MAURITIUS SEALIFE
“Surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the waters of Mauritius are home to a plethora of sea life. Whether I am swimming, snorkelling, scuba diving or out on a boat, sharing the ocean with these wonderful creatures is a delightful experience.
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Below I will share some of the most beautiful sealife I have experienced in Mauritius. I am not guaranteeing you the same response for yourself. Nevertheless, I cannot recommend what I haven't seen or experienced."
Karen
DOLPHINS
The ocean is an underwater playground for these elegant, playful and curious mammals. They can be seen all year round and often around the island but tend to stick to the West Coast and can always be spotted in the Tamarin/Le Morne regions.
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In Mauritius we have two types of dolphin first is the famous Bottle-nose dolphin characterised by their large size and long bottle shaped nose and known for their friendly playful behaviour.
Secondly we have the Spinner dolphin which is identified by it's smaller size, different coloured grey patterns and their acrobatic displays, Spinner dolphins usually live in large pods with up to 1000 dolphins.
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One of the most popular tourist attractions is 'Swimming with Dolphins'. I have done this trip myself and I must admit it wasn't exactly as I imagined. The day I went was before the pandemic and tourist season was in full flow. By the time we have spotted the dolphins there were already 5-10 other boats full of tourists also trying to swim with the dolphins. It was quite chaotic and a bit scary with boats and people everywhere. Sadly the dolphins were swimming very fast on this day and it was exhausting trying to catch up with them!
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Never the less friends have had magical encounters with private boat trips which leave much earlier and beat the crowds. Also due to the pandemic there is much less demand and less boats out.
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WHALES
As well as dolphins we also have whales in Mauritius. Sharing the ocean with these majestic and peaceful giants is breathing taking and humbling.
The two main whale species spotted in Mauritius are Hump Back Whales and Sperm Whales.
Hump Back Whales can be spotted between July and November as they head to the tropics during the Southern Hemisphere's winter to mate and feed. They have a very recognisable body shape and often perform mesmerising surface swimming displays.
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Sperm Whales can be spotted all year round and can reach up to 18m. Sperm Whales are the largest toothed Whale in the world. The females live in groups with their calves while the males live alone.
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Although I have never swam with them I imagine it will be much easier as they don't tend to swim as fast as the dolphins.
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SEA TURTLE
We have two types of sea turtle which can be spotted in Mauritius. The Hawksbill Turtle and the Green Turtle.
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If you are ever lucky enough to encounter one of these while snorkelling and diving you won't forget it! They are very elegant and peaceful creatures.
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The Hawksbill Turtle has a sharp pointed beak, eats a diet of sea sponges, coral, algae and even jelly fish and smaller fish. Green Turtles have a more rounded beak and a tear shaped shell. These guys are vegetarians and have a purely herbivore diet.
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Both turtles can be spotted bobbing their heads up from the surface for air for a brief moment before diving back down. They can go up to 2 hours without breathing and can live up to 80 years old!
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I have spotted them snorkelling at Ile Aux Plait in the North and while scuba diving at Trou Aux Biche.
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There are local tourist operators at Trou Aux Biche who offer a 'swimming with turtles' experience but I do not advise this as it is very touristy and the guides feed the turtles fish which is not their natural diet and so negatively impacts the eco systems.
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SHARKS
Yes there are sharks in Mauritius! But don't worry they aren't aggressive and there has never been a shark attack recorded on the island!
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You can see Black Tips, White Tip, Gray, Bull Tiger Hammerhead and White Sharks. They tend to stay to the colder, deeper areas and are rare to spot as they hunt at night.​
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I have seen some very small Black Tip Sharks hiding in the reef on a scuba dive at Trou Aux Biche. The dive master shone his torch in a hole in the corals and all I could see was the black tip tails, but that was enough for me!
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If you are keen to see more sharks I am aware of a scuba diving spot in the North of the island where you are very likely to spot some.
REEF LIFE
The reefs of Mauritius are teeming with life with a plethora of different types of fish and other creatures.
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There are tones of brilliant snorkelling spots all over the island but to name a new; Flic en Flac, Trou Aux Biches, PeryBere, Ile Aux Cerfs, Ile Aux Plait, and Blue Bay.
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Some of the fish you can see Angel Fish, Bat Fish, Parrot Fish, Lion Fish, Zebra Fish, Butterfly Fish, Leaf Fish, Trigger Fish, Emperor Angel Fish, Barracuda Fish, Needle Fish, Puffer Fish, Clown Fish and many many more.
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Other interesting creatures which can be seen are Moray Eels. Sea Snakes, Octopus, Squid, Lobster, Jelly fish, Shrimp, Clams and Urchins
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There are also a variety of beautiful colourful corals which can be found on the reef. For a different experience there are also some excellent ship wreck dives in Mauritius, I recommend the wrecks in Trou Aux Biche.
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