Cap Enragé North
Clear water, light, and turtles
Town : Case-Pilote
Cap Enragé is dived north of Case-Pilote, on the Caribbean coast. The northern side is a headland dropping to a little over twenty metres, in a succession of small canyons and a modest drop-off.
What makes this site stand out
The water is clear and the light carries far. That is not brochure talk: it is what lets you actually see the colours here, and it is what makes the site worth the trip.
The relief is irregular and rich in colour, in fish species and in turtles. We like diving it in the afternoon, when the light is at its best.
What level you need here
| Your level | What you can do here |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | The whole site, it does not go below 20 m |
| Level 2 and above | The whole site as well |
For a try dive we prefer the southern side of the same headland, where the bay is more sheltered.
What you will meet
- Turtles, regularly.
- Barracuda, sometimes very large and in pairs.
- Shoals of sardines and tropical fish.
- Angelfish along the drop-off.
Often dived as a drift
Along this stretch of the Caribbean coast, between Case-Pilote, Cap Enragé and Cap Tranquille, drift diving is the norm: you let the current carry you along the relief instead of swimming out and back. It is restful, you cover more ground, and it is often how you come across turtles without disturbing them.
It does require a boat following the divers at the surface. That is a matter of organisation, not difficulty: drift diving is open to Level 1 divers.
The volcanic bottom of the north
This is the northern coast of Martinique, the one overlooked by Mount Pelée. The sand here is volcanic, darker than in the south of the island.
That dark bottom changes how you see: it absorbs light rather than bouncing it back, and makes the colours of the sponges, fish and sea fans growing on it stand out all the more. It is part of why this site looks so colourful.
When to come
The water stays between 26 and 29 °C all year, so there is no bad season to get in.
Visibility does vary. It is at its best in the dry season, from December to May, when it often exceeds twenty metres on the Caribbean coast. The rest of the year remains good, with water occasionally loaded after heavy rain.
Where we leave from
Trips to Cap Enragé leave from the harbour at Case-Pilote. As with all our sites, we come to you with the equipment: no need to drive across the island with a dive bag in the boot.