Scuba Diving Ils de Pins, New Caledonia – Faille de Noupa, Ils de Pins, New Caledonia

Dive Site: Faille de Noupa
Location: Ils de Pins, New Caledonia
Description: Reef
Depth: 11 – 45 metres (36 – 148 feet)
Visibility: 30 metres + (100 feet)

Faille de Noupa dive site is a 15 minute boat ride from the Kunie Scuba Centre at Vao. The local Melanesian inhabitants still refer to the island as Kunie, the local name of the Ils de Pins (Isle of Pines). The short journey to the site was made on an 11 metre ridged inflatable before being dropped over a large reef plateau of around 11 metres depth. At the edge of the plateau the wall drops down to a maximum depth of 45 metres where there is a sand sea floor with large coral heads. On the reef wall itself there are large red gorgonian fan corals and the viz is excellent at a good 30 metres or more. Tuna and trevally hang in the open water and dense groups of small chromis and damselfish swim all over the upper reef slopes. At the ascent over the plateau where there are layer upon layer of stunning blue acropora and stony corals; oranges, blues, pinks and yellows glisten in the sun which easily penetrated to 10 metres.

After many of the morning dives from Ils de Pins divers can head for a surface interval in the ‘blue lagoon’, the worlds largest natural lagoon. The light blue water is almost blinding and the sheer size astounding. Whilst here, it is possible to wade from the boat to the small sandy beaches which surround the lagoon.