Noumea / New Caledonia ?

[BlackLotus]

Does anyone know any good snorkeling spots in Noumea / New Caledonia? I'm there right now, but the doc just told me temporarily "pas de plongee"(no diving), so at least i want to see some stuff from 0m and test my new camera case a bit.

Just hope this [censored] bronchitis will be gone soon, cause the next stops on my trip would be Polynesia + the Cook islands and right now my lungs sound like Darth Vader. Damn, now i know how a diabetic must feel when he tours a chocolate factory...

Thanks in advance,
Mike

 

[BlackLotus]

Hmm, no answers... Well, then I'll just post the good spots i went to, so someone might be able to use this for future reference...

Went to Ile-des-Pins yesterday, the "Baie de Kanuméra" was an awesome, peaceful beach and snorkeling was really cool there. Also took my first underwater pics ever *yay*, which was quite fun, but getting good pics was harder than i had expected. Still have a lot to learn!

Could post some pics, if someone wants to see them... (And if it's okay to post pics in this forum?)

 

[Ouvea]

Hi BlackLotus:

If you're in Noumea, you can forget the Baie de Citrons or L'Anse Vata beaches. While they are very popular, they are over crowded and tend to have just sandy bottoms.

If you can make it to the Island of Sainte Marie in the Bay of Sainte Marie, which is in front of the Promenade Pierre Vernier, there's fair snorkeling in that area (used to spearfish there when I was younger). Now, if you have a friend that knows the place and that can keep an eye on you, head to Nouville. Go to the Pointe du Nord and around to Kuendu Beach. Kuendu Beach is sandy, but the surrounding beaches at the point and on the backsides have nice reefs. Exercise caution if you head away from Kuendu Beach as the areas are deserted. Magenta and the inner area of Ouemo are too poluted in my opinion.

You could of course charter a boat to the L'Ilot Maitre, L'Ile Escapade or Le Phare Amede. The surrounding islands tend to have very nice reefs. If you can make it to the barrier reef, you'll be in heaven. Watch out for the monstrous currents that run through the passes.

Claude

P.S. If you have a chance to host some pictures of your trip, please let me know. I always love to see pictures of home.

 

[harmony]

Bonjour Claude, It is interesting to see the Hienghene "Hen" as your avatar. I hope that you had the chance to dive there when you lived in NC. The dive centre is run by Regine & Thierry who are good friends of mine and the diving is really good. We actually took Mike out snorkeling to Signal Island while he was here. He is a very nice fellow. I hope that he enjoyed the trip. If you would like some underwater photos of Noumea, you can visit our blog Diving in New Caledonia These are non-professional photos taken by customers. If you would like any information from "home" please let me know.

 

[Ouvea]

Hello Harmony:

Thank you very much for the link to the blog. While I currently live in California, I've always wanted to come home. The pictures keep the home sickness away. I actually saw your dive operation in Kuendu back in August 2007. I had forgoten how cold the water becomes in the winter months.

Would you have any pictures of the Camp Est in Nouville? I used to swim & fish there many years ago (early 80's) with my grand-father.

Many thanks (Merci Bien),
Claude