Isle of Pines
New Caledonia · France
The Isle of Pines sits within New Caledonia's immense lagoon, its surrounding reefs among the most diverse and least dived in the southwest Pacific, with coral gardens in extraordinary condition and near-daily encounters with dugongs and sea turtles. The protected lagoon waters offer superb visibility and the calm conditions that let macro photographers slow down and find the extraordinary small life inhabiting every coral surface.
Conditions
Depth
5 to 35 m
Advanced depths
Current
Usually still
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
20 to 40 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
20 to 27°C
5mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| Vis (m) | 15 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 15 |
| Current | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Still | Still | Still | Still | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Leopard Shark
Last confirmed Jul 29, 2025 · 1 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
New Caledonian Sea Krait
Last confirmed Jul 31, 2025 · 2 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Barrier Reef Anemonefish
Last confirmed Aug 17, 2025 · 5 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Yellow Boxfish
Last confirmed Nov 30, 2025 · 3 records
Rare
Now and then
Dugong
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Hawksbill Sea Turtle
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Mushroom Coral
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Small Giant Clam
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear