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The Lavezzi Islands fall within the Bouches de Bonifacio Nature Reserve and the international marine park shared between France and Italy. Diving is strictly regulated with different zones. The integral reserve zone around Lavezzi Island requires diving with an authorised guide and is limited to specific sites with maximum group sizes. No anchoring is permitted, and boats must use mooring buoys. Some areas are completely closed to diving. All dive centres in Bonifacio hold necessary permits and include reserve fees in dive prices. Night diving is prohibited throughout the reserve.

Currents in the Strait of Bonifacio can be significant, particularly around exposed points and channels between islets. The strait funnels water between Corsica and Sardinia, and tidal and wind-driven currents can reach 2 to 3 knots at peak flow. Dive centres time their visits carefully with tide tables and weather conditions, choosing sheltered sites on strong current days and exposed sites during slack periods. Intermediate certification with current diving experience is recommended. Dive operators will brief thoroughly on current management and may cancel specific sites if conditions exceed safe limits for the group.

The Lavezzi Islands have been protected since 1982, giving dusky groupers over four decades of complete protection from fishing. These long-lived fish, which can reach 40 years of age and 60 kilograms in weight, have had generations to grow to full maturity and lose their fear of humans. The result is groupers that actively approach divers with curiosity rather than fleeing. Some individuals are so familiar with dive groups that researchers have identified them by their markings and given them names. This behaviour is unique to well-established marine reserves and demonstrates the powerful effect of long-term protection.

Diving inside the core reserve zone is prohibited to protect the marine ecosystem. However, diving right along the border of the reserve offers exceptional quality, with the protected waters ensuring abundant marine life spills over into adjacent dive sites. Dive centres in Porto and Galeria operate trips to these boundary sites.

June through September offers the best conditions with water temperatures of 20 to 25 degrees Celsius and visibility exceeding 25 metres. The volcanic coastline provides shelter from the prevailing westerly winds on many sites. May and October are cooler but offer fewer divers and often excellent visibility.