Réunion · France · Cave & cavern · Reef
Dédale
A collapsed reef cavern with easy galleries at 3 to 17 m
Area photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 3.0
Dédale sits off the entrance to Saint-Pierre, where the reef structure has collapsed and left a cavern with galleries running off it in several directions. It is shallow, 3 to 17 m, the galleries are easy to swim, and sunlight comes down through the arches. A baptême is the stated minimum, which makes it a rare easy cavern dive.
Where it is and how deep
21.3068° S, 55.4762° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The site is the product of the reef structure collapsing in on itself. What is left is a cavern that acts as both the start and the finish of the dive, with a number of galleries running off it that are easily accessible rather than technical. The whole thing sits between 3 and 17 m, so there is time to go back through more than one of them and come out where you went in.
The arches are what people photograph: shafts of sunlight drop through them into the galleries and give the site its light. Coral fish are varied around the openings, turtles use the ground, and slipper lobsters sit back in the rock. Sponges, shells and other crustaceans cover the plateau, so this is a dive that pays as much attention to the small detail as to the geology.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
- Macro critters
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair |
Season follows Réunion: May–Oct is the dry season with the calmest water and humpbacks Jul–Oct; Jan–Mar is cyclone season.
Questions divers ask
Is Dédale suitable for new divers?+
Yes. A baptême is the stated minimum level, the site runs from 3 to 17 m, and the galleries leading off the cavern are described as easily accessible.
Sources
- Dédale — Carte de La Réunion
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