Ilot Maitre
New Caledonia · France
Ilot Maitre is a tiny sand islet just 4 kilometers from Noumea surrounded by a fringing reef that represents some of the healthiest hard coral coverage anywhere in the southern lagoon. The shallow reef crest cascades down through coral gardens to a sandy slope at 25 meters, and the site's accessibility from Noumea makes it ideal for multiple dives in a day to observe the dramatically different communities active at different times.
Conditions
Depth
3 to 25 m
Open water and up
Current
Usually still
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
20 to 30 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) | 10 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 10 |
| Current | Gentle | Gentle | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Gentle | Gentle |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Moorish Idol
Last confirmed Jul 4, 2026 · 125 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Green Sea Turtle
Last confirmed Jul 6, 2026 · 448 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Luzon Sea Star
Last confirmed Jul 4, 2026 · 352 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
White-Spotted Puffer
Last confirmed Jul 4, 2026 · 266 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Blue Starfish
Last confirmed Jun 30, 2026 · 78 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Eastern Turtle-Headed Sea Snake
Last confirmed Jul 4, 2026 · 926 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Common Seahorse
Last confirmed Jun 20, 2026 · 788 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Sea Krait
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear