Introduction

Nosy Be (or Nossi-bé, meaning big island in Malagasy) is an island located 8 kilometers off the northwest coast of Madagascar, and the country's most important tourist resort. This volcanic island covers an area of 300 km², dominated by Mont Lokobe reaching an altitude of 450m. Several smaller islands are located around, including Nosy Komba, Nosy Mitsio, Nosy Sakatia and Nosy Tanikely. Protected by the mountains of the mainland, Nosy Be has a tropical microclimate; the fauna is unique, and with the warm waters of the Mozambique Canal, the island is one of the top diving destinations in Africa. Access to the island is usually done by plane from the capital, Antananarivo, but some airlines have international flights to Nosy Be.

Travel facts

Diving type

Destination

easily accessible

bargain destination

Diving level & type

for beginners

for advanced divers

shore diving

liveaboard

Diving Characteristics

pelagics

lots of fish

lots of corals

interesting underwater scenery

Other activities

attractive natural spots

gastronomy

night life

beach

snorkeling

Infrastructures

• diving center
  

  Tropical Diving

  
  Tropical Diving (diving center)
  telephone : (261) 32 07 127 90

  address : Ambatoloaka, Hôtel Coco-Plage, BP 212 Hell-Ville, 207 Nosy Be, Madagascar

  email : tropical.diving@simicro.mg

  internet : www.tropical-diving.com
  rating : 4 / 4 stars

  comments :

  The services provided by Tropical Diving were very efficient. Marc, the boss, made everything he could to render our stay as pleasant as possible. His team, including the only local divemaster on the island (as the other diving centers prefer to hire foreign divemasters), was nice and efficient, taking care of absolutely everything - bringing tanks and equipments on the boat, preparing the gears before the dives, etc. During our week there, they twice spotted a whale-shark, allowing us to enjoy some snorkeling with those fish. The first one was 8 meters long, the second 6 meters. Twice they came so close to us that we had to move not to touch them. Swimming with whale-sharks is really a unique experience.
  
  In the evening, the friendly diving team is always available to have a drink with the clients. This nice attitude is unusual enough to be underlined.

  
  

Diving Sites

• 

  Tanikely Est

  rating : 4.0

  depth : 3-10 m
  description :
  
  Just 30 minutes from Nosy Be, Tanikely is a small uninhabited island. It is an underwater reserve where you'll find practically all the reef fish at depths of 3 to 10 m. It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful dives around Nosy Be. We also encountered large groupers, a large turtle, stingrays, a huge diodon and boxfish, as well as nudibranchs.
  
  
• 

  Tanikely Ouest

  rating : 4.0

  depth : 5-10 m
  description :
  
  Our dive lasted over 90 minutes! Exceptional variety of corals. Lots of anemones. Lots of fish, schools of snappers, large groupers. Also saw two turtles and a huge diodon. The most interesting part of the site is between 2 and 10 meters.
  
  
• 

  Banc de gorgones

  rating : 3.0

  depth : 20 m
  description :
  
  Lots of plankton in suspension. Multitude of giant gorgonians at a maximum depth of 20 meters. Huge scholl of yellow lutjans. Crocodilefish and lionfish in abundance. Lots of anemones and clownfish. We also saw a stonefish and a leaffish carried away by the gentle current, like a leaf in the wind. Magnificent hard corals tables. Numerous staghorn corals.
  
  
• 

  Banc Rosario

  rating : 3.0

  depth : 20 m
  description :
  
  Both soft and hard corals are simply great on this site. Abundant reef fish.
  
  
• 

  Be 3

  rating : 3.0

  depth : 50 m
  description :
  
  Located in the Strait of Mozambique, further back than site B 13 and less steep, a drop-off to 45 meters and then a sandy bottom to 50 meters. We saw seven grey sharks in open water. School of unicorns. Tuna over a meter and a half, large groupers and trevally.
  
  
• 

  Cave / Arche

  rating : 3.0

  depth : 25 m
  description :
  
  Two caves with many entry and exit points. Plenty of potatoes, lots of fish. Several large crocodile fish. School of unicorns. Beautiful corals.
  
  
• 

  B 13

  rating : 2.0

  level : for advanced divers

  depth : profond
  description :
  
  Located in the Strait of Mozambique, this drop-off can be reached in an hour from the beach. The sea was rough (rising tide). The seabed is sandy, with potatoes and beautiful corals. At a depth of 42 meters, we pass through a horizontal arch lined with coral. We saw a large black ray and, in the distance, a grey shark.
  
  
• 

  Banc des 5 mètres

  rating : 2.0

  depth : 15-40 m
  description :
  
  On a drop-off between 15 and 40 meters, we discover caves and crevices inhabited by a multitude of reef fish. From August to December, this site attracts pelagic fish. We encountered neither manta nor whale sharks. The plateau boasts a wide variety of soft and hard corals, as well as nudibranchs.
  
  
• 

  Banc Louis

  rating : 2.0

  depth : 20 m
  description :
  
  Coral sponge, sandy bottom. Lots of fish.
  
  
• 

  Banc Marie

  rating : 2.0

  depth : 25 m
  description :
  
  no description
  
  
• 

  Epave

  rating : 2.0

  type of diving : wreck

  depth : 25 m
  description :
  
  On a sandy bottom lies a wreck of a 22-meter boat, damaged by a hurricane and sunk for and by divers. Coral is slowly taking possession of the wreck yet, but the site is already teeming with fish. We saw a large crocodilefish, a large school of platax and lutjans, as well as jackfish.
  
  
• 

  Manta Point

  rating : 2.0

  depth : 25 m
  description :
  
  Sandy bottom dotted with coral potatoes. This site is supposed to be a rendezvous for large mantas and whale sharks.We saw neither, only a few stingrays.