N'Gouja Beach Reef

Best months: Jun–Sep

Protected Area

N’Gouja

Why dive here

With 401+ marine species recorded in the area - including barracuda, blue sharks, blue-spotted stingrays, dolphins and dugongs - N'Gouja Beach Reef offers some of Mayotte Lagoon's richest reef diving. Water ranges 27-31°C, warmest February, March, April.

Best timeJun–Sep

WetsuitA 3mm shorty or thin full wetsuit

Marine lifeBarracuda, Blue Sharks, Blue-Spotted Stingrays, Dolphins and Dugongs · 401+ species recorded

Water27-31°C · warmest February, March, April

CharacterReef dive · max 3-15m

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

N’Gouja Beach Reef might sound like a simple shore dive, but we think it’s a brilliant introduction to Mayotte’s lagoon. You wade in from the sand, which is soft underfoot, and the water immediately warms around you. It’s shallow, only ever dipping to about 15 metres, so you get incredible light bouncing off the sandy patches and the delicate corals. We love drifting over the seagrass beds, watching the green turtles just doing their thing, grazing slowly, completely unbothered by a few divers finning past. They’re nearly always there, especially in the mornings before the beach gets too busy. What makes N’Gouja stand out for us isn’t just the turtles, though they are a massive draw. It’s the sheer density of the smaller stuff. We’ve spent whole dives just watching banded tobies poke around, or tracing the iridescent lines on a sunburst butterflyfish. The staghorn coral here is surprisingly healthy for a shore access site, providing plenty of nooks for scarlet wrasse and sleek unicornfish. If you’re a newer diver, or just want a relaxed session with guaranteed turtle sightings, this is absolutely our pick. Go early to beat the crowds and catch the best light.