Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
    Povilla Forest Reserve

    Magic drift

    Best months: May

    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.

    Best timeMay
    WetsuitA 3mm shorty or thin full wetsuit
    Marine lifeDugongs, Eagle Rays, Great White Sharks, Manta Rays and Mobula Rays (Devil Rays) · 116+ species recorded
    Water24-29°C · warmest January, February, March
    CharacterReef dive
    StandoutRich in charismatic marine life

    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.

    Today05:3218:0012h 28m daylightGolden hour 17:31

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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)

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    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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