Mauritius · Mauritius · Reef · Pinnacle
Octopus Island
A small rock outcrop on sand, 16 m at its deepest
Area photo: Christopher Brown · CC0
Octopus Island is a small rock formation sitting on a sandy bottom off Flic en Flac, with a maximum depth given as around 13 to 16 metres. The sheltered position and easy conditions make it a slow, unhurried dive, and an isolated structure standing on open sand is the shape that keeps underwater photographers coming back to it.
Where it is and how deep
20.2600° S, 57.3740° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive is one feature. Descend onto the rock, work round it slowly and use the surrounding sand as the reference for where you are; there is no wall to follow and no route to memorise, which is part of why it is described as a spot for relaxed dives at all levels. Nothing is published about the size of the formation or what sits on the sand beyond it.
The position is sheltered and the conditions are called easy, so it suits photographers and anyone at the start of a course or a holiday: the shallow ceiling leaves a long working time and the structure gathers the life onto a small area you can go around more than once. Visibility here is described as excellent, which counts on a dive where you are looking closely rather than covering ground.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
Is Octopus Island suitable for new divers?+
Yes — it is a sheltered site with easy conditions and a maximum depth of around 13 to 16 metres, described as a spot for relaxed dives at all levels.
Sources
- Octopus Island - Scubago — Scubago
More dive sites in Mauritius
Reef
Shallow coral and a multitude of small reef fish
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
The shallow part of L'Eveille, 5 to 19 m
Similar dives elsewhere
Shallow coral heads from 3 m with a dense garden-eel colony
A granite reef whose tallest boulder breaks the surface at low tide
180 m of reef with a pinnacle at each end, 10 m to 30 m
Raw lava flows skinned in white and blue soft coral