Scuba Dive, Isle of Pines (Ile des Pins), New Caledonia
Unique Scuba Diving On A French Island In The South Pacific Ocean
Apr 24, 2009
The Isle of Pines, is a small island in the South Pacific Ocean. It is located about 70 kilometres off the south east of the larger island of New Caledonia. The island is roughly 18 kilometres long by 14 kilometres wide.
Transfers from New Caledonia’s capital, Noumea, to the Isle of Pines are either by light aircraft (20 minutes) or fast catamaran (3 hours).
History of The Isle of Pines
Captain James Cook, in 1774, was the first European to see The Isle of Pines. He named the island after the tall pines (Araucaria columnaris) that cover the island.
In the 1840s, European settlement came to the island in the form of missionaries attempting to teach the locals Christianity, as well as sandalwood traders.
In 1853, the French claimed the island and started a penal colony that housed French political prisoners.
Scuba Diving at The Isle of Pines
The Isle Of Pines is a mainland island, surrounded by coral reef. This presents some excellent scuba diving sites, with extensive coral formations and clear waters. The island has a very strong French presence, but as scuba diving is a universal sport, while there may be some small differences with some equipment, the general practices are the same.
Fresh Water Scuba Cave Dive – The Grotto
The Grotto is a fresh water scuba cave dive that gives the Isle of Pines something more than reef diving. This is a limestone cave set in the midst of dense jungle. For information on diving The Grotto, refer to the Suite 101 article Fresh Water Scuba Cave Diving, New Caledonia.
Coral Reef Scuba Diving on The Isle of Pines
The majority of scuba diving is done on the northern coast of the Isle Of Pines around the Gadjii area.
A popular scuba dive site is the 'sea grottoes'. These are a network of caves and cracks formed by the action of the sea around the island. Ranging in depth from three metres to about 30 metres on the seafloor, the caves are all linked together, so a divemaster is needed to lead the way.
Another scuba dive site is Gie Island, a smaller island off the Isle of Pines. The seabed comes out from the island at a depth of about six metres, then drops away to about 20 metres and then falls into the depths. From the shallow level to the 20 metre level there is a huge blowhole, very similar to the blowhole on Lady Elliot Island.
The other scuba dives around the Isle of Pines are just as spectacular. Many various coral formations, huge walls covered in gorgonian coral, and an abundance of fish life from eagle rays and turtles to huge Maori wrasse and white tipped reef sharks.
Other Attractions of The Isle of Pines
Another attraction of a scuba dive holiday on the Isle of Pines is naturally the French cooking. Expect a typical French masterpiece for every meal. Crayfish, fresh that day, pipies dug from the sand. And every meal, either a picnic lunch or a lavish seafood spread, is not complete without some of the French red wine and loaves of bread. It is a unique experience to sip 'rough red', straight from a plastic container, after some excellent scuba diving.
The Isle of Pines is a great destination for a scuba dive holiday. It is not hard to get to and is reasonably priced. New Caledonia has not only the attraction of good diving, but also the allure of a foreign country and the magnificent French restaurants of Noumea.
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