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Snorkeling with Giant Turtles
3.9
78 Ratings
Trou aux Biches
Experience the thrill of snorkeling with giant turtles in the Indian Ocean before exploring the iconic Red Church, Pamplemousses Garden, and vibrant Port Louis.
Experience the thrill of snorkeling with giant turtles in the Indian Ocean before exploring the iconic Red Church, Pamplemousses Garden, and vibrant Port Louis.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Plage de Trou aux Biches - Begin your day with a truly unique experience in Mauritius: snorkeling with wild, giant turtles! You’ll board a boat on the island’s northwest coast and get the chance to snorkel with turtles in their natural habitat. These Giant Green Sea Turtles can grow up to 1.2m long and weigh up to 200kg. Besides the turtles,…
- Plage de Trou aux Biches - Begin your day with a truly unique experience in Mauritius: snorkeling with wild, giant turtles! You’ll board a boat on the island’s northwest coast and get the chance to snorkel with turtles in their natural habitat. These Giant Green Sea Turtles can grow up to 1.2m long and weigh up to 200kg. Besides the turtles, you’ll encounter a variety of marine life, including different species of tropical fish and coral. Snorkeling equipment is provided (masks and tubes - fins are not permitted)!
Note: Usually, the swimming with wild turtles part of the tour is done first, but this may vary depending on the tides. The total time spent on the boat and snorkeling is approximately 45 minutes.
- Notre Dame Auxiliatrice - Notre Dame Auxiliatrice, also known as “The Red Church,” is a cherished landmark situated in the scenic town of Cap Malheureux, in the far northwest of the island. The church offers a fantastic photo opportunity with the stunning Indian Ocean as a backdrop. From Cap Malheureux, you can also see the famous island of Coin de Mire, located almost directly north of Mauritius.
- SSR Botanic Garden - In the historic village of Pamplemousses, you’ll visit the renowned Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden, where you can see giant waterlilies and 85 varieties of palm trees from around the globe. You’ll also discover various spices and medicinal plants and learn about the different endemic and imported plants in the garden.
- Port Louis - A tour of the North wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius. The city is a mix of old and new. On one side, you have the bustling historical market (bazaar), built in 1828, where you can haggle for spices and souvenirs and taste Mauritian street food. On the other side, there’s the modern Caudan Waterfront, where visitors can shop at brand-name stores and dine at various restaurants. You can explore the areas of Port Louis that interest you, such as the Jummah Mosque, Blue Penny Museum, Aapravasi Ghat (a UNESCO heritage site), and the smaller streets. For great views, your driver will take you to the Citadel, and you’ll also see the Champs de Mars racecourse along the way.
- Le Caudan Waterfront - One of the many attractions in Port Louis you can visit on this tour.
- Aapravasi Ghat - One of the many attractions in Port Louis you can visit on this tour.
- Blue Penny Museum - One of the many attractions in Port Louis you can visit on this tour.
- Port Louis Race Track - One of the many attractions in Port Louis you can visit on this tour.
What's Included
- Snorkeling with turtles
- Air-conditioned and insured taxi, minibus or coach
- Hotel pickup, dropoff and transportation in a private vehicle
- Snorkeling gear (masks and tubes - fins are not allowed)
- Services of a fully licensed, qualified driver
- Snorkeling with turtles
- Air-conditioned and insured taxi, minibus or coach
- Hotel pickup, dropoff and transportation in a private vehicle
- Snorkeling gear (masks and tubes - fins are not allowed)
- Services of a fully licensed, qualified driver
What's Not Included
- Entrance fees to Pamplemousses Garden are Rs. 300 (6 Euros) per person
- Lunch or snacks
- Entrance fees to Pamplemousses Garden are Rs. 300 (6 Euros) per person
- Lunch or snacks
Additional Information
- Note: It is forbidden to touch or interact with the turtles.
- Note: This tour is private except for the snorkeling with giant turtles portion.
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Note: Typically the swimming with wild turtles portion of the tour is done first, however this may change depending on the tides.
See the North of Mauritius in a unique way by starting your day snorkeling…
- Note: It is forbidden to touch or interact with the turtles.
- Note: This tour is private except for the snorkeling with giant turtles portion.
- Note: Typically the swimming with wild turtles portion of the tour is done first, however this may change depending on the tides.
See the North of Mauritius in a unique way by starting your day snorkeling with giant turtles in the Indian Ocean! Board a boat from the northwest coast of the island, and use our snorkeling gear while swimming with these magnificent creatures (masks & tubes - fins are not allowed).
After the adventure, take photos at the famous Notre Dame Auxiliatrice (The Red Church), set against the backdrop of a beautiful lagoon, and the famous island of Coin de Mire.
Next, visit the famous Pamplemousses Botanical Garden where you’ll discover a variety of plants native to the island. Finish your day in the bustling capital of Port Louis and visit the well-known Caudan Waterfront, the popular outdoor market, and more!
- The swimming with turtles portion of this outing is not recommended for pregnant women. All children under 12 years old should be accompanied.
- In most cases you will see turtles. However, if this is not the case, a second outing will be offered on the boat free of charge (transportation to and from your hotel are not included for the second outing). It’s important to note that there will be no refund once you have completed the activity.
- This tour lasts up to eight hours, and you will be able to choose how long you spend at each attraction (except for the turtles portion). Depending on your group’s speed you may not have time to see all the listed attractions. You will be able to stop for lunch but the price of the lunch is not included
- Bring swimwear and a towel for the swimming with turtles portion, and a change of clothes and comfortable walking shoes for the rest of the tour
Location
Plage de Trou aux Biches
Costal Road
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
3.9
(78 Ratings)
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Louise_c
Oct 14, 2024
Snorkelling with turtles - The highlight of the trip was swimming in the sea with turtles. It was also wonderful to see The Red Church, Pamplemousses Garden and Port Louis. Our driver Anil looked after us very well.
Review provided by Viator
Explorer39537137016
Oct 11, 2024
Lovely excursion - San was a lovely guy and really informative about the island. Leisurely tour and no rushing and given plenty of time at each stop. Unfortunately turtles didn’t come out to play but still enjoyable trip.
Would highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alextrouillard
Aug 28, 2024
Beautiful - Beautiful discovery a very beautiful site for an immersion that leaves magnificent memories
A memorable experience
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chiara_s
Aug 13, 2024
Fabulous tour very highly recommend - Keno was amazing communicative, helpful, well spoken, friendly and informative. We enjoyed the tour from start to finish and highly recommend this! The swimming with turtles was amazing and so was all the other parts of the tour. We saw a beautiful Tamil temple as an extra bonus stop. The botanical gardens were so beautiful and a must see!!!! Beautiful tour!
Review provided by Viator
Emmasmith713
Oct 6, 2024
We saw a few turtles, or one, we couldn't tell - Very mixed bag of a day but all in all i found it to be a good day out!
Firstly, our driver arrived to pick us up 30 minutes before we were expecting (totally not his fault he showed us the agency booking he received, there was a issue of the agency telling him one time and the trip advisor booking telling us another).
Our driver was just amazing, he was so friendly, passionate and engaging with us. We were staying on the south end of the island so it took us around 1.5 hours to get to the first location but the drive and car were pleasant.
First stop was the red church which was beautiful. Located on the coast, it boasted a very picturesque beach view. There is a small dock just to the side which you can walk on and see various fish etc swimming about. You can enter the church by pulling the cage door open (it does look closed but try the door!). Once inside there are signs asking for quiet while people look around as it is still a place of worship.
Snorkelling with turtles was definitely a highlight of the trip. Once dropped off at the beach, you are met by a guide who goes through the safety rules (don't touch, don't chase, don't dive etc) and then you are shown onto a boat (BRING WATER SHOES!). He the again went through the rules while driving to the location.
This is where the trip took a bit of a turn, it was very suddenly a rush to get in the water, very GO GO GO now! there was our boat and around 4/5 others within the same area and around 10 other people, all shouting and directing us where to go while others in the water were doing everything we were told not to do.
Our boat driver then told us when we were done to get onto the glass bottom boat when we were done as that is where he would leave our stuff and then quickly left before we could confirm what boat he was referring to. There was a mixture of trying to find where the turtles were, listen out for directions, not hit other swimmers, not swim into the boats around all while fighting the current. All in all, this experience, although great because we got to see turtles, was very stressful and if you aren't a strong swimmer, I would not recommend.
Pamplemousses gardens were very nice and pretty but didn't have a lot of plant variety. But it was nice to walk around and relax.
Finally Port Louis - quite a chaotic city and smells very heavily of fish. Our lovely driver offered to accompany us around due to haggling in the markets which was massively appreciated. We started at the craft market which was very nice and we did pick up some souvenirs, while our driver stayed in the background, only jumping in to support us when asked. We then walked 30 minutes in what felt like a convection oven (no air and all heat) to the fish / veg market. Honestly, I wouldn't bother unless you are intending on buying fish or veg.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Eva_b
Aug 21, 2024
Swimming with Turtles - The swim with turtles was good managed to see one turtle and the crew were friendly. We visited the church at a quiet time which was very idyllic with the bay behind. The gardens were beautiful and we had a very informative guide showing us around where we also saw fruit bats flying.Port Louis was very busy and the market life was thriving with local produce and people. Our driver was very nice and explained about many sites and daily Mauritius life.
Review provided by Viator
Traveler_o
Oct 11, 2024
Decent tour - The turtle experience was amazing and also the other stuff, the only problem was the rude driver that brought us everywhere.
And also it's not a real tour because you will be alone and without a guide so at the end you are just paying the turtle thing and the taxi because he stay with you all the day. I hope you will get a different driver then mine.
Review provided by Viator
Jenny_o
Sep 17, 2024
Disappointed. - My partner and I booked this and had a great time during the gardens, the guide was knowledgeable and engaging. However the rest of the tour felt rushed and not very well organised. We unfortunately ended up coming back early and not visiting some parts of the tour that was in the description. Was disappointed overall.
Review provided by Viator
Dubs111
Aug 14, 2024
OK??? - Group of 14 adults attended this trip.
This trip was 1 of 3 trips we had done and was our least favourite
The swimming with turtles, consisted of only 1 small Turtle 🐢 and was a little crowded due to other boats and tourists.
I probably wouldn't recommend this trip.
But would look to find a better Turtle excursion.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
693ludovics
Sep 10, 2024
Catch you scumbags running away! - Lamentable!
You're a scumbag, a tourist stalker who thinks you're a wallet. Duration of the excursion 10H of which 7H transport?!!! 45 minutes visit to Port Louis instead of the 2H scheduled... a restaurant catches tourists (ocean restaurant) on which the driver receives financial compensation, which was confirmed to us by the waiter himself. A driver, a private individual who replaced the supposedly sick, inexperienced driver who is afraid to drive... imagine the night since he brought us back at 6:45 pm... and still receives compensation on the number of hours spent. You can see why he made this nightmare last. Run away! To see turtles, it's free to swim 50m from the beach! A SHAME
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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