Ponta do Ouro · Mozambique · Reef
Mavericks
Game fish over a reef averaging 25 m
Area photo: Hein waschefort · CC BY-SA 3.0
Mavericks is one of the deeper reefs worked from Ponta do Ouro, averaging 25 m with 28 m at its deepest. Access is by boat off the surf launch. Game fish work the water off the reef, and the rock itself carries nudibranchs, anemones, butterflyfish, batfish, damsels and trumpetfish for anyone with gas left to look closely.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Ponta do Ouro and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
This is one of the deeper reefs on the string, averaging 25 m and reaching 28 m, so the plan matters more than at the inshore sites. The boat launches through the surf and puts you in over the reef; you drop straight onto it, and the bottom time you get is short enough that the sensible approach is to pick one line along the rock rather than try to cover the site.
The draw at this depth is the fish traffic. A variety of game fish works the water off the reef, which is the reason to settle low against the structure and watch outward rather than swim over the top of it. On the rock itself there are nudibranchs and anemones, with butterflyfish, batfish, damsels and trumpetfish through the reef, and that smaller life is what fills the shallower part of the ascent.
Marine life and season
- Nudibranchs
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows Ponta do Ouro: Resident dolphins are seen year-round; shark activity at Pinnacles and whale migration peak July-October.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Mavericks?+
It averages 25 m and reaches 28 m at its deepest, putting it among the deeper reefs dived from Ponta do Ouro and firmly in advanced-diver territory.
Sources
- Mavericks — Scubago
- Diving in Mozambique — Wikivoyage
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