Reef
down to 20 m
Cap La Houssaye
Réunion's best site to learn to dive: shallow (20 m max), very weak current, and rare-for-the-region seahorses.
- Advanced
- Turtles
Réunion
12 documented dive sites. Known for humpback whales, dolphins and turtles.
- Best months
- Jun–Nov
- Water
- 24–30 °C
- Levels
- Advanced, Experienced, Technical
- Nearest airport
- RUN
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
Réunion in October
Best season- Sea
- 25 °C
- at the surface
- Air
- 26 °C
- 20 °C at night
- Rain
- 120 mm
- one of the driest months
- Wind
- 8 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.
Diving runs year-round on the west coast, best Jun–Nov; humpback whales Jun–Oct, visibility 20–30 m in the dry winter vs 15–20 m in the rainy summer. Outside the lagoon, swimming and board sports have been restricted because of shark risk; the prefecture's 2023 renewal says scuba diving remains possible at divers' own risk. Check current rules locally.
Dive sites in Réunion
From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.
For Advanced divers
usual dive down to 30 m7 sitesFor experienced divers
usual dive down to 40 m3 sitesTechnical and specialty dives
2 sitesMarine life
When the big encounters happen, month by month.
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humpback whalesSource: corail-plongee.com | ||||||||||||
| TunaSource: corail-plongee.com | ||||||||||||
| BarracudaSource: corail-plongee.com | ||||||||||||
| TrevallySource: corail-plongee.com |
- Peak season
- Seen
Humpback whales: Jun–Oct. Tuna: All year. Barracuda: All year. Trevally: All year
Also reported here, season not documented yet:
- Dolphins
- Turtles
- Eagle rays
- Stingrays
- Crustaceans
- Clownfish
- Groupers
- Moray eels
- Whale sharks
- Manta rays
- Hammerhead sharks
- Sharks
- Sailfish
- Seahorses
Where is Réunion?
- Nearest airport
- RUN
Réunion: frequently asked questions
- When is the best time to dive Réunion?
- The best months to dive Réunion are Jun–Nov. Diving runs year-round on the west coast, best Jun–Nov; humpback whales Jun–Oct, visibility 20–30 m in the dry winter vs 15–20 m in the rainy summer. Outside the lagoon, swimming and board sports have been restricted because of shark risk; the prefecture's 2023 renewal says scuba diving remains possible at divers' own risk. Check current rules locally.
- Is Réunion good for beginner divers?
- Not really: none of the 12 dive sites we document is rated for Open Water divers. Plan an Advanced certification and some experience first.
- What is the water temperature in Réunion?
- The water is usually between 24 °C and 30 °C over the year.
- What marine life can you see in Réunion?
- Divers regularly see humpback whales (Jun–Oct), dolphins, turtles, eagle rays, stingrays and tuna (all year).
- How do you dive Réunion?
- The nearest airport is RUN.
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