Lifou · New Caledonia · Wall · Reef
Tombant de la Marina
Scattered coral bommies on white sand below a small drop-off
Area photo: Pujolle · CC BY-SA 3.0
Tombant de la Marina is a small drop-off in Chateaubriand Bay, dived by inflatable from the Wé marina on Lifou's east coast. It reaches only 13 m, over white sand scattered with coral bommies, and is popular for training dives.
Where it is and how deep
20.9163° S, 167.2643° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The drop-off is small, and its slope bottoms out at 13 m on a floor of white sand. Coral bommies lie scattered across that sand at the foot of the wall, the whole dive staying shallow.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Fair | Fair | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime |
Season follows Lifou: The warmest water runs from December to May; February and March bring the heaviest rain, and September is the driest month.
Questions divers ask
Is Tombant de la Marina suitable for a training dive?+
Yes. It is a common training site in Chateaubriand Bay, with a small drop-off that reaches no deeper than 13 m and a white sand floor.
Sources
- Diving Lifou, a fossil atoll — Divernet
More dive sites in Lifou
Reef
Green and hawksbill turtles around four bommies in a row
Pinnacle
Two gorgonian-clad pinnacles with a giant archway next door
Similar dives elsewhere
A rich plateau at 10 m above a drop-off that falls to 60 m
A sheltered 6 m plateau with a wall dropping to 60 m
Hook into the plateau lip and let the sharks stack up off the edge
Vertical outer-reef walls where eagle rays and mobulas pass.