Nosy Iranja

Nosy Iranja is a pair of small islands roughly 90 minutes by boat from Nosy Be in northwest Madagascar, connected at low tide by a brilliant white sandbar. The reef systems around both islands rank among the finest in the western Indian Ocean, with exceptional visibility, wall diving to 40 plus metres, and a parade of pelagic life that includes seasonal whale sharks from September to December and humpback whales from July to September. Green turtles nest on the beaches and are a permanent fixture in the water. Manta rays concentrate here from October through December as plankton blooms attract them and the whale sharks simultaneously. Hammerheads appear occasionally at deeper seamount structures. The current-swept channels produce dense schools of jacks, barracuda, tuna, and Napoleon wrasse, while the sheltered reef flanks offer excellent coral gardens for easier dives. The dry season from April to November delivers the best conditions, though the site is diveable most of the year.