Dakar & Ngor · Senegal · Wall · Channel & pass
Îles de la Madeleine
A narrow passage and rocky drop-off between two volcanic islets
Area photo: Jeff Attaway from Abuja, Nigeria · CC BY 2.0
The Failles des Madeleine is a narrow rocky passage between the two islands of the Madeleine archipelago, a national park of black volcanic rock off the Dakar Corniche. Crevices and a rocky drop-off run from 7 to 23 m, and Oceanium reserves the site for its more experienced divers, listing French Level 3 to dive it.
Also known as Madeleine Islands, Failles des Madeleine, Île aux Serpents.
Where it is and how deep
14.6536° N, 17.4732° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
Site maps published elsewhere
The dive
The dive works the gap between the two islands of the archipelago: a narrow, rocky passage with crevices cut into it and a rocky drop-off running down one side. Dives run from 7 to 23 m with no fixed route, so the shape of the dive — where divers drop in, how deep they start, which way they swim the passage — is whatever the guide briefs on the day.
The rock is the interest here. The islands are volcanic, black stone above and below the water, and what the sources describe on it is a varied fauna and flora rather than coral: urchins over the rock and beds where shellfish develop. Turtles use the archipelago too — they come ashore to nest on its sandy beaches during the rainy season.
Oceanium keeps the Failles for divers it rates at Level 3, which in a French club means comfort with depth and with a passage narrow enough that a group has to stay ordered inside it. The crossing is part of the day as well: boats for the park leave the Corniche Ouest at Fann Hock, run under coast guard escort, and life jackets are worn for the trip out and back.
Background
The Îles de la Madeleine are a national park: a pair of uninhabited volcanic islets off the Dakar Corniche, their black rock left by volcanic activity thousands of years ago. Nobody lives on them, access is controlled — crossings run under coast guard escort with life jackets mandatory — and turtles come ashore to nest on the sandy beaches during the rainy season.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good |
Season follows Dakar & Ngor: Upwelling from about December to May cools water to 17-21°C and dims visibility; October-November is the warm, clear window.
Know before you go
- The passage is narrow and rocky and the club restricts it to more experienced divers; keep the group tight and swim it through in order rather than milling in the constriction.
- Crossings to the park are escorted by the coast guard and life jackets are mandatory — the islets sit in open Atlantic water off the Corniche.
Dive videos
Madeleine Islands in Dakar, Senegal : Diving · JERome KARdos on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Do you need to be an experienced diver for the Madeleine islands?+
For the Failles, yes. Oceanium describes the passage as reserved for more experienced divers and lists French Level 3. The site runs from 7 to 23 m between the two islands of the archipelago.
Sources
- Failles des Madeleine site page — Oceanium Diving Center
- Nos plongées — Oceanium Diving Center
- Îles de la Madeleine (Sénégal) — Wikipedia (fr)
- OpenStreetMap: Boats to Iles de la Madeleine — OpenStreetMap
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