When taking to the skies above the crystal-clear turquoise waters off the southwest coast of Mauritius, a fascinating sight often catches the eye – what appears to be an underwater waterfall. Although this natural phenomenon looks quite dramatic, it actually presents an opportunity for adventure seekers to swim and even surf over the “waterfall” below. Here’s everything you need to know about this extraordinary underwater waterfall in Mauritius.
Unique Underwater Location
While you might have encountered cascading waterfalls in numerous locations around the world, witnessing an underwater waterfall is a rarity. The small island of Mauritius, along with its surrounding counterparts La Reunion and Rodrigues, was formed through volcanic activity beneath the ocean approximately 8 million years ago, despite Earth being around 4.6 billion years old. Known as the Mascarene Islands, these landmasses rest on a submarine plateau, or ocean shelf, which descends to depths of over 4000 meters from a relatively shallow 150 meters. Contrary to water plunging over a drop-off, the “underwater waterfall” is actually the result of sand and silt being pushed off the edge by the ocean’s powerful currents, making it more of an “underwater sandfall.”
Location
This natural wonder is situated off the southwestern coast of Mauritius, near the Le Morne Peninsula, home to Le Morne Brabant Mountain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site standing at over 500 meters. The region also hosts two extremely rare plant species, the Mandrinette (Hibiscus fragilis) and the national flower, Boucle D’Oreille (Trochetia boutoniana). By venturing to the top of Le Morne Brabant, one can catch a rough glimpse of the “waterfall” and also enjoy breathtaking vistas of the island and its surrounding reef.
There are helicopter sightseeing tours also that you can opt for to get an aerial view of the complete place.