Guadeloupe · Guadeloupe · Reef · Wall
Pigeon Island
Plateau in a few metres, drop-offs to 40 m
Area photo: Antoine Cupial · CC BY-SA 4.0
The islet the reserve is named for, dived either on a plateau of a few metres or on the steep drop-offs that fall into the 40 m zone. That range makes it one site for two kinds of diver, from basic certification to deep specialty. The reef holds the main Caribbean fish species, the most colourful and the most camouflaged, with hawksbill turtles passing through.
Also known as Îlets Pigeon.
Where it is and how deep
16.1683° N, 61.7898° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
There are two dives here and the choice gets made on the boat. The plateau sits in a few metres of water and is where basic divers, and anyone happy to work slowly, spend the whole dive. The drop-offs are steep and fall into the 40 m zone, which is where divers specialised in deep diving go instead. One site serves both, which is why it suits mixed groups.
On either profile the interest is the reef community, which carries all the main Caribbean fish species, from the most colourful to the most camouflaged, so the site rewards looking into the rock rather than swimming across it. Hawksbill turtles pass through and are worth keeping an eye out for. This is the islet the Cousteau reserve was built around, and the diving is its core.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
- Reef fish swarms
| 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.
Questions divers ask
How deep can you dive at Pigeon Island?+
The plateau is only a few metres deep, while the steep drop-offs run into the 40 m zone. The site is dived by everyone from basic divers on the shallow ground to divers with a deep-diving specialty on the wall.
Sources
- Pigeon Island — Scubago — Scubago
- Îlets Pigeon — OpenStreetMap
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
Sand slope
Sand, sponges and coral, with a wall dropping to 40 m
Reef
A circular bottom feature at 20 to 25 m
Similar dives elsewhere
A staircase entry onto a reef that tips over at 9 metres
Coral in 6 m a short swim off the beach, wall to 43 m
A small coral island with a vertical wall, to 19 m
Coral heads rising from 30 m to within 6 m of the surface