L’arche de Bandrelé - Mayotte Lagoon
L’arche de Bandrelé offers a good peek into Mayotte’s deeper lagoon structures. We’ve found the arch itself, sitting at about 22m, to be quite photogenic, especially when the light is right. It’s not a massive cave system, more of a swim-through, so it’s manageable for intermediate divers who want to explore something a bit different without needing advanced cave certs. Look for the usual reef fish sheltering in the nooks and crannies. It’s a solid dive for an afternoon, a nice break from the outer reef drift dives.
- Location
- Mayotte Lagoon, Mayotte, Indian Ocean & East Africa
- Coordinates
- -12.891600, 45.260500
- Type
- cave
- Maximum Depth
- 22m
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Marine Protected Area: Ilots De Bandrele
Best Time to Dive in Mayotte Lagoon
The warmest water temperatures in Mayotte Lagoon occur in January, averaging 29.9°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 29.9°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 29.9°C (air: 26.6°C)
- February: 29.9°C (air: 26.7°C)
- March: 29.9°C (air: 27.1°C)
- April: 29.9°C (air: 27.1°C)
- May: 29.9°C (air: 26.2°C)
- June: 29.9°C (air: 25.0°C)
- July: 29.9°C (air: 24.2°C)
- August: 29.9°C (air: 24.1°C)
- September: 29.9°C (air: 24.4°C)
- October: 29.9°C (air: 25.4°C)
- November: 29.9°C (air: 26.4°C)
- December: 29.9°C (air: 26.9°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Mayotte Lagoon
- Abalone
- Banc du Geyser (reef)
- Chira Rani - Patate Bleue - 18m
- chira rochi - 21m
- îlot Bambo #1 - 21m
- îlot Bambo #2 - 23m
- Îlot Bandrelé #1 - 15m
- Ilot Bandrelé #2 - 23m
- La Barge Profonde (Wreck) - 27m (wreck)
- La Surprise - 8-25m (reef)
- Le Laminoir - 23m
- N'Gouja Beach Reef - 3-15m (reef)
- Passe Bandrelé - 20m (drift)
- Passe bateau nord - 28m (drift)
- Passe bateau sud - 27m (drift)
Nearest Dive Centres to L’arche de Bandrelé
- Happy Divers centre de plongée - FSGT, ANMP, FFESSM, NAUI, PADI, SSI, BSAC, EDA
- Le Lagon Maore
Marine Life in Mayotte Lagoon
Home to 415 recorded species including 260 reef fish, 101 hard corals, 17 whales & dolphins, 10 sea cucumbers, 9 sharks & rays, 6 sea snails & nudibranchs.
Notable Species
- Allison's Tuna (Thunnus albacares) - Reef Fish
- Stripy (Katsuwonus pelamis) - Reef Fish
- Bristle-toothed Surgeonfish (Ctenochaetus striatus) - Reef Fish
- Blue-lined Tang (Zebrasoma scopas) - Reef Fish
- Bullethead Parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) - Reef Fish
- Argus Grouper (Cephalopholis argus) - Reef Fish
- Indian gold-ring bristle-tooth (Ctenochaetus truncatus) - Reef Fish
- Blackspot Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus) - Reef Fish
- Whitetail Surgeonfish (Acanthurus thompsoni) - Reef Fish
- Heavybeak Parrotfish (Chlorurus strongylocephalus) - Reef Fish
- Dorado (Coryphaena hippurus) - Reef Fish
- Silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) - Sharks & Rays
- Bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) - Reef Fish
- Salmon (Elagatis bipinnulata) - Reef Fish
- Red-flushed Cod (Aethaloperca rogaa) - Reef Fish
- Doubleband Surgeonfish (Acanthurus tennentii) - Reef Fish
- Two-spot Bristletooth (Ctenochaetus binotatus) - Reef Fish
- Ocean Triggerfish (Canthidermis maculata) - Reef Fish
- Barracuda (Acanthocybium solandri) - Reef Fish
- Bullet Mackerel (Auxis rochei) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for L’arche de Bandrelé
Based on average water temperature of 29.9°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