Is Martinique good for beginner divers?

Yes, partly: 3 of the 10 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Amélie (Raisinier), Anse Dufour and L'Aquarium. The others need more experience or a higher certification.

What is the water temperature in Martinique?

The water is usually between 25 °C and 28 °C over the year.

What marine life can you see in Martinique?

Divers regularly see turtles (all year), stingrays, barracuda, trevally, crustaceans and groupers.

Martinique

10 documented dive sites, 3 of them for Open Water divers. Known for turtles, stingrays and barracuda.

Best months: Dec–Apr
Water: 25–28 °C
Levels: Open Water, Advanced, Experienced, Technical
Nearest airport: FDF

When to go

Pick a month: the diving season, from published sources, and the typical weather.

Pick a month

Best
Good
Possible
Closed
Not documented yet

Martinique in October

Good season

Sea: 30 °C; at the surface
Air: 30 °C; 25 °C at night
Rain: 170 mm; one of the wettest months
Wind: 11 km/h; on average

The warmest water of the year.

Typical weather, not a forecast: averages for 2021–2025 (air, rain, wind) and 2023–2025 (sea), data from Open-Meteo (ERA5 / Copernicus, Météo-France). Covers an area of roughly 10 to 25 km around the destination.

Best Dec–Apr (dry season, best visibility), with Feb–Apr ideal. Jun–Nov is rainier and visibility can drop slightly, but water stays ~28 °C and diving continues.

Source: aircaraibes.com

Dive sites in Martinique

From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.

Open Water friendly

usual dive down to 18 m3 sites

Wreck

down to 12 m

Amélie (Raisinier)

A sunken sailing ship off Anse Turin at 12 m, shallow enough to be seen even by snorkellers.

Open Water

Reef

down to 25 m

Anse Dufour

Unshy green turtles are regularly met from the first metres in this bay, one of the best places for a first dive.

Open Water
Turtles

Reef

down to 15 m

L'Aquarium

A richly populated 7-15 m reef with schools of grunts and trumpetfish lying in wait for their next meal.

Open Water

For Advanced divers

usual dive down to 30 m3 sites

Cavern

down to 60 m

Rocher du Diamant (Diamond Rock)

A narrow fault cutting down to about 20 m in the rock, patrolled by jacks, barracudas and mackerel, with Brazilian spiny lobsters.

Advanced
Manta rays

Reef

down to 30 m

Cap Salomon

Three quarters of the coral species recorded in Martinique occur on the cliffs and boulders of this Anses d'Arlet cape.

Advanced
Eagle rays

Reef

down to 25 m

La Citadelle

A 12-25 m coral plateau in the north with big parrotfish, kingfish and jacks.

Advanced
Trevally

For experienced divers

usual dive down to 40 m3 sites

Wall

down to 60 m

Rocher de la Perle

A volcanic pinnacle plunging to 60 m whose walls shelter hawksbill turtles, stingrays and kingfish.

Experienced
Turtles

Wreck

down to 30 m

Le Diamant (wreck)

A steamboat lost in the 1902 disaster lies at 30 m; all that remains are its wooden superstructures and frames.

Experienced

Wreck

down to 36 m

Nahoon

A 35 m three-master sunk in 1994, now home to barracudas, angelfish, crabs, morays and spiny lobsters.

Experienced
Barracuda

Technical and specialty dives

1 site

Wreck

down to 60 m

Roraima

A 110 m steamer lost in Saint-Pierre bay, its hull intact and its gangways overgrown with gorgonians and giant sponges.

Technical

Marine life

When the big encounters happen, month by month.

Species	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
TurtlesSource: lonelyplanet.fr

Peak season
Seen

Also reported here, season not documented yet:

Stingrays
Barracuda
Trevally
Crustaceans
Groupers
Lionfish
Moray eels
Snappers
Manta rays
Lemon shark
Nurse sharks
Dolphins
Eagle rays

Where is Martinique?

View on OpenStreetMapLocation: Martinique (Wikipedia)Map: Natural Earth

Nearest airport: FDF

Martinique: frequently asked questions

When is the best time to dive Martinique?: The best months to dive Martinique are Dec–Apr. Best Dec–Apr (dry season, best visibility), with Feb–Apr ideal. Jun–Nov is rainier and visibility can drop slightly, but water stays ~28 °C and diving continues.
Is Martinique good for beginner divers?: Yes, partly: 3 of the 10 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Amélie (Raisinier), Anse Dufour and L'Aquarium. The others need more experience or a higher certification.
What is the water temperature in Martinique?: The water is usually between 25 °C and 28 °C over the year.
What marine life can you see in Martinique?: Divers regularly see turtles (all year), stingrays, barracuda, trevally, crustaceans and groupers.
How do you dive Martinique?: The nearest airport is FDF.

About this page

Seasons and marine life come from the sources below. Site levels and depths marked as estimated come from our original catalogue and are being checked one by one. Conditions change: always confirm with a local dive centre.

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Photo: Sarah Lee on Unsplash

Photo credits

Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash