Written by Scuba Instructors ~ DIVEIN.com’s Complete Guide to:
15 Best Dive Sites in Martinique in 2023
This volcanic island is a stunning mountainous silhouette that rises high out of the azure waters of the Caribbean. Mon Pelée is the volcano at the island’s center and is still smoldering to this da.
The island itself is a beautiful collection of white sand beaches, thick jungles, spectacular hiking trails, and an abundance of activities.
The island is situated in the Caribbean Sea between Dominica and St Lucia. The official language of the country is French, so finding an English guide can prove challenging. There are so many incredible activities to do on the island, so whether you are looking to have a diving holiday or try a little bit of everything you will have more than enough to choose from.
Scuba Diving in Martinique
The Diving in Martinique is perfect for divers of all certification levels and allows you to indulge in warm water temperatures and spectacular reefs. When on the surface, you will be surrounded by coconut palms on long white sandy beaches.
Below the waves, you will be submerged into an underwater paradise. The average visibility is 80 feet, and all will need is a 3mm full suit in the coldest days! There is a long list of iconic dive sites surrounding the little island, and in this post, you will find the top 15 dive sites to check out.
The 15 Best Dive sites in Martinique?
Rocher Du Diamant
The most famous dive site in Martinique is the legendary Rocher du Diamant that translates into Diamond Rock. It is situated on the south of the island near Diamond City and attracts thousands of divers across the world. The topography and diversity of the marine creatures at this dive site make it world class. The shape of the rock is particularly intriguing for diving and ascend towards the 49ft.
- Most iconic dive site in Martinique
- Extremely unique topography for divers to explore
- Excellent place to practice photography
What you will see:
The most iconic part of this dive site is the rock itself. It has been deemed a mythical spot with its impressive structure, abundant caves, arches, and drop offs. The rock itself is teeming with life including many Barrel sponges, moray eels, and schools of dancing damsels over the coral. The water visibility and clarity make it a must do when visiting this area.
The Roraima
What used to once be a spectacular ship, is now one of the best diveable wrecks in the world. The Roraima sunk when on May 8th Mount Pelee erupted and destroyed the town and boats sitting in the water of St. Pierre. It burned for a whole 3 days and 53 people lost their lives. Now it sits in the warm Caribbean waters and has been a beloved dive destination since Michel Metery rediscovered the wreck in 1974.
- A gorgeous shipwreck has been colonized by coral reef
- Great abundance of marine creatures’ aggregates on this metal structure
- See how many different species of coral you can spot
What you will see:
This 337 ft long structure rises to a height of 36 ft and is surrounded by some of the most incredible marine life in the area. There are plenty of corals, elk horns, red sponges, dark barrel sponges. The wreck has been kept relatively intact, ever since it was scuttled, and provides divers a unique insight into the past. The tragedy and loss of many lives means that it is advisable to not enter the wreck itself, however you will not be disappointed by the trumpetfish, lizardfish, schools of barracuda, or groupers swimming around.
Cape Solomon
Cape Solomon has several incredible dive sites in the area. The North part of the cape features “the pool” that is a calm and serene area. This dive site provides easy water diving with underwater arches through corals and rocky outcrops. There is a little cave that even beginner divers can explore. Further down south, there is another large stretch of reef and another small pool. The calm pool area is a great spot for shallow water diving and seeing critters.
- Calm water diving ideal for beginner divers
- Great spot for seeing crustaceans and other camouflaged critters
- Continually good visibility
What you will see:
If divers swim towards the tip of the cape, they will have the chance to see plenty of caves, outcrops, and crevasses filled with crustaceans. Swim through this area slowly and see how many tentacles or antennae you can find poking out from between the rocks. There are also plenty of reef fish, and pelagic swimming around. Keep your eyes peeled for barracuda, wahoo, bluehead wrasse, chromis, damselfish, and more!
Nahoon Wreck
Another fantastic diving wreck in Martinique is the well preserved Nahoon. It is a recently sunk wreck that descended below the waves in 1993. After the 1999 Hurricane Lenny only the front part of the boat remains intact. The Nahoon was a building boat and lay to rest on a shallow part of the Caribbean Sea floor at a depth of 33ft. This makes it easily accessible by novice divers and snorkelers alike, however it is recommended for experienced divers to avoid any injuries.
- Shallow wreck dive site is best suited for experienced divers
- Spectacular coral reef growths on the wreck
- The wreck attracts a whole range of marine creatures
What you will see:
The wreck is covered in barrel sponges, soft corals, and gorgonian fans. The wreck itself has large compartments that divers can swim through. The growths on the wreck however can cause cuts and such, therefore gloves or not touching the wreck at all are advisable. There are plenty of trigger fish, damsel fish, and other reef fish all around. Swim with the crayfish, stonefish, angelfish, porcupine fish, Spanish mackerels, and barracudas!
Le Cap Enragé
This beautiful dive site is named the Enraged Cape and is suitable for all levels of divers. Photographers, biologists, beginners, and experienced divers are all going to love this dive site with its stunning coral and diverse marine creatures. The afternoon brings out a whole horde of fish life to swim around the dive site. It is considered an aquarium since the clarity of the water allows you to truly appreciate every marine creature.
- An aquarium like dive featuring all the coral life
- The Enraged Cape dive site is well suited for all dive levels
- Beautiful and sprawling coral gardens at a drop off
What you will see:
The beautiful sprawling coral gardens feature incredible soft corals, hard corals, gorgonian fans, and whipped corals. This vibrant reef is filled with scorpion fish, barracuda, coral reef fish, and stingrays. The canyons, corridors, and caves are another draw in this area. There is truly nothing more entrancing than the unique underwater volcanic topography.
The Canyons of Babodi
These spectacular canyons were created due to the volcanic activity of Mount Pelee, and now you can dive among the ancient lava flows. The impressive canyons extend 160 ft out from the shore. While the dive site has varying depths well suited for every certification level, if you wish to descend to the bottom of the canyon you should be minimum advanced.
- Great dive site for all certification levels, but better suited for advanced
- Stunning underwater volcanic structures
- Dive through hundreds of feet of corridors
What you will see:
This dive site tends to have excellent visibility, allowing you to experience a fantastic chance to see coral reefs, stunning fish, and swimming stingrays. The stingrays swim around the area looking for their favorite prey: crustaceans. There are also plenty of moray eels, sea snakes, angelfish, and school wrasse. There are also plenty of swim throughs featuring whip corals, gorgonian fans, narrow tunnels, soft corals, and barrel sponges.
The Great Caye of Sainte-Luce
This stunning 660 ft long reef is an easy to reach dive spot on the east of Sainte-Luce. It is a great dive site for beginner divers as well as more experienced adventurers. Scientists consider this spot as one of the most ecologically biodiverse and rich coral reef sites in the region. It is also a great spot for night diving to complete your advanced open water course or specialty dives.
- Great dive spot for night diving
- Well suited for all levels of diving
- Extremely healthy and biodiverse ecosystem
What you will see:
Along with a wide range of thriving coral in a range of sizes, shapes, and colors! Some of the most beautifully colored corals are at a depth of 15 ft meaning even snorkelers can enjoy them. On overcast days there is a chance to watch trevallies and smaller fish in furious hunting battles. On night dives, you will be able to see crustaceans, squids, sleeping parrot fish, and more!
The Citadel
This incredible dive site has a whole range of areas for divers to experience. The diving offers spectacular locations in a variety of depth ranges. Between the depth of 19 ft and 98 ft, there is a beautiful coral plateau stretching as far as the eye can see. For more experienced divers, they can descend to 150 ft of steep rocks filled with incredible coral growths.
- Great dive site for all diver levels
- Stunning array of coral stretching along the plateau
- Large schools of fish swim around the area
What you will see:
For beginner divers sticking close to the surface, you will be met with beautifully colored coral and fish basking in the clear water. There are gorgonian fans, barrel sponges, soft corals and whip corals. The brightly colored growths on the rock make a perfect picture! The healthy coral reefs attract a wide variety of fish including coral groupers, damsel fish, angelfish, giant trevally, lionfish, and more!
Rocher de la Perle
Pearl rock is located a half a mile outside of Anse Couleuvre in the clear waters of the Domenica Channel. The depth descends to 130 feet and attract a whole range of megafauna. The location of this dive site means there are frequently strong currents in this area making this dive better suited for experienced divers.
- Strong currents in this area make Pearl Rock better suited for experienced divers
- Deep dive with a wide variety of megafauna swimming around
- Great dive site to see turtles
What you will see:
The Pearl Rock is teeming with a wide arrange of fish, green turtles, barracudas, and stingrays. The strong currents bring the megafauna from all around the island, as sting rays enjoy cruising in the rushing water. Whether you prefer to spot little critters in the crevasses, such as shrimps and crabs or try and spot barracudas in the deep blue.
La Pointe De Burgos
This dive site is located at the south of the Grande Anse D’Arlet and features a dive site of rocky outcrops and diverse marine creatures. Some of the rocky faults descend to 196 ft and provide interesting perspectives for curious divers. The area is famous to be teeming with large quantities of fish. It is one of the most picturesque dive sites and accessible for all dive sites. The current however can be strong, so make sure to be careful.
- One of the most beautiful dive sites in Martinique
- Great dive site suitable for all levels of diving
- Great chance to spot megafauna
What you will see:
The magnificent plateau of coral is the home to a spectacular amount of creatures swimming around. This is one of the best spots to see porpoises, groupers, frogfish, flute fish, snapper, and large batfish. Challenge your photography and grab snapshots of this underwater wonderland.
Lady V
This 60-foot-long steel yacht is resting on the ocean floor at 45 feet of depth. It is a great dive site for beginner divers with its shallow depth and low likelihood of strong current. The yacht has sunk several years ago and is now overgrown with coral and flourishing with life.
- Shallow dive site well suited for beginner divers
- Great spot to practice photography on the coral covered wreck
- Plenty of fish life aggregate in the area
What you will see:
This shallow dive site is covered in spectacular soft and hard coral growths. The wreck has attracted plenty of sergeant fish, damsel fish, angelfish, wrasse, and other dark loving critters. If you take your time and swim around the wreck slowly, you will see hundreds of eyes peering out of the dark structures.
The Jorasses
This current filled dive site is best suited for experienced divers. It was originally discovered by Michel Pivette in 1988 and showcases incredible marine life for all to see. Due to the current, there is a continual flow of clear water this site is famous for its fantastic visibility. There are steep drop offs, huge areas of healthy coral, stunning mega and macro fauna.
- Extremely diverse dive site best suited for experienced divers
- The currents tend to be strong in the area
- The colorful corals hide camouflaged individuals including moray eels, stone fish, crustaceans, and more.
What you will see:
This diverse ecosystem at this dive site feature beautiful corals covering the rocky areas. The brightly colored sponges, gorgonian fans, hard, and soft corals all attract a wide range of fish. Among these growths you will see damsel fish, angelfish, moray eels, pipefish, stonefish, lizard fish, and frogfish. Keep your eyes open to spot the schools of trevally, the occasional passing mackerel, or a majestic stingray.
Kaye Boucaniers
This thriving coral reef is located near the middle of St. Anne’s bay and has an intriguing, and surprising variety of sponges. The corals are rich in color, diversity, as are the species of fish. The shallow dive site makes this a great spot for beginners and snorkelers alike.
- Shallow dive site for snorkelers and beginner divers
- Plenty of colorful fish swimming around the healthy reef
- Ideal spot for photographers to practice their art
What you will see:
Along with the usual residents of coral reefs, you will be able to swim along the groupers, trevallies, barracudas, French angelfish, royal angelfish, and stingrays. The shallow water allows plenty of light to penetrate and illuminate the vibrant coral.
Belle Fontaine
This beginner level dive site is relatively shallow spot however features lots of gorgeous coral reef. The coral reef bommies are scattered around this dive site among the sandy patches. This area is popular with newbie divers or divers wishing to refresh their skills.
- Shallow dive site for beginners and snorkelers
- Sandy bottom for dive courses
What you will see:
The Belle Fontaine has plenty of beautiful reef fishing swirling around. There is red snapper, grouper, moray eels, amberjacks, parrotfish, hogfish, and sturgeon fish. Along with fish species, there are also plenty of crustaceans hiding among the coral. Keep your eyes peeled for cleaner shrimp, ornate crayfish, and crabs!
Jardin Vert
The Jardin Vert known in English as the Green Garden, is one of the lesser known but popular dive site in Martinique. It is located near the Ti Voilier that is a small sailing boat. It is a location filled with plenty of coral life and spectacular marine life. The coral patches cover a large area of the dive site frequently stretching 65 ft in diameter. Each coral patch appears as it’s very own ecosystem. Due to the expansive coral, it is recommended to have good buoyancy at this dive site to protect the fragile ecosystems.
- Large areas covered in sheet coral
- Great place to spot turtles and other grazing animals
- Dense coral coverage means divers need to be careful with their buoyancy
What you will see
The predominant species of coral at this dive site is sheet coral, as it stretches far and wide. The fauna in the area is diverse and you can expect to see plenty of varied fish, crustaceans, and large pelagic. Enjoy swimming through schools of angel fish, seeing a lone barracuda, swimming next to a green turtle, or spotting hiding cleaner shrimp.
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When can you go to Martinique?
While you can visit this tropical island throughout the year. The best time to visit Martinique is April to May. As it is situated near Hurricane valley, there is a chance of hurricanes coming through in the summer and fall months.
The peak season for visitors is from December to April, unfortunately during this time hotel prices skyrocket. The water temperatures stay around 80°F, while the air fluctuates between 70°F and 86°F. Whenever time of the year you decide to visit, you will certainly get a few good dives under your belt.
Did we miss your favorite dive site in Martinique? Drop us a line below and tell us about it!