Rodrigues, the area around Coco Fesse

Rodrigues · Mauritius · Pelagic & blue water · Reef

Coco Fesse

A blue descent with no reference onto a shelf at 25 m

Area photo: Ludovic Lubeigt from Taiwan · CC BY-SA 2.0

An offshore site three miles out from the barrier reef, dived as a blue-water descent: 25 m down with no reference of any kind, then arrival on a coral shelf with excellent visibility. Big snappers, barracuda, tuna and groupers work the shelf, and blacktip reef sharks come close enough to see properly.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Coco Fesse: typical dive to 25 m (to 82 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit25 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

19.7550° S, 63.4700° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

Coco Fesse lies about three miles outside the barrier reef, so the dive starts with a boat run into open water. You then go down through 25 m of blue with no reference of any kind — no wall, no line of reef, nothing to judge yourself against — until the shelf appears underneath you. The operator flags that descent as the character of the dive.

The shelf itself is a flat coral platform, and the visibility over it is what the operator singles out. Big snappers and barracuda hold above the ground, tuna pass through higher in the water, and groupers sit down in the coral. Blacktip reef sharks are the regular chance here rather than a certainty, and they come close enough to see well.

Marine life and season

  • Barracuda
  • Tuna
  • Groupers
  • Reef sharks
Month-by-month season rating for Coco Fesse
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairGoodGoodPrimePrimePrimeGoodGoodPrimePrimeFair

Season follows Rodrigues: May–Jul and Oct–Nov are the calmest windows; Jan–Mar brings cyclone risk and August can be windy.

Know before you go

  • Descending through open blue with no visual reference makes depth control harder than it looks; follow the line or the guide and watch your gauge the whole way down.

Sources

  1. Les sites de plongée de Bouba Diving — Bouba Diving Center
  2. Top 8 des plus beaux sites de plongée de l'île Rodrigues — Tropicalement Vôtre

More dive sites in Rodrigues

Named after a grouper that changes colour on the spot

to 19 mintermediate

A natural aquarium at 10 m, or a 50-minute tidal drift

10–20 mintermediate

Coral totems and valleys between two reef blocks

to 28 madvanced

Coral drop-offs at 21 m under a ceiling of fusiliers

to 21 mintermediate

Coral garden

A sheltered lagoon pool at 7 m for first dives

7–12 mbeginner

Cave & cavern

Chimneys through the barrier reef that flood with daylight

to 25 madvanced

Cave & cavern

A canyon that passes right under the barrier reef

to 17 mintermediate

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