Guadeloupe · Guadeloupe · Sand slope · Wall
La Piscine
Sand, sponges and coral, with a wall dropping to 40 m
Area photo: Antoine Cupial · CC BY-SA 4.0
La Piscine is the sheltered patch of the reserve that dive centres use for courses. The bottom is sand, with sponges and corals that hold thousands of fish and other tropical animals, and the same ground takes snorkellers, training dives and exploration dives. On one side a drop-off runs down to 40 m.
Where it is and how deep
16.1672° N, 61.7896° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
La Piscine is the calm option in the reserve, and it is set up for work rather than for covering distance. The bottom under the mooring is sand, with sponges and corals growing on it, and the whole area sits inside the protected zone. Courses run here, exploration dives run here and snorkellers come over the top, all on the same sheltered ground a short boat ride out of Malendure.
The sponges and corals are the reason to look closely: they are the habitat holding thousands of fish and other tropical animals on ground that would otherwise be plain sand. On one side the bottom stops being flat and a drop-off runs down to 40 m — the deep end of the site, well past the limits of the training dives working the sand above it.
Marine life and season
- Reef fish swarms
- Pristine corals
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime |
Season follows Guadeloupe: Dec–May is the dry season with the calmest water; Aug–Oct brings hurricane risk and the heaviest rain.
Dive videos
Plongée Guadeloupe | Réserve Cousteau | La Piscine · Plongée Guadeloupe on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Is La Piscine good for beginners?+
Yes — it is one of the reserve's course sites, used for snorkelling, training and exploration dives over a sheltered sandy bottom. The drop-off on one side runs to 40 m, so the deeper profile is for qualified divers rather than for students.
Sources
- Réserve Cousteau — Spots de plongée — Les Heures Saines
- Îlets Pigeon — Wikipédia
- La Piscine (OpenStreetMap) — OpenStreetMap contributors
More dive sites in Guadeloupe
The park's main drop-off, 10 m down to 45 m
Cousteau's bust at 12 m in the reserve he asked for
Wreck
A 49 m freighter sunk as a reef, upright at 40 m
Hawksbill turtles and jack schools over protected coral
Reef
Green turtles gather here after dark
Reef
Two platforms, 15 m and 30 m, on one rope
Reef
A circular bottom feature at 20 to 25 m
Reef
Seahorses in the seagrass at the end of the dive
Similar dives elsewhere
A sand patch at 11 m between Dragon Maze and the wall
Shallow coral top with a drop-off to 40 m on its north side
A field of sea pens standing up out of the sand like white feathers
Sandy slope that becomes a wall at around 22 m