Rodrigues · Mauritius · Reef
Le Jardin
A gentle slope to 34 m with arches and overhangs
Area photo: Ludovic Lubeigt from Taiwan · CC BY-SA 2.0
One of the sites the southern operator groups together at the pass off Port Sud Est: a gently sloping reef running down to 34 m, broken by arches, overhangs and big coral heads. Coral covers the slope in profusion, with stingrays out on the sand, angelfish over the reef and trevally coming through above it.
Where it is and how deep
19.7360° S, 63.4630° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Le Jardin is one of the sites the Bouba Diving Center works as a group around the pass off Port Sud Est, and it is reached by boat from that end of the island. The ground is a gently inclined slope that carries on down to 34 m, so the dive is planned around the bottom time that depth allows rather than around the distance covered.
The slope is not plain ground. Arches and overhangs cut into it and large coral heads stand off it, and coral covers the site in profusion, which is what the name is about. Angelfish work the coral, lobsters sit back in the holes for anyone who knows where to look, stingrays rest out on the sand, and trevally come through above.
Marine life and season
- Stingrays
- Trevally & jacks
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Fair |
Season follows Rodrigues: May–Jul and Oct–Nov are the calmest windows; Jan–Mar brings cyclone risk and August can be windy.
Sources
- Les sites de plongée de Bouba Diving — Bouba Diving Center
More dive sites in Rodrigues
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A sheltered lagoon pool at 7 m for first dives
Reef
Coral drop-offs at 21 m under a ceiling of fusiliers
Drift
A kilometre of channel drifted on the outgoing tide
Cave & cavern
A canyon that passes right under the barrier reef
Drift
A natural aquarium at 10 m, or a 50-minute tidal drift
Pelagic & blue water
A blue descent with no reference onto a shelf at 25 m
Pinnacle
An offshore coral seamount with turtles in the tunnels
Reef
Named after a grouper that changes colour on the spot
Similar dives elsewhere
Coral plateau with fusilier shoals, turtles and passing grey sharks
Schooling snapper, jacks and barracuda off Bijoutier
Black and red corals, with whale sharks sometimes seen in February
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Coral blocks from 5 to 15 m above a drop-off to 30 m