Le Petit Tombant
Also known as: Petit Tombant Plateau
Best time to dive
May to November; December to March
Certification & difficulty
Open Water
Snorkelling
Snorkel-friendly - Yes - shallow reef top (0-18m) is used for snorkeling trips (Plongée Salée offers a dedicated 2-hour snorkeling outing, ~55 EUR)
Safety notes
Site lies inside the Réserve Naturelle Marine de La Réunion - wild anchoring is banned reserve-wide (mooring buoys only between Cap La Houssaye and Étang-Salé); occasional shark-risk beach closures affect swimming/surfing on this coast, though scuba diving with a professional club remains explicitly permitted under the 2017 prefectural order (at the diver's own risk)
Permits & fees
No individual permit needed for recreational diving, but commercial dive operators must hold a Réserve Naturelle Marine authorization (renewable every 3 years) with annual attendance reporting; diving is banned outright in the reserve's Integrated Protection Zones (ZPI/sanctuaries), which are elsewhere on the reserve, not confirmed to include this specific site
Permits and operators change - confirm before booking.
Location
Nearest hub: Étang-Salé
This profile is desk research, compiled from public sources - not a first-hand dive report. Coordinates are approximate.