Magic drift
Protected Area
Povilla Forest Reserve
Why dive here
With 116+ marine species recorded in the area - including dugongs, eagle rays, great white sharks, manta rays and mobula rays (devil rays) - Magic drift offers some of Loyalty Islands's richest reef diving. Water ranges 24-29°C, warmest January, February, March.
Magic Drift lives up to its name, pulling you through a maze of coral pinnacles. It’s a proper rush, perfect if you love that feeling of flying underwater. We often find ourselves just hanging in the blue, watching the current do the work. We love how the reef just drops away here, leaving you with that vast indigo backdrop. It's not about intricate macro; this dive is all about the big stuff. Humphead parrotfish cruise past in schools, their sheer size always surprising. Keep an eye out for grey reef sharks and whitetips patrolling the edges, especially as the current picks up. We’ve had barracuda and tuna zoom by too, sometimes even an eagle ray gliding effortlessly against the flow. The gorgonians are spectacular, huge fans swaying rhythmically in the surge. Maximum depth is a comfortable 17m, so you get plenty of bottom time to soak it all in. If you enjoy a fast-paced dive and a good chance of pelagics, Magic Drift is absolutely our pick. Just be ready for a swift ride; it can really motor along.
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Conditions
Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for Magic drift
Magic drift Ocean Conditions
Monthly averages for Magic drift, sourced from Open-Meteo marine data + Copernicus Marine (EU) - nearest station: Open-Meteo marine grid (-20.94, 165.47) (8km away)
October Averages
Sea Temperature
25°C
77°F · Range: 23.4–27.1°C
Current Speed
8.06 cm/s
Direction: S (187.1°)
Chlorophyll-a
0.052 mg/m³
Very clear (oligotrophic)
Salinity
35.08 PSU
Based on 4 years of monitoring data · Data sources: Open-Meteo marine data + Copernicus Marine (EU)
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