As we were settled in Mahebourg, Blue Bay was our standard snorkeling spot during our two months in Mauritius. Looking into alternatives for variety, we kept hearing about Balaclava Marine Park, aka Turtle Bay. Established in 1997, this is the first and still one of few national marine reserves in Mauritius. Its warm, sheltered waters harbor as many as 200 coral species and over 400 aquatic animals. It sounded like a worthwhile destination. On a fair morning, we packed our snorkeling masks and set off to visit it on a day trip to northern Mauritius, combined with Cap Malheureux, Grand Baie, and Mont Choisy.
Balaclava Marine Park is located off Mauritius’s northwestern coast, in a cove at the mouth of Citron River, near Triolet village, midway between Port Louis and Grand Bay. The bay features two beaches: one to the north, known as Balaclava Public Beach; and one to the south which is mostly privatized. The best snorkeling is in the southern part. But we first checked out the public beach for a stroll.
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It was early morning, and the beach was quiet. Only some fishermen and leaf-sweeping workers of the posh local resort hung around; moored boats bobbed subtly on the whispering ripples. The view of the oceanic horizon and the lofty mountains of central Mauritius was soul-soothing.
The south beach is accessible solely via a dirt road between Maritim and Westin resorts. No-entry signs, placed before the hotel-owned parts of the beach on both sides, left a narrow stretch of sand in the middle for the public. A scuba diving school and a wooden pier with a kiosk were situated there. The presence of a security guard, lounging in his little cabin, gave us peace of mind as we left our scooter and belongings to head out to sea.
The most populated part of the coral reef was to the right of the jetty. The water was shallow enough for easy observation yet deep enough to prevent contact with the bottom and scratches. The visibility was decent but not great, despite the sunshine. We saw plenty of exotic fishes of bizarre shapes and vibrant colorations. But overall, it wasn’t nearly as impressive as Blue Bay. The only spectacle we saw here but not in Blue Bay was a particular kind of small yellow-black fish that enveloped us in a school numbering in the hundreds. While the fish provided a colorful display, the turtles were notably absent. I think that, since the bay’s got developed recently, turtle sightings have become much rarer.
Photos
View (and if you want use) all my photographs from Balaclava Bay in higher resolution.
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