Pacific Islands · New Caledonia
Isle of Pines
Leopard sharks and gorgonian canyons in the protected waters of Gadji Bay
The Isle of Pines is a New Caledonian island whose diving centres on Gadji Bay at the island's northern point, a protected stretch of seafloor where a single dive centre holds the right to dive. Jardin d'Eden threads through maze-like canyons of soft coral and gorgonian fans, Grand Canyon runs between two drop-offs patrolled by grey reef sharks, and leopard sharks are the bay's signature animal.
About diving in Isle of Pines
Diving here runs from one centre on Ouaméo Bay, on the north-west of the island, and it is the only centre allowed into the Gadji zone, so every dive in the bay is made from its boats. Two RIBs make the run to the sites around Gadji in about half an hour. The boats go out for two dives in the morning, with a snack in Gadji Bay between them, and the sites are picked on the day to suit the weather, the tides and above all the divers' levels.
The Gadji zone holds about sixteen sites, most of them sheltered. They mix canyons, swim-throughs and sea caverns, with a wealth of soft coral and giant gorgonian fans. Reef dives are made at anchor over coral among the full run of tropical reef fish, while the passes and drop-offs are dived as drifts. Night dives meet sea snakes and loggerhead turtles.
Most Gadji sites are sheltered and open to every level. Try dives follow French rules: one a day, to 6 m for 25 minutes beside an instructor, and the morning boat carries try divers and snorkellers alongside the certified divers. Cave dives are kept for experienced divers and need a first sea dive to show good buoyancy; some are made in fresh water, in a 25-square-metre pool to 8 m for 30 minutes.
Best time to dive Isle of Pines
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime |
Boats run all year; the water stays above 24 °C (76 °F) from November to May and is coolest in August.
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, November, December
Dive types & marine life
Leopard sharks are the bay's signature animal, and pygmy seahorses and nudibranchs turn up across the Gadji sites. Grey reef sharks and tuna hold on Grand Canyon, with a hammerhead now and then, and the drifts through the passes can bring barracuda, trevally and rays.
- Reef
- Wall
- Drift
- Cave & cavern
- Night
- Reef sharks
- Pygmy seahorses
- Nudibranchs
- Tuna
- Hammerheads
- Barracuda
- Trevally & jacks
Best dive sites in Isle of Pines
- 1
Jardin d'Eden
A maze of canyons with resident pygmy seahorses and clouds of anthias.
- 2
Grand Canyon
A valley between two drop-offs with grey reef sharks, tuna and the odd hammerhead.
- 3
Gorgonian Valley
V-shaped valley with a heart-shaped swim-through and a sheer wall from 10 to 35 m.
- 4
Gadji cave
A cave where leopard sharks, seahorses and boarfish are seen up close.
Site guides
Wall
A heart-shaped swim-through inside a forest of gorgonian fans
Reef
A chimney from 14 m that brings divers back up onto the reef top
How to get to Isle of Pines
Air Calédonie flies three to five times a day from Nouméa's Magenta domestic airport to the airport in the island's interior, and the Betico ferry crosses from Nouméa in about two and a half hours. The dive centre sits on Ouaméo Bay and runs a shuttle from nearby hotels.
Photos from Isle of Pines
David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada · CC BY 2.0
Bahnfrend · CC BY-SA 3.0
Dive videos
Plongée dans le lagon de l'île des Pins / Kunié Scuba Center / Nouvelle-Calédonie · Au Coeur de la Nouvelle-Calédonie on YouTube
Diving New Caledonia - South Special - From Boulari to the Isle of Pines · Anne-Charlotte JOLY - KRAC PROD on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Can visiting divers dive outside Gadji Bay on the Isle of Pines?+
Yes, after performing the custom (la coutume): a request to the island's chief with an offering, often a manou (a length of pareo), tobacco and a 1000 CFP note. Inside the Gadji zone the dive centre already holds the permission.
How many dive centres are there on the Isle of Pines?+
One, Kunié Scuba Center on Ouaméo Bay. All the diving gear can be rented there, but reserving it ahead is the way to be sure of the right sizes.
Are there cave dives on the Isle of Pines?+
Yes. The programme includes cave dives in the Troisième grotto, and the Gadji cave is a site cave divers cherish.
Sources
- Kunie Scuba Center — New Caledonia Tourism
- Exploration diving - Kunie Scuba Center — New Caledonia Tourism
- Kunie Scuba Center, Isle of Pines — Diveplanit
- Diving in the lagoon, Isle of Pines — New Caledonia Tourism
- Destination Spotlight: Isle of Pines — Choose Your Cruise
- Isle of Pines averages — beach-weather.com
- Plongée idyllique à l’île des Pins — Enezgreen
- Isle of Pines — Wikivoyage
- Baie de Gadji — Sud Tourisme
Photo credits
- A small rocky islet crowded with tall, narrow columnar pine trees, rising from calm blue water under a pale sky by David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A turquoise bay with several anchored sailboats, a wooded shoreline and a low ridge behind, seen past a shrub on a grassy bank by Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Embed
Run a dive centre, club or blog? Embed this map of 1 dive sites near Isle of Pines on your own page.
Similar destinations
Wrecks from two wars touching in Apra Harbor, plus the Blue Hole sinkhole
A 38 m chimney built by freshwater springs venting inside the lagoon
Pacific Islands
Port Vila & Efate
Vanuatu
A tall, narrow cavern and several wrecks a short boat ride from the capital
.jpg){kind=link}
.JPG){kind=link}
Swim out of a collapsed limestone cavern into the open Pacific