If you fly over the clear turquoise waters off the southwest coast of our island, you’ll spot what looks like an underwater waterfall in Mauritius. It may look dramatic, but you can actually swim – and surf – over the ‘waterfall’ below. Here’s everything you need to know…
You might have seen your fair share of waterfalls around the world. You might have even seen some of the waterfalls plunging down the lush forested hillsides on our very own tropical island. But the chances are, you haven’t seen an underwater waterfall.
Mauritius and its surrounding islands, including La Reunion and Rodrigues, were formed by volcanic activity under the ocean. This happened around 8 million years ago (Earth itself is around 4.6 billion years’ old), so Mauritius is a pretty young island.
The islands – known as the Mascarene Islands (or Îles Mascareignes) – sit on a submarine plateau, also known as an ocean shelf. The shelf is no deeper than 150 metres below sea level, but its drop-off plunges to depths of over 4000 metres. So it’s not water rushing over the drop-off and falling to a depth of 4000 metres, it’s actually sand and silt being shimmied off the edge by the ocean’s currents. Instead of an underwater waterfall, it’s more of an underwater sandfall.
You’ll find this natural wonder to the southwest of Mauritius, offshore of Le Morne Peninsula. The peninsula is home to another of the island’s top attractions: towering Le Morne Brabant Mountain, which rises to heights of over 500 metres and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There’s even more interesting natural activity here thanks to two extremely rare plant species: the Mandrinette (Hibiscus fragilis) and the national flower, Boucle D’Oreille (Trochetia boutoniana).
You can see a very rough shape of the waterfall by hiking up Le Morne Brabant. From the top of the 500-metre peak, you’ll get incredible views over the island and the stunning reef that surrounds it.
The only way to see the exact formation of the underwater waterfall, though, is to fly over it. Helicopter sightseeing tours can whisk you high above this natural phenomenon – take to the skies for a bird’s-eye view of Le Morne Peninsula and the sparkling lagoon, and for the chance to try and get your head around the incredible power of nature. You can also charter a private seaplane for the added bonus of a fun water take-off.
*Disclaimer: Information on listed products and services are provided by the operator and were correct at the time of publishing. Please visit the operator’s website for further information. The Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) makes no representations whatsoever about any other websites which you may access through this website. Some websites which are linked to this website are independent from the MTPA and are not under the control of the MTPA. The MTPA does not endorse or accept any responsibility for the use of websites which are owned or operated by third parties and makes no representation or warranty in relation to the standard, class or fitness for purpose of any services, nor does it endorse or in any respect warrant any products or services by virtue of any information, material or content linked from or to this site.
