Mauritius · Mauritius · Reef
Aquarium
Shallow coral and a multitude of small reef fish
Area photo: Christopher Brown · CC0
Aquarium is a shallow reef off Flic en Flac, listed at between 5 and 20 metres and reached by boat. The draw is the number of small, colourful reef fish holding over the coral rather than any single piece of structure, and the shallow depth is why centres rate it for beginners rather than saving it for certified groups.
Where it is and how deep
20.2748° S, 57.3681° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Entry is from a boat; no shore option is published for this site. The whole reef sits inside an Open Water profile, so depth management never becomes the point of the dive and the pace over the coral is unhurried rather than a route to be covered. Nothing is published about a landmark sequence, so where you go on the reef is the guide's call on the day.
What the site is known for is quantity rather than shape: a multitude of small, colourful reef fish living over the coral, which is what the rating for beginners is built on. With a floor of 20 metres, no-decompression time is not the limiting factor, so dives here end on gas. No individual species and no seasonal pattern are published for the site.
Marine life and season
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Good |
Season follows Mauritius: Cyclone season (Jan-Mar) can disrupt trips and cloud visibility; the trade-wind months of Apr-Nov give steadier, clearer conditions.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Aquarium?+
The site runs between 5 and 20 metres, so it fits inside an Open Water profile and leaves long bottom times.
Sources
- Aquarium - Scubago — Scubago
More dive sites in Mauritius
Wall
Steep walls and rock formations at about 34 m
Drift
A drift run deep to 26 m or shallow to 20 m
Cave & cavern
A guided cavern in the reef off Flic en Flac
A 44 m fishing boat on sand at 30 m by Coin de Mire
Wreck
A fishing boat sunk for diving at 35 m, a reef since the 1980s
Wreck
A wreck sunk as an artificial reef at 43 m, rarely dived
Reef
A small rock outcrop on sand, 16 m at its deepest
Reef
The shallow part of L'Eveille, 5 to 19 m
Similar dives elsewhere
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Reef
Baie Ternay Marine Park
Seychelles · Seychelles
Protected marine park reef, nothing deeper than 20 m