Caverns and lava tunnels of Mauritius and Réunion
Les Grottes du Portail
- Max depth30 m
- CertificationCavern
- Water temperature≈ 23–28 °C, varies with the seasonestimated, no reports yet
Diving and fills
Dive here with
The dive
Les Grottes du Portail lie in the Réserve naturelle nationale marine de La Réunion.
Profile and sections
Les Grottes du Portail lie in the Réserve naturelle nationale marine de La Réunion. A basalt ledge at 15–20 m ends in a steep wall, and at its foot the ocean has cut a maze of tunnels and caverns into the lava over thousands of years. Sponges and hydroids grow in the dark, home to fish, crustaceans and echinoderms.
The caves form a natural area of their own (ZNIEFF, sheet of 2020) of 12 hectares, with 131 species, eight of them typical of the site.
Practical: Manawa calls it a dive for experienced divers. Plongée Salée in L'Étang-Salé dives past lava tunnels in the same reserve and picks the site on the day.
- Depth and profile
- A maze of tunnels and caverns at 20–30 m (Scubananas); the caves and tunnels lie around 20 m at the foot of a basalt ledge at 15–20 m. The protected area drops on to 45 m.
- Configuration
- Tunnels and caverns in a maze, guided: recreational gear with a primary and a backup light (estimate).
Who can dive where
- At least Cavern
- Configurations: Backmount / twinset / Sidemount / CCR / Small cylinders / no-mount (speleo sumps)
- Goes down to 30 m (trimix or deco may be needed)
This is how the planner decides who in your team may dive this cave. Rules your own trip adds (organizer, a mail, the AI) show with your trip.
How to get there
By boat, on Réunion's west coast between the reefs of Saint-Leu and L'Étang-Salé, inside the marine reserve. Scubananas in Saint-Leu dives here often.
Around Les Grottes du Portail
FillsNo fill station known nearby
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