Dive sites in Comoros

The coelacanth population lives in deep lava caves between 150 and 700 metres depth, far below recreational diving limits. While you cannot see coelacanths on a standard dive, the knowledge that these living fossils inhabit the same volcanic walls you are diving, just deeper, adds a powerful dimension to the experience. Submersible expeditions have documented coelacanths in the caves below the Chomoni coast specifically. The same deep volcanic geology that shelters coelacanths creates the dramatic wall diving accessible to recreational divers in the upper 40 metres.

Grand Comore is reached by international flights to Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport near Moroni, the capital. Airlines including Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, and Air Austral serve the route from Addis Ababa, Nairobi, and Reunion respectively. A small number of dive operators work from Moroni and the northern coast. Accommodation ranges from basic guesthouses to a handful of mid-range hotels. The dive industry is very small, and advance booking with operators is essential. Visa on arrival is available for most nationalities. Infrastructure is basic, and self-sufficiency in equipment is recommended.

Humpback whales migrate through the Comoros Islands between July and October, travelling from Antarctic feeding grounds to breed in the warm waters of the Mozambique Channel. During this period, whale song is frequently audible underwater, creating an extraordinary acoustic backdrop to dives on the Chomoni coast walls. Surface encounters with mothers and calves are possible from boats. The overlap of whale season with the dry diving season from April to November means the best overall diving conditions coincide with whale presence from July through October.

Coelacanths inhabit deep volcanic caves at depths typically exceeding 150 meters around the Comoros Islands, placing them beyond recreational diving limits. However, Moheli Marine Park is one of the confirmed coelacanth habitats in the world, and the knowledge that these prehistoric fish live in the caves below the reefs you are diving adds a profound dimension to the experience. Technical divers with deep diving training and appropriate equipment have documented coelacanths at shallower depths in the Comoros, but recreational encounters are not expected.

Moheli (also called Mwali) is the smallest of the three main Comoros Islands. It is reached by small propeller aircraft from Moroni, the capital on Grande Comore, with flights taking approximately 30 minutes. International flights reach Moroni from Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Addis Ababa, and several French cities. Accommodation on Moheli is limited to a handful of eco-lodges and guesthouses, and advance booking is essential. There is minimal tourist infrastructure, which is precisely what preserves the island's remarkable natural character.