La Grande Anse Pinnacles
Réunion Island · France
Volcanic spires rise from a sandy floor at 28 metres, their sides encrusted with cup corals and crinoids, the surrounding water frequently patrolled by hammerhead sharks during austral winter. The pinnacles create natural current breaks that concentrate reef fish — large schools of snapper and fusilier wheel around the formations while grouper hold in the gaps. Between November and March, humpback whales are sometimes audible during the dive, passing through on migration.
Conditions
Depth
12 to 35 m
Advanced depths
Current
Often strong
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
22 to 35 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
22 to 29°C
5mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| Vis (m) | 15 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 15 |
| Current | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Gentle | Gentle | Strong | Strong | Strong | Moderate | Gentle | Gentle | Moderate |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Blue-lined snapper
Last confirmed Dec 7, 2025 · 1 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Blacktip grouper
Last confirmed Aug 12, 2025 · 1 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Humpback whale
Last confirmed Aug 27, 2024 · 6 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Hawksbill sea turtle
Last confirmed May 16, 2026 · 5 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Yellow-spotted emperor
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Cup coral
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Feather star (crinoid)
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Striped surgeonfish
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear