Les Baillantes Tortues - Cousteau Reserve
Les Baillantes Tortues, or "The Bouncing Turtles," doesn't always live up to its name, but it's a solid dive within the Cousteau Reserve. We usually find it’s a drift here, a gentle push along a sloping reef that starts around 10 meters and drops deeper. You'll often spot plenty of balao schooling in the blue, and if you keep an eye on the sand patches, we've seen kingfish cruising through. It’s a comfortable dive, good for easing into a Guadeloupe trip or for photographers wanting a relaxed pace. Expect to see some robust coral formations and the usual Caribbean reef fish, though the turtles themselves can be a bit shy.
- Location
- Cousteau Reserve, Guadeloupe, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 16.260447, -61.805530
Marine Protected Area: Gros Morne - Grande Anse
Best Time to Dive in Cousteau Reserve
The warmest water temperatures in Cousteau Reserve occur in January, averaging 27.5°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 27.5°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.5°C (air: 24.9°C)
- February: 27.5°C (air: 24.8°C)
- March: 27.5°C (air: 25.2°C)
- April: 27.5°C (air: 26.2°C)
- May: 27.5°C (air: 27.4°C)
- June: 27.5°C (air: 27.8°C)
- July: 27.5°C (air: 27.6°C)
- August: 27.5°C (air: 27.9°C)
- September: 27.5°C (air: 27.9°C)
- October: 27.5°C (air: 27.4°C)
- November: 27.5°C (air: 26.5°C)
- December: 27.5°C (air: 25.3°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Cousteau Reserve
- Anse à La Barque - 20m
- Anse Caraïbe plongée
- Anse Christophe - 20m
- Anse des Tortues - 16m (reef)
- Anse Thomas - 17m (reef)
- Aplysina (reef)
- Aplysina (reef)
- Aquarium - 3-12m (reef)
- Balise de Petit Canal (reef)
- Balise de Petit Canal (reef)
- BERTINA - 0m (wreck)
- Bouée Anticyclonique
- Buste du Commandant Cousteau
- Crazy coral (wreck)
- Eden plongée
Nearest Dive Centres to Les Baillantes Tortues
Marine Life in Cousteau Reserve
Home to 345 recorded species including 259 reef fish, 27 hard corals, 16 whales & dolphins, 12 other, 6 seagrass & algae, 5 sea urchins.
Notable Species
- Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Spiny Brittle Star (Ophiocoma echinata)
- Angular Brittle Star (Ophiothrix (Ophiothrix) angulata)
- Bridled Dolphin (Stenella attenuata) - Whales & Dolphins
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Harlequin Brittle Star (Ophioderma appressum)
- Savigny's Brittle Star (Ophiactis savignyi)
- Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) - Reef Fish
- Rusty Goby (Priolepis hipoliti) - Reef Fish
- Agassiz's Thread-sail Fish (Chlorophthalmus agassizi) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma bifasciatum) - Reef Fish
- Orca (Orcinus orca) - Whales & Dolphins
- Serpent Brittle Star (Ophioderma brevispinum)
- Common comet star (Linckia guildingi) - Starfish
- Flamefish (Apogon maculatus) - Reef Fish
- Smallmouth goby (Risor ruber) - Reef Fish
- Dorado (Coryphaena hippurus) - Reef Fish
- Ruby Brittle Star (Ophioderma rubicundum)
- False killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) - Whales & Dolphins
- Goldspot Goby (Gnatholepis thompsoni) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Les Baillantes Tortues
Based on average water temperature of 27.5°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 28°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories