Ave Maria Rocks
Depth is the range from the top of the site to its usual maximum; "recommended cert" is the mainstream-agency level operators usually ask for, not a legal rule. Currents and visibility change daily, so treat everything here as planning ranges.
Between Praslin and La Digue, Ave Maria's little granite crown continues underwater as a maze of rounded boulders, and the resident life makes it the inter-island favorite: hawksbill turtles at close quarters on nearly every dive, whitetip reef sharks dozing under the slabs, eagle rays banking through the gaps. The rock faces carry sponge and cup-coral color where hard coral is patchy, and the sand channels between boulders hold blue-spotted rays and the occasional octopus mid-costume-change. Shallow, pretty, and generous: the dive most Praslin visitors remember first.
The moment you come for: Reliable turtles and resting whitetips in granite gullies
Topography: Granite islet whose boulders tumble underwater into gullies and swim-throughs
Current: Sheltered between Praslin and La Digue on most winds; occasional tidal push through the gap.
Know before you splash
Hazards: Light surge in the shallows on windy days.
Conservation: Turtles here are habituated to divers; keep the no-touch rule ironclad.
Who you'll meet
Whitetip Reef Shark
Nudibranchs
Hawksbill Turtle
Common Reef (Day) Octopus
Spotted Eagle Ray
Lionfish
Oriental Sweetlips
Loggerhead Turtle
Also recorded nearby
"Charted here" species were listed by our editors from the sources on this page. Counts are GBIF occurrence records: observations logged within about 5 km of the charted position since 1990, matched only against the species in our catalogue. They show what has been seen there, not a promise of what you will see.
For photographers
Wide angle: ★★★★☆ · Macro: ★★★☆☆ (editors' 1–5 rating of what this site gives each style of shooting)