Octopus Diving Centre - Flic en Flac & West Coast
We often joke that Octopus Diving Centre is less a dive site and more a home base for the Flic en Flac coast, but there's a good reason it makes our "standout" list. While you won't dive *at* the centre itself, their house reef, just a short boat ride out, is surprisingly rewarding, especially if you're keen on seeing what the local reef fish get up to. We love dropping in on a calm morning, the water a milky turquoise, and just hovering over the sandy patches between the branching corals. It’s not a deep dive, usually around 12-15 metres, which means plenty of bottom time to really observe. We've spent ages watching Strawberry Groupers dart in and out of the coral bommies, and the Flashback Angelfish are just stunning against the muted blues. Keep an eye out for the Cleaner Mimics, tiny things, often near the larger Blackspot Surgeonfish. We always find a few Blue-Green Chromis schooling tightly, shimmering like jewels as the light catches them. It’s a gentle spot, perfect for a relaxed dive to get your buoyancy dialled in or for just enjoying the smaller, quieter moments of reef life.
- Location
- Flic en Flac & West Coast, Mauritius, Indian Ocean & East Africa
- Coordinates
- -19.995365, 57.590267
Marine Protected Area: Coin de Mire (Gunner's Quoin)
Best Time to Dive in Flic en Flac & West Coast
The warmest water temperatures in Flic en Flac & West Coast occur in January, averaging 28.0°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 28.0°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.0°C (air: 27.0°C)
- February: 28.0°C (air: 27.2°C)
- March: 28.0°C (air: 27.0°C)
- April: 28.0°C (air: 26.3°C)
- May: 28.0°C (air: 25.0°C)
- June: 28.0°C (air: 23.2°C)
- July: 28.0°C (air: 22.5°C)
- August: 28.0°C (air: 22.5°C)
- September: 28.0°C (air: 23.2°C)
- October: 28.0°C (air: 24.3°C)
- November: 28.0°C (air: 25.4°C)
- December: 28.0°C (air: 26.7°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Flic en Flac & West Coast
- Aqua BASE
- Aquarium (reef)
- Aquarium (reef)
- Bambous (reef)
- Bambous (wall)
- BASE Diving
- Bassin Verde (reef)
- Bassin Verde (reef)
- Batterie (reef)
- Batterie (pinnacle)
- Big Rock, Mauritius (drift)
- Big Rock, Mauritius (cave)
- Canal Trazar
- Canon (wall)
- Cathedral - 18-28m (cave)
Nearest Dive Centres to Octopus Diving Centre
- Bigorno Diving Centre LTD - PADI, SSI
- Blues Diving Centre - ["PADI"]
- Blue World Explorer Adventures - ["PADI"]
- Crystal Divers Mauritius - ["PADI"]
- Crystal Diving - ["PADI"]
- Dive Drem Divers Mauritius
Marine Life in Flic en Flac & West Coast
Home to 453 recorded species including 314 reef fish, 71 hard corals, 14 sea snails & nudibranchs, 12 sharks & rays, 11 seagrass & algae, 8 whales & dolphins.
Notable Species
- Tuna (Thunnus alalunga) - Reef Fish
- Coral Blenny (Istiblennius edentulus) - Reef Fish
- Blackspotted Rockskipper (Entomacrodus striatus) - Reef Fish
- loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
- Staghorn coral (Acropora austera) - Hard Corals
- Manini (Acanthurus triostegus) - Reef Fish
- Humpbacked conch (Gibberulus gibberulus) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Blackspot Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus) - Reef Fish
- Small-eyed Squirrelfish (Myripristis murdjan) - Reef Fish
- Humphead Unicornfish (Naso unicornis) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora lutkeni) - Hard Corals
- Honeycomb Grouper (Epinephelus merra) - Reef Fish
- Adorned wrasse (Halichoeres cosmetus) - Reef Fish
- Species code: Si (Syringodium isoetifolium) - Seagrass & Algae
- Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) - Reef Fish
- Peppered Squirrelfish (Sargocentron punctatissimum) - Reef Fish
- Maldive Cone (Conus maldivus) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Bluestripe Pipefish (Doryrhamphus excisus) - Reef Fish
- Humphead wrasse (Coris aygula) - Reef Fish
- Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) - Whales & Dolphins
Recommended Packing List for Octopus Diving Centre
Based on average water temperature of 28.0°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