Itsandra Reef - Grande Comore
Itsandra Reef is one of those sites we always recommend for a relaxed afternoon dive, especially if you’re staying near Moroni. The reef itself slopes gently from about 5 meters down to a sandy bottom at 20, making it very comfortable for newer divers or for a long, slow exploration. We love the way the light filters through the shallows, illuminating patches of staghorn coral. Keep your eyes peeled for the smaller stuff here. While a green turtle might glide past, it’s the little characters that really stand out. We’ve spent ages watching the Arenatus wrasses darting about, or spotting the Banded Toby tucked away amongst the coral heads. If you’re patient, you might even catch a glimpse of a Bluestripe Pipefish weaving through the branches. The Blackstriped Cardinalfish often hang out in shady spots, a shimmering school, and the Epaulette Soldierfish are always a striking flash of red. It's not a dive for big pelagics, but for a calm, colourful introduction to Comoran reef life, it’s our favourite. The currents are usually negligible, so it’s easy to just drift and absorb the quiet hum of the reef.
- Location
- Grande Comore, Comoros, Indian Ocean & East Africa
- Coordinates
- -11.680000, 43.260000
- Type
- reef
- Maximum Depth
- 5-20m
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Marine Protected Area: Parc National Coelacanthe
Best Time to Dive in Grande Comore
The warmest water temperatures in Grande Comore occur in January, averaging 29.6°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 29.6°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 29.6°C (air: 23.3°C)
- February: 29.6°C (air: 23.6°C)
- March: 29.6°C (air: 23.5°C)
- April: 29.6°C (air: 23.0°C)
- May: 29.6°C (air: 21.4°C)
- June: 29.6°C (air: 20.0°C)
- July: 29.6°C (air: 19.1°C)
- August: 29.6°C (air: 19.5°C)
- September: 29.6°C (air: 20.2°C)
- October: 29.6°C (air: 21.6°C)
- November: 29.6°C (air: 22.7°C)
- December: 29.6°C (air: 23.2°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Grande Comore
- Chindini - 20-50m (wall)
- DEMOSTHENES - 2m (wreck)
- Dragon's Teeth - 10-30m (cave)
- KAMAL-EL-KUWAIT - 5m (wreck)
Marine Life in Grande Comore
Home to 365 recorded species including 248 reef fish, 94 hard corals, 5 whales & dolphins, 5 sharks & rays, 4 sea snails & nudibranchs, 2 other.
Notable Species
- Six-line wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia) - Reef Fish
- Blackspot Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus) - Reef Fish
- Dusky Angelfish (Centropyge multispinis) - Reef Fish
- Scarlet wrasse (Pseudocheilinus evanidus) - Reef Fish
- Scarlet Soldierfish (Myripristis pralinia) - Reef Fish
- Banded Toby (Canthigaster valentini) - Reef Fish
- Spotted Pufferfish (Canthigaster janthinoptera) - Reef Fish
- Ternate Chromis (Chromis ternatensis) - Reef Fish
- Red Squirrelfish (Sargocentron diadema) - Reef Fish
- Coral Hawkfish (Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus) - Reef Fish
- Blackside Hawkfish (Paracirrhites forsteri) - Reef Fish
- Arc-eye Hawkfish (Paracirrhites arcatus) - Reef Fish
- Bridled Goby (Gnatholepis cauerensis) - Reef Fish
- Sunburst Butterflyfish (Chaetodon kleinii) - Reef Fish
- Indian gold-ring bristle-tooth (Ctenochaetus truncatus) - Reef Fish
- Blue-lined Tang (Zebrasoma scopas) - Reef Fish
- Coral Beauty (Centropyge bispinosa) - Reef Fish
- Nalolo (Ecsenius nalolo) - Reef Fish
- Leopard Hind (Cephalopholis leopardus) - Reef Fish
- Two-spot Bristletooth (Ctenochaetus binotatus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Itsandra Reef
Based on average water temperature of 29.6°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 30°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