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Ocean Calling

Ocean Atlas · Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean

Mayotte

A French island with one of the world's largest lagoons and humpback whales from July to October.

Humpback whale
Humpback whale, found in the waters of the wider region · Photo: Chinh Le Duc on Unsplash
Story only

Story only, for now. We love learning about this place and its ocean, so we share its story here and do not sell trips yet. Checked by Ocean Calling on 6 Oct 2026. Sources: Observation des baleines a bosse : les regles a respecter, Mayotte Hebdo; Saison des baleines, Mayotte Hebdo (2023); Mayotte Marine Natural Park, Wikipedia.

Why: Mayotte's lagoon is one of the world's largest, inside a marine park of about 69,000 square kilometres that holds around 2,000 green turtles, a tiny and precious dugong population and humpback whales that come to calve in the shallow water from about June to October. Since 2021 nobody may approach marine mammals closer than 100 metres, and in the 300 metre zone boats slow to 5 knots, never approach from front or behind, and no more than two share the space. We would watch calmly from a respectful distance and never swim with, touch or feed the whales, dolphins, dugongs or turtles.

🧭 Travel advice, checked 5 Oct 2026. Travel authorities currently advise a high degree of caution in Mayotte because of crime and occasional unrest. Sources: UK FCDO travel advice, Mayotte · Mayotte travel advice, Government of Canada Advice differs by passport: check your own government before you plan.

ScubaWhalesTurtlesDugongs

Why Mayotte

Mayotte has a double barrier lagoon of about 140 km, French-language scuba and seasonal humpback whales that come to calve from around July to October. Dugongs are present but rare, and turtles nest on the beaches. Swimming with whales, dolphins and dugongs is not allowed. Cyclone season runs December to April, and hospital services are still recovering after cyclone Chido.

Conservation-led. Ocean Calling guests never chase, touch or bait animals.

FijiTanzaniaDem. Rep. CongoSomaliaKenyaSouth AfricaZimbabweBotswanaNamibiaCameroonCentral African Rep.CongoGabonEq. GuineaZambiaMalawiMozambiqueeSwatiniAngolaBurundiMadagascarUgandaRwandaMayotte lagoon, Mayotte

When to go

Jul-Oct. Timing changes by place and by animal, so check each place below.

We share this place as a story so you can learn. There is no Ocean Calling trip.

Our ethics check

Can we travel here ethically?

Story only

We tell the story. We do not sell a trip here.

Checked 6 Oct 2026. Places change, so we look again every year.

Sources for this check
The story

Where in Mayotte

We share these places as stories and research notes. We do not offer or sell trips here.

Mayotte lagoon

Story only

A very large double barrier lagoon with reefs, turtles and seasonal whales offshore.

Also seen: Humpback whales (seasonal, from the boat), Dolphins (from the boat), Dugong (present and rare), Turtles (nesting, never certain)

When: Jul-Oct. Humpbacks come to the lagoon to calve from about July to October. By law nobody enters the water with marine mammals, and boats stay 100 m from whales and keep at most two boats within 300 m at 5 knots. Reef diving works best from April to November, but that is an operator view.

Animals

Animals recorded in Mayotte

Tap an animal to learn how it lives, where it travels and how to meet it respectfully.

Humpback whale swimming close with long pectoral finHumpback whaleMegaptera novaeangliaeSeen in 87 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernDugong grazing on seagrass over a sandy seabedDugongDugong dugonSeen in 32 countries in the AtlasVulnerablePod of bottlenose dolphins swimming over a Red Sea coral reefIndo-Pacific bottlenose dolphinTursiops aduncusSeen in 29 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedTwo spinner dolphins swimming over sand in clear waterSpinner dolphinStenella longirostrisSeen in 66 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernMelon-headed whales leaping together through a splash of white waterMelon-headed whalePeponocephala electraSeen in 22 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernGreen turtle resting on the reef, shell and head pattern in sharp detailGreen turtleChelonia mydasSeen in 103 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernHawksbill turtle swimming, pointed beak in profileHawksbill turtleEretmochelys imbricataSeen in 88 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredReef manta ray gliding over a sandy lagoonReef manta rayMobula alfrediSeen in 20 countries in the AtlasVulnerableCommon bottlenose dolphin swimming over a seagrass bedCommon bottlenose dolphinTursiops truncatusSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSperm whale mother raising her fluke beside her calf off DominicaSperm whalePhyseter macrocephalusSeen in 114 countries in the AtlasVulnerableLoggerhead turtle at the surface feeding on Portuguese man o' warLoggerhead turtleCaretta carettaSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasVulnerableSchool of bigeye trevally swirling near the seabed at AmedBigeye trevallyCaranx sexfasciatusSeen in 48 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernShort-finned pilot whale surfacing off Tenerife with the island behindShort-finned pilot whaleGlobicephala macrorhynchusSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernHumphead wrasse swimming over a coral reef in Raja AmpatHumphead wrasse (Napoleon wrasse)Cheilinus undulatusSeen in 34 countries in the AtlasEndangeredSpotted garden eels rising from sand, black spots clearly visibleSpotted garden eelHeteroconger hassiSeen in 19 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBlue-spotted ribbontail ray resting on sand, seen from aboveBlue-spotted ribbontail rayTaeniura lymmaSeen in 22 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernGreat barracuda cruising in open blue water, showing jagged teethGreat barracudaSphyraena barracudaSeen in 84 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernScarred Risso's dolphin spyhopping out of the waterRisso's dolphinGrampus griseusSeen in 56 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernStriped dolphin leaping, dark flank stripe clearly visibleStriped dolphinStenella coeruleoalbaSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernFalse killer whale surging through blue water off Rota, Mariana IslandsFalse killer whalePseudorca crassidensSeen in 41 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedBluestreak cleaner wrasse with black stripe and blue tailBluestreak cleaner wrasseLabroides dimidiatusSeen in 51 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernAdult pink Chinese white dolphin swimming beside a grey calf in Pearl River estuary waterChinese white dolphinSousa chinensisSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasVulnerableFraser's dolphin porpoising out of the waterFraser's dolphinLagenodelphis hoseiSeen in 18 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernPantropical spotted dolphin gliding at the calm ocean surfacePantropical spotted dolphinStenella attenuataSeen in 56 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSilky shark swimming near the surface in blue waterSilky sharkCarcharhinus falciformisSeen in 48 countries in the AtlasVulnerableAdult male Blainville's beaked whale surfacing in the BahamasBlainville's beaked whaleMesoplodon densirostrisSeen in 14 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernDwarf sperm whale leaping clear of the open seaDwarf sperm whaleKogia simaSeen in 22 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernClown triggerfish with big white spots over reef in the Coral SeaClown triggerfishBalistoides conspicillumSeen in 29 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTitan triggerfish swimming over a reef slope in blue waterTitan triggerfishBalistoides viridescensSeen in 40 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernPicasso triggerfish with painted pattern over sand in the MaldivesPicasso triggerfish (lagoon triggerfish)Rhinecanthus aculeatusSeen in 41 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernDay octopus beside a coral head on a sandy Red Sea reefDay octopusOctopus cyaneaSeen in 35 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernGiant trevally swimming close to a coral head, with small reef fish in blue water behind itGiant trevallyCaranx ignobilisSeen in 33 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Curious?

Why this is a story, not a trip

Read our ethics check above. If you would like to talk about it, Rocío is happy to explain.

Ask RocíoBack to the Ocean Atlas

Also in Indian Ocean
Chagos (British Indian Ocean Territory)Christmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsComorosIndiaMadagascarMaldivesMauritiusRéunionSeychellesSomaliaSri Lanka

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