L'Excelsus

L'Excelsus Plongée is situated in Saint-Leu on the western coast of Réunion, an area defined by its dramatic volcanic topography. The dive sites here are shaped by ancient lava flows from Piton des Neiges, creating a landscape of steep drop-offs, canyons, and sheltered coral plateaus.

The centre operates within the Réserve Naturelle Marine, ensuring that the marine environments you explore are among the best-preserved in the region. Whether you are looking for a guided snorkeling trip or a deep wall dive, the local geography offers a high level of biodiversity and variety.

The team consists of qualified instructors dedicated to a respectful approach to the marine environment. They manage dive groups with a maximum ratio of four divers per guide, ensuring close supervision and safety during every outing.

As an SSI affiliated centre, they provide a structured progression for all levels. They accommodate both holidaymakers looking for their first experience and local divers seeking advanced certifications or regular guided excursions.

The centre offers a comprehensive range of SSI courses, starting from Basic Diver and Scuba Diver through to Open Water Diver. For those looking to advance, they provide Advanced Open Water, Deep Diver, and Nitrox courses.

More technical training is also available, including specialized modules such as Wreck, Navigation, Decompression Diving, and Perfect Buoyancy. They also offer specific depth-related training like PA20, PA40, and PE40, as well as Niveau 3 certifications.

The centre operates excursions for marine life observation, including dedicated outings to see cetaceans. These trips are limited to a maximum of 6 people per outing to ensure a quiet and respectful approach to the animals.

L'Excelsus provides full equipment hire for those not travelling with their own kit. This includes a range of wetsuits, such as 3mm shorties and 5mm full suits with hoods, to suit the local conditions.

Nitrox is available for certified divers, and the centre is equipped to handle various training and exploration requirements. The facility is located at the ZA Pointe des Chateaux in Saint-Leu.

The marine life is diverse, with corals, crustaceans, and various tropical fish forming the backbone of the reef ecosystem. You will regularly encounter moray eels, octopuses, and various molluscs among the reef structure.

In the deeper sections and along the walls, larger species are common. You can observe schools of jacks, tuna, and barracuda, while turtles are frequently seen near the cleaning stations in the passes.

Between July and October, the area becomes a significant location for humpback whales, which can often be heard or seen during outings.

Macro life and smaller inhabitants include various echinoderms and a variety of shells and crustaceans scattered across the seabed.

The dive sites vary from sheltered plateaus to sites that are frequently exposed to currents, particularly the deeper walls. Divers should be prepared for varying levels of surge and flow depending on the specific site chosen.

Visibility is generally excellent, particularly from April to November. The volcanic terrain provides a variety of habitats, but the presence of currents is a key factor to consider when planning deep or wall dives.