Baie Ternay Marine Park

Twenty minutes from Beau Vallon beach, or eighteen from Bel Ombre marina, the boat anchors on sand inside the area where anchoring is permitted, and the dive starts on a protected reef that bottoms out at 20 m. There is no reason to chase depth here: hard and soft coral run from the shallows down, and the reef is worked slowly rather than crossed.

Move slowly across the coral for octopus tucked into holes, stonefish sitting still on rock, and hawksbill turtles feeding. Parrotfish, pufferfish, cornetfish, trumpetfish and boxfish make up the everyday cast, and the edges of the reef are where rays, barracuda and the occasional white tip reef shark appear. Current is unpredictable, sometimes light and sometimes strong, so keep track of the boat throughout.