dolphins are regular visitors, and the calm lagoon conditions suit all levels. World-class resorts and a buzzing food scene make Mauritius an ideal luxury dive-holiday destination.
Lagoon Reefs & Volcanic Drop-offs
Score Breakdown
Click any score to see a detailed breakdown
Marine Life
65.0Species diversity, megafauna encounters, reef fish abundance, macro life, and endemic species.
Key Species
Dive Types
Traveling with Non-Divers?
Your non-diving travel companions will find plenty to enjoy topside while you're underwater. Here are some activities to consider.
Activities for Non-Divers
Nearby Cultural Sites
- Aapravasi Ghat UNESCO site
- Port Louis Chinatown
- Le Morne Brabant
Non-Diver Partner Score
Excellent for non-divers — they'll love it here.
Safety & Emergency
Dive Insurance
Dive insurance is essential. Standard travel insurance often excludes scuba diving. We recommend DAN (Divers Alert Network) for comprehensive dive accident coverage.
Learn More at DAN.orgSSRN Hospital in Pamplemousses has a hyperbaric unit (35 km); multiple hospitals across the island — DAN coverage recommended
Top Operators
Blue Water Diving Centre
PADI
Dive Dream Mauritius
SSI
What your dive shop won't tell you
The minimum certification printed on a brochure is the legal floor, not the honest recommendation. Here's what we actually think you should bring to this site.
Below this we'd send you somewhere easier first.
“Intermediate minimum — deep profiles and variable viz.”
What will challenge you
- →Recreational limit of 40 m is reachable here (max depth 40 m). Gas planning and NDL tracking matter.
- →Wreck penetration requires Wreck specialty training at minimum, and often decompression planning. Don't improvise inside.
- →Variable visibility
- →Deep profiles
What will surprise you
- →Thermoclines can drop water temp by 6°C between the surface and depth. Your wetsuit choice should match the minimum, not the average.
- →Mauritius – Trou aux Biches has more marine life variety than most divers expect
- →Local operators know spots the guidebooks miss
When to dive it
Every dive shop gives you this briefing at 7am. We just wrote it down. Tidal dependency: slight. Optimal window: First light to 11am for best visibility..
- Vizpeak
- Currentmild
- Crowdlight
- reef exploration
- photography
Best light and calmest conditions before afternoon wind picks up.
- Vizmoderate
- Currentmild
- Crowdmoderate
- drift diving
- second tank
Wind chop can reduce viz. Still diveable but morning is better.
Dive forecast
Realistic conditions by month. Viz ranges are what you should actually expect, not best-case marketing numbers. Confidence % is the share of days that match this profile historically.
| Month | Viz (m) | Temp (°C) | Current | Sea | Rain | Confidence | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25–35 | 25 | Mild | Calm | Light | 70% | reef fish active, wreck visibility good, peak season crowds |
| Feb | 25–35 | 25 | Mild | Calm | Light | 70% | reef fish active, wreck visibility good, peak season crowds |
| Mar | 25–35 | 25 | Mild | Calm | Light | 70% | reef fish active, wreck visibility good, peak season crowds |
| Apr | 25–35 | 25 | Mild | Calm | Light | 70% | reef fish active, wreck visibility good |
| May | 25–35 | 25 | Mild | Calm | Light | 70% | reef fish active, wreck visibility good |
| Jun | 15–25 | 27 | Mod | Mod | Wet | 70% | reef fish active, wreck visibility good |
| Jul | 15–25 | 27 | Mod | Mod | Wet | 70% | reef fish active, wreck visibility good, manta season |
| Aug | 15–25 | 27 | Mod | Mod | Wet | 70% | reef fish active, wreck visibility good, manta season |
| Sep | 15–25 | 27 | Mod | Mod | Wet | 70% | reef fish active, wreck visibility good, manta season |
| Oct | 15–25 | 27 | Mod | Mod | Wet | 70% | reef fish active, wreck visibility good |
| Nov | 25–35 | 25 | Mild | Calm | Light | 70% | reef fish active, wreck visibility good |
| Dec | 25–35 | 25 | Mild | Calm | Light | 70% | reef fish active, wreck visibility good |
Photography brief
Subjects are only half the shot. A perfect macro site is useless in a three-knot drift, and a wide-angle dream is useless at 35 m with a murky ceiling. These are the conditions, not the hype.
Recommended kit
- →Macro lens (60mm or 105mm), focus light, dual strobes positioned for fill
- →Wide-angle or fisheye (8-15mm range), dual strobes for close-focus wide angle
- →Dedicated video light for dark wreck interiors; don't rely on strobes alone
What this site will teach you
The dives that made you a better diver are the ones that made you uncomfortable for the right reasons. Here's what this site will quietly train you for.
Deep diving comfort
advancedRegular dives past 30m build confidence at depth.
7-day trip, per person
Rough ranges anchored to existing regional data — not booking quotes. Land-based trip, standard breakdown.
Hostels, shore diving, cheap eats
- Flights (RT from US)
- $1,150–$1,450
- Accommodation / day
- $50–$100
- Diving / day
- $80–$90
- Food / day
- $40–$80
- Transfers + misc
- $50–$150
3-star hotels, standard boat ops, mix of restaurants
- Flights (RT from US)
- $1,700–$2,100
- Accommodation / day
- $120–$220
- Diving / day
- $90–$120
- Food / day
- $90–$160
- Transfers + misc
- $50–$150
Top resorts or liveaboards, premium operators
- Flights (RT from US)
- $2,500–$3,100
- Accommodation / day
- $260–$500
- Diving / day
- $120–$150
- Food / day
- $180–$350
- Transfers + misc
- $50–$150
Flights priced round-trip from a major US hub. Figures are per person on a shared room. Solo travelers add ~30% to accommodation.
Build a trip around it
Most divers fly across the world for one destination and don't realise another worth-it site is 90 minutes away. Here are the honest pairings.
- Trou aux Biches65.7Mauritius
Same country, easy to combine into one trip.
- Maldives78.8Maldives
Regional neighbour with a different dive type. Worth the extra flight if you want variety.
- North Malé Atoll77.1Maldives
Regional neighbour with a different dive type. Worth the extra flight if you want variety.
- Baa Atoll74.9Maldives
Regional neighbour with a different dive type. Worth the extra flight if you want variety.
- South Ari Atoll74.8Maldives
Regional neighbour with a different dive type. Worth the extra flight if you want variety.
- Vaavu Atoll71.2Maldives
Regional neighbour with a different dive type. Worth the extra flight if you want variety.
Best dive types here