Dive sites in Mayotte

The dry season from May to November offers the best visibility, often exceeding 30 metres, and calmer sea conditions. Diving is timed to incoming tides when pelagic species ride the current into the lagoon. Most dive centres in Dzaoudzi and Mamoudzou schedule Passe en S dives around the incoming tide window, typically in the morning. Outgoing tides can produce very strong currents that push divers out over deep water, so timing is critical and only experienced guides should plan the entry.

An Open Water certification is technically sufficient for the shallower sections of the pass, but an Advanced Open Water or equivalent is strongly recommended. The currents can shift suddenly and reach speeds that require confidence with drift diving techniques. Most dive operators in Mayotte will assess your experience before taking you to the pass. You should be comfortable deploying a surface marker buoy in current and have at least twenty logged dives. Beginners are usually taken to calmer lagoon sites first.

Mayotte is a French overseas department in the Mozambique Channel between Madagascar and Mozambique. Direct flights operate from Paris, Reunion, and several East African cities to Dzaoudzi-Pamandzi International Airport. Several dive centres operate from both Petite-Terre near the airport and the main island of Grande-Terre around Mamoudzou. The boat ride to Passe en S takes roughly 15 to 30 minutes depending on which centre you use. French and some European health insurance cards are accepted, and the euro is the local currency.