Reef
down to 40 m
Banc des Licornes
Coral plateaux at 13-19 m described as one of the finest coral fields, with corals 'like new' and undamaged.
- Advanced
Nosy Be
Diving in Madagascar
9 documented dive sites. Known for whale sharks, grey reef sharks and whitetip reef sharks.
- Best months
- Oct–Dec
- Water
- 28–30 °C
- Levels
- Advanced, Technical
- Nearest airport
- NOS
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
Nosy Be in October
Best season- Sea
- 29 °C
- at the surface
- Air
- 30 °C
- 23 °C at night
- Rain
- 70 mm
- average for the year
- Wind
- 9 km/h
- on average
The windiest month.
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 Oct–Dec, the whale shark season; May–Sep is also diveable. Jan–Mar is cyclone season and strongly discouraged (some centres close in Feb), and many facilities close Feb–Apr.
Usually closed or not dived: Feb.
Dive sites in Nosy Be
From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.
By law, whales and dolphins are watched from the boat only; entering the water with them is forbidden.
For Advanced divers
usual dive down to 30 m7 sitesWall
down to 40 m
Grand Banc (Shark Point)
Drop-offs facing the Mozambique Channel where grey and whitetip reef sharks are seen, and occasionally hammerheads.
- Advanced
- Grey reef sharks
Reef
down to 20 m
Nosy Tanikely
A marine reserve reef where small whitetip reef sharks visit among the corals and fish schools, and many sea turtles can be seen.
- Advanced
- Whitetip reef sharks
Reef
down to 40 m
Banc Rosario
A coral plateau that is one of the favoured places to swim alongside whale sharks in October and November, with ribbon morays.
- Advanced
- Whale sharks
Technical and specialty dives
2 sitesWall
down to 45 m
Canyon
A deep outer-wall dive between 30 and 45 m with occasional leopard and whitetip shark encounters.
- Technical
- Leopard (zebra) sharks
Marine life
When the big encounters happen, month by month.
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whale sharksSource: sakalavdiving.com | ||||||||||||
| Ghost pipefishSource: sakalavdiving.com | ||||||||||||
| TurtlesSource: sakalavdiving.com | ||||||||||||
| Mobula raysSource: sakalavdiving.com | ||||||||||||
| Manta raysSource: sakalavdiving.com |
- Peak season
- Seen
Whale sharks: Oct–Dec. Ghost pipefish: Oct–Dec. Turtles: All year. Mobula rays: Sep–Dec. Manta rays: Sep–Dec
Also reported here, season not documented yet:
- Grey reef sharks
- Whitetip reef sharks
- Barracuda
- Trevally
- Frogfish
- Nudibranchs
- Seahorses
- Groupers
- Moray eels
- Snappers
- Hammerhead sharks
- Leopard (zebra) sharks
- Eagle rays
- Tuna
- Scorpionfish
Where is Nosy Be?
- Nearest airport
- NOS
Nosy Be: frequently asked questions
- When is the best time to dive Nosy Be?
- The best months to dive Nosy Be are Oct–Dec. Diving usually stops in Feb. Best Oct–Dec, the whale shark season; May–Sep is also diveable. Jan–Mar is cyclone season and strongly discouraged (some centres close in Feb), and many facilities close Feb–Apr.
- Is Nosy Be good for beginner divers?
- Not really: none of the 9 dive sites we document is rated for Open Water divers. Plan an Advanced certification and some experience first.
- What is the water temperature in Nosy Be?
- The water is usually between 28 °C and 30 °C over the year.
- What marine life can you see in Nosy Be?
- Divers regularly see whale sharks (Oct–Dec), ghost pipefish (Oct–Dec), grey reef sharks, whitetip reef sharks, turtles (all year) and mobula rays (Sep–Dec).
- How do you dive Nosy Be?
- The nearest airport is NOS.
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.
Your next dive is somewhere out there.
Find my next dive tripPhoto credits
- Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash