Bay Of Wonders In Madagascar

The island of Madagascar is home to thousands of unique plant and animal species. Well known for its biodiversity on the land, very few people think of it as a diving destination...yet. But hidden under the water, along the Southwest coast lies the 3rd largest barrier reef in the world.

At 300km long, The Toliara reef system (named for the closest nearby city) encloses the Bay of Ranobe (Vezo for “big water”). Within this bay, throughout the fringing and patch reef system live over 6,000 species.

Two Marine Protected Areas lie within the bay. These are locally managed by an association of Vezo fishermen. Both have something unique to offer, but other areas in the bay can be just as interesting, if not more!


The Bay of Ranobe's Marine Protected Areas

The first Marine Protected Area - Rose Garden, or "Massif de Roses", depending on the native language of who you ask, was set up in 2007. This area of patch corals is home to mostly rose coral, lending it its name. Lately, it has been the site of conservation research, and you can observe coral nurseries set up on the west and east sides of the reef. There are lots of Moray eels, bat fish, and a few electric rays hiding out in these nurseries.

Ankaranjelita (no real translation) - the second Marine Protected Area, was set up in 2008 and is about a 45-minute boat ride north of Rose Garden. The diversity here is much higher and the reef itself is more colourful. The fish tend to grow larger here than in other parts of the bay, in part because of the lessoned fishing pressure placed on the area. Here, you’ll find bubble coral, Moorish idols in droves, and parrotfish of all varieties. Night dives here bring out crocodilefish, strange sea cucumbers, and cowries literally coming out of their shells.

Of course, because of the bay’s large size, there are plenty of other places to visit.

Closer to the barrier, visibility increasing and so does species richness. Here, you can see bright, colourful corals, humphead wrasse, garden eels, a huge variety of butterflyfish, and even a sea turtle if you’re lucky. Madagascar used to be home to one of the largest turtle nesting grounds in the world. These days, you’d be hard pressed to find a turtle nest, but you do still see the odd turtle swimming by you on your dive. There are even rumours of sharks.


How to reach The Bay of Ranobe ?

The best way to access this bay of wonders is from a couple different tourist points along the coast:

Mangily is a quiet beach town about an hour north of Toliara. It’s full of French ex-patriots and local guides ready to take you on your snorkel or dive adventure. Or, you can go South to Anakao, known for watersports of all kind. Mangily is closer to the Marine Protected Areas, but Anakao has healthy reef patches as well. You can also try to find dive operators in Ifaty, a smaller town south of and sometimes confused for Mangily.

Either way, Madagascar, above and below the water is sure to be an adventure you won’t soon forget.


@ This article above is written by Roya Eshragh (PADI Instructor #373094), please give respect to her copyright!
This article & photos are not to be reproduced or distributed without written permission of Roya Eshragh.

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