FAQ
Good to know
Blue Safari Submarine operates in the north of Mauritius, in Trou aux Biches. Our welcoming desk is found in the court yard of the restaurant, Le Pescatore and Hotel Le Grand Bleu. Our dive sites are located off Mont Choisy beach. If you have a GPS you can enter the following coordinates: S 20° 1’31.4724” – E 57° 33’2.5776”.
The submarine is accessible to all children with a minimum of 9 months old. It is important at the end of the dive before the pilot opens the hatch of the submarine to give your baby a popsicle to facilitate ear equalization. Ask our hostesses to give you candy for your children.
For the subscooter the child must be at least 8 years old.
Whether for the submarine or subscooter there is no age limit. We have the pleasure of frequently welcoming people over 80 years of age aboard the submarine. However, it is important to be able to move easily either to embark from one boat to another or to descend the ladder of the submarine (1m50cm).
For the submarine, only sumos may have difficulty getting into the hatch to the cabin.
For the subscooter, it is recommended not to exceed 150 kg and if you weigh more than 110 kg and /or measure more than 1m90cm, we recommend that you rent a single subscooter.
For the submarine, unless you are a yoga enthusiast, the submarine is not recommended for people over 2 meters tall, the same for the subscooter.
For the subscooter, the minimum height is 1m10cm.
Bring your enthusiasm and smile!
For the submarine, come in comfortable clothes allowing you to switch from one boat to another easily. Long dresses (especially front non-slit) or sari are not recommended. In the same way to avoid slipping, we recommend wearing flat or sports shoes.
For the subscooter, please bring your swimsuits and towel with you. Cabins and showers will be at your disposal for you to change. We will provide you with diving suits and shoes to protect you from the cold if you wish.
Of course, yes, lightly if possible if you fear seasickness. Alcohol consumption before diving is prohibited.
Whether it’s the submarine or subscooter you can catch a flight right after your activities.
First of all, for the submarine it is the experience to discover a rare craft out of the ordinary, to observe the functioning of the ballasts then to discover as you descend, the beauty of our seabed. When the submarine lands on the sand, you’ll feel like you’re landing on the moon. The gradual appearance of the wreck of the Star Hope will look fantastic. The maneuverability of our submarines and the expertise of our pilots will impress you.
For the subscooter, the sensations of driving your own submarine are wonderful. The freedom to talk with your teammate, laugh and share your impressions is unique.
Schedules and Transportation
Blue Safari Submarine operates every day, 7 days a week, public holidays included except Christmas Day (25 December) and the first day of the year (1 January). For the submarine, we dive every hour. We are ready to welcome you for the first session at 08:30 and the last session of the day at 15:30 in winter (May until August) and 16:30 in summer (September until April). For the subscooter, we dive every hour, first session is at 09:00 and last 15:00 in winter and 16:00 in summer.
If your booking has gone through a receptive, you can arrange your transfer with them. They will be delighted to take the opportunity of your visit to the north to propose you another excursion/visit to make the day unforgettable. Hotel staff can help you with taxis. You can also rent a car from one of the car rental companies. We also have a shuttle service certain day of the week, to learn more contact us by email or by calling on 2657272.
Weather condition
Rain or a strong east wind is rarely a problem. In fact, when the sky is grey/ rainy, we see more fish under water because the light is slightly reduced. Very often in these conditions, we observe hunts of carnivores such as Carangues, Barracudas, etc. The prevailing winds being from east to Mauritius and diving on the west coast near the reef, we are protected from the wind even if it blows at 70km/h or 80 km/h. However, the sea condition can sometimes be a problem. Waves or swells especially from the South-South West to North-North West may prevent a secure boarding or may alter the visibility. You can always consult us in advance to obtain a relatively reliable weather forecast. To avoid cancellations, we advise you to book your activities from your first day of stay in Mauritius allowing you more possibilities to postpone your dive if the conditions are not favorable. Although meteorology is not an exact science, we will notify you the day before in the event of bad weather allowing you to either cancel the activity or postpone it as available. It is relatively rare that we cancel our dives. However, a strong anticyclone can disturb us in general a day, or a maximum of 3 days. In summer, a cyclone can affect us for 3 to 5 days exceptionally 7 days, the time it takes for visibility to be found.
Generally, we have a very good visibility of over 30 meters underwater for the submarine. Visibility is generally better at rising tide than falling tide. However, it degrades at ebb tide when the sea breaks over the west coast reefs, which is relatively rare.
Diving
For the submarine we dive at 35 meters depth knowing that our 2 submarines are certified annually by recognized institution at 50 meters.
For the subscooter, we dive at 3 meters depth above ground not exceeding 6 or 7 meters.
For the submarine you will stay inside for 40 to 45 minutes.
For the subscooter you will be underwater for about 35 minutes.
For the submarine, there are no specific contraindications except that the activity is not recommended for people with severe claustrophobia or heart problems. Note that pregnant women can also make the submarine especially if the urge is important.
For the subscooter, the activity is not recommended for pregnant women or people with severe eardrum problems, severe asthma or cardiovascular.
For the submarine, the pressure inside the cabin remains the same regardless of the depth. The pressure variation between the inside of the cabin and the outside when the submarine is on the surface represents a very slight variation identical to the one you know when you get off a small mountain in a car.
For the subscooter, your body being in the water and not in a cabin, is subjected to the external pressure of the water that varies with the depth. That’s why we don’t go down more than 3 meters and that’s why we’ll also teach you how to decompress your ears.
The consumption of food is prohibited on board the submarine as well as smoking for obvious safety reasons.
However, smoking areas exist on our operating platforms when you return from your dive.
It is certain that you will be able to observe different species of fish whether in submarine or subscooter. However, the rare experience of diving on board a submarine or the fun of subscooter diving must be your first motivation to book your activity. On average, you’ll see over a hundred fish during the submarine dive if you’re careful. The main fish encountered are the Jackfish, Captains, Parrot Fish, Rays, Turtles, Clown Fish, etc. Don’t be disappointed if you don’t come across sharks because sharks especially like rough waters with strong current that would disrupt the safety of your dive.
For the subscooter, you will cross a lot of fish but being closer to the reef and in a shallow depth, the number of fish species encountered will be lower than that of the submarine.
Yes, with pleasure but we will ask you to pay the supplementary price allowing you to benefit from the same service on our platform namely transfers in shuttle boat and free drink service after diving.
Security
Since the company’s operation in 1998, we have never had a serious accident. Safety is always our priority. The worst accidents we had experienced were during transfers between boats especially when the client does not respect our safety instructions but never these wounds have created a permanent or serious handicap or requiring hospitalization.
Safety is first and foremost a philosophy that must always take precedence over satisfaction. That is why if the weather is not favorable or if the technical condition is not satisfactory, we will never hesitate to cancel our dives or interrupt it. All members of our team, including submarine pilots or subscooter safety divers, are regularly trained in all our emergency measures. Checklists are made daily and before each dive. Our equipment is always kept in perfect working condition. Our submarines are inspected annually by recognized institutions in accordance with international regulations. Regarding the submarine, all the equipment concerning the life of passengers on board is equipped with a double safety system allowing if a circuit should fail during a dive, the second circuit would replace it instantly. Finally, in less than a minute the submarine can come to the surface with 8 independent means. The correct operation of the 6 of these 8 means is checked after each dive.
Photos and videos
For the submarine without any problem however do not put on your flash if you take picture of fish through the window to avoid any reflection of light.
For the subscooter, it is imperative that your devices are completely waterproof. If this is not the case, we will offer you our paid photo or video souvenir service.
For the submarine, we offer for the moment photos in individual, couple or family taken at the time of boarding – in paper or digital format.
For the subscooter, we offer a bunch of photos with about thirty high-definition images, including 10 to 12 personalized. We also offer a video film of about 9 minutes of which 6 -7 minutes personalized.
Payment condition
The prices on our website are in Mauritian rupee. Prices in euro are given at indicative prices.
If you do not have a credit card, we suggest you confirm your reservation, either to book through a receptive or to pay a down payment of a minimum of 50% knowing however that our website is completely secure. For credit card payment we accept Visa, Master Card or American Express.
If you cancel your dive 48 hours before, there is no cancellation fee, and you will be refunded. If you cancel the dive the day before, you will be reimbursed 50% of the amount of your dive. If the activity is cancel on the same day of your dive, 100% cancellation fees will be applicable unless your decision is motivated by a properly documented case of force majeure.