Rodrigues Diving - Rodrigues Island
Rodrigues, often overlooked for its larger sibling Mauritius, offers a quieter, more intimate dive experience. We found the sites here generally less crowded, which is always a bonus. Rodrigues Diving, while a broad label for the island’s offerings, often refers to the lively outer reef system near the main harbour. We particularly like the drift dives here when the current is running, letting you effortlessly glide past schools of Black-barred Surgeonfish and Bullethead Parrotfish. Keep an eye out for the Giant Morays peeking from the honeycomb and stony corals. The sheer density of smaller reef fish – the Crossroads Reefgoby, the shy Variable Stromb – is what truly makes this spot sing for us. Visibility is typically solid, often pushing 25 metres on a good day, especially from October to December. Early morning dives here often bring out the bigger Hexagon Groupers and Blotched Fantail Rays before the boat traffic picks up. It’s a great spot for intermediate divers comfortable with some drift, offering a proper Indian Ocean reef feel without the strong currents sometimes found elsewhere.
- Location
- Rodrigues Island, Mauritius, Indian Ocean & East Africa
- Coordinates
- -19.672943, 63.436080
Marine Protected Area: Ile Aux Sables
Best Time to Dive in Rodrigues Island
The warmest water temperatures in Rodrigues Island occur in January, averaging 28.6°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 28.6°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.6°C (air: 25.4°C)
- February: 28.6°C (air: 25.4°C)
- March: 28.6°C (air: 25.4°C)
- April: 28.6°C (air: 24.9°C)
- May: 28.6°C (air: 23.7°C)
- June: 28.6°C (air: 22.1°C)
- July: 28.6°C (air: 21.2°C)
- August: 28.6°C (air: 20.7°C)
- September: 28.6°C (air: 21.0°C)
- October: 28.6°C (air: 22.0°C)
- November: 28.6°C (air: 23.2°C)
- December: 28.6°C (air: 24.3°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Rodrigues Island
- Aquarium Rodrigues - 3-12m (reef)
- eco-evasion
- La Passe St. Francois - 10-30m (reef)
- TRAVELLER - 0m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Rodrigues Diving
Marine Life in Rodrigues Island
Home to 259 recorded species including 200 reef fish, 46 hard corals, 4 sharks & rays, 4 sea snails & nudibranchs, 2 clams & mussels, 1 whales & dolphins.
Notable Species
- Silvertip shark (Carcharhinus albimarginatus) - Sharks & Rays
- Blackspot Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus) - Reef Fish
- Honeycomb Grouper (Epinephelus merra) - Reef Fish
- Coral Blenny (Istiblennius edentulus) - Reef Fish
- Red-streaked Blenny (Cirripectes stigmaticus) - Reef Fish
- Blackspotted Rockskipper (Entomacrodus striatus) - Reef Fish
- Undulated moray (Gymnothorax undulatus) - Reef Fish
- Epaulette Soldierfish (Myripristis kuntee) - Reef Fish
- Red Squirrelfish (Sargocentron diadema) - Reef Fish
- Longtail Silverbiddy (Gerres longirostris) - Reef Fish
- Gorgeous Gussy (Chaetodon guttatissimus) - Reef Fish
- Bluestripe Pipefish (Doryrhamphus excisus) - Reef Fish
- Blue-dashed Rockskipper (Blenniella periophthalmus) - Reef Fish
- Dusky Wrasse (Halichoeres marginatus) - Reef Fish
- Floral wrasse (Cheilinus chlorourus) - Reef Fish
- Two-tone wrasse (Thalassoma amblycephalum) - Reef Fish
- Silver-streaked rainbowfish (Stethojulis strigiventer) - Reef Fish
- Lineated Butterflyfish (Chaetodon trifasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Common Lyre-tail Cod (Variola louti) - Reef Fish
- Humphead Unicornfish (Naso unicornis) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Rodrigues Diving
Based on average water temperature of 28.6°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°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