Préyebère Anemone Garden - Flic en Flac & West Coast
Skillion Cave, it’s fair to say, isn’t really a cave. It’s more of a very deep, very cool crevice in the reef, with a big boulder wedged in the top creating a sort of overhead environment. We love it because when the conditions line up – and that’s the trick, it needs to be calm – it’s a genuinely standout shore dive in Sydney. Dropping down, the first thing you notice is the way the light filters through the opening. Shafts of sunlight pierce the gloom, illuminating walls covered in sponges and gorgonians. Keep an eye out for Rusty Catsharks tucked into the crevices; they’re pretty reliably there. We’ve seen Bluespotted Flatheads lying on the sand inside, and if you hover quietly, you might catch a Crampfish or a Banjo Shark in the sandy patches just outside the entrance. The max depth is 18m, so it’s well within recreational limits, but the surge can be strong, even on calmer days, so buoyancy control is key. This is a dive for those patient enough to wait for the right weather, offering a different kind of Sydney experience away from the usual suspects.
- Location
- Flic en Flac & West Coast, Mauritius, Indian Ocean & East Africa
- Coordinates
- -19.982500, 57.583200
- Type
- cave
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 Préyebère Anemone Garden
- 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 Préyebère Anemone Garden
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