How to see the underwater waterfall in Mauritius

From the air, or not at all. A helicopter that flies the Le Morne loop is the reliable way; the airport flight is 40 minutes with one or two orbits over the sandfall in the middle. A seaplane sees it too, but only one that takes off from the Le Morne lagoon; the seaplane sold on GetYourGuide flies the north-east coast from Grand Gaube and does not pass Le Morne. The summit of Le Morne Brabant gives you its rough shape after a four-hour guided climb. Boats, beaches, snorkelling and diving show you nothing.

HelicopterYes — one or two orbits

SeaplaneOnly from the Le Morne lagoon

Le Morne summitRough shape, calm day

Boat / beach / diveNo

Best lightSun high, 10:00–14:00

Best monthsMay–November

The four ways, ranked

1. Helicopter

The one that works. Helicopters lift from the helipad at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam airport at Plaine Magnien on the south-east coast, and some operators will lift from a hotel helipad on request. The 40-minute flight built around the waterfall goes airport, Grand Bassin crater lake, Kanaka crater, Black River Gorges, the Flic en Flac beaches, down the Black River coast to Le Morne, one or two orbits over the sandfall, then Chamarel’s coloured earths and waterfall and home along the south coast. The 35-minute flight with hotel transfers runs the west coast instead: Tamarin, Île aux Bénitiers, Le Morne, Chamarel, then Le Pouce and Pieter Both behind Port Louis. The private 45-minute charter flies the airport loop with the aircraft to yourselves. All three pass over it. Detail on each is on the helicopter tours page.

2. Seaplane

Seaplanes fly from two places in Mauritius: the Le Morne lagoon and the north-east coast. A seaplane from the Le Morne lagoon takes off inside the reef and is over the sandfall in minutes. The seaplane you can book here is the north-east one, based at a hangar beside the car park of the LUX* Grand Gaube hotel, and it flies Île aux Cerfs, the Grand Port lagoon and the reefs up there. It is a good flight and a cheaper way per person to get into the air, and it does not see the waterfall. I say that on every page it appears on because people book it expecting otherwise. The comparison is on helicopter versus seaplane.

3. The summit of Le Morne Brabant

The mountain is 556 m and the upper section is only open with an authorised guide. The guided hike takes about four hours, and the last third is scrambling with hands. From the top on a calm clear morning you can make out the pale tongue running off the tip of the peninsula and the dark water beyond it. You will know what you are looking at. You will not get the picture. More on seeing it from Le Morne Brabant.

4. Boat, beach, snorkel, dive, drone

No. From the water you see a lagoon edge. Nobody snorkels or dives it because there is nothing to dive on, just open water off the reef with a sand slope beneath it. Drones at hobby height over the public beach do not get high enough and the airspace along that coast has restrictions; ask locally and expect to be told no. The catamaran day from La Gaulette is a fine day on the lagoon and it does not show you the illusion.

Helicopter over the Le Morne lagoon on the west-coast loop

How the airport helicopter day works

Book a slot. Morning slots are the ones I would take; see the best time to see it. The operator asks for passenger weights at booking so the seats can be balanced.
Get yourself to the airport. No transfer is included on the 40-minute flight. From Le Morne that is 45 to 50 km and 60 to 75 minutes by taxi; from the north coast allow well over an hour and a half.
Meet at Gate 3, 30 minutes before. Bring your passport; airside access needs it, and I have watched people turned back at the gate for leaving it in the hotel safe.
Briefing and weighing. Seats go by weight, doors stay on, headsets go on, commentary is in English or French. Nobody is being rude when they ask you to swap seats.
The flight. Roughly the first third is the climb over the plateau to Grand Bassin and Kanaka crater, then the Black River Gorges. The middle is the west coast and the pass off Le Morne, one or two orbits of a minute or two each with the pilot banking so both sides get it. The last third is Chamarel and the south coast back to Plaine Magnien.
Weather. If cloud sits on the gorges the operator holds or reschedules. Nobody flies you into cloud to keep a slot.

Where to sit and what to bring

Take the pilot’s seating and do not argue with it; the aircraft is balanced for the weights declared. The front seat sees furthest. On the pass the pilot orbits so each window gets the sandfall in turn, and a phone held flat against the glass cuts most of the reflection. Dark plain clothes help for the same reason. The full list is on what to bring on a helicopter tour.

Insider tip

The illusion is a contrast effect. Sun high, sea calm, water clear. If it has rained hard for two days or there is a big swell running from the south-west, the plume goes muddy and the edge softens. In that case move the date rather than fly and be disappointed. Free cancellation runs to 24 hours before.

Sees the waterfall40 min · 5 seats

Check dates on the airport flight

Forty minutes, five seats, the loop built around the pass. Live availability below.

Check dates on the underwater waterfall helicopter flight

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure on most tours — book now, decide later.

Frequently asked questions

Can you see the underwater waterfall from a boat?

No. From the water you are looking across a lagoon edge, not down on it, and the illusion needs height. Boats and catamarans from La Gaulette give you the lagoon, Crystal Rock and Île aux Bénitiers, which are worth a day in themselves; the sandfall is not part of it.

Can you see the underwater waterfall from Le Morne Brabant?

Its rough shape, on a calm clear day, from the 556 m summit after a four-hour guided climb. It is not the aerial view. I set out what you get on the summit page.

Does the seaplane fly over the underwater waterfall?

The one on GetYourGuide does not; it flies the north-east lagoon from Grand Gaube. Seaplanes that lift from the Le Morne lagoon do pass over it, but they are not bookable here. See the seaplane page.

How long is the helicopter over the waterfall?

One or two orbits of a minute or two each in the middle of a 35 to 45 minute flight. The rest is the crossing over Grand Bassin, the gorges and Chamarel, which most people end up rating as highly as the pass itself.

Do I need a passport for the helicopter flight?

Yes. The helipad is airside at SSR airport and Gate 3 checks it. A copy is asked for at booking on the private charter. Leave it in the safe and you will not fly.

Can I fly a drone to see the underwater waterfall?

Not usefully. Hobby height over the public beach is too low for the effect, and the airspace on that coast is restricted. Ask locally and expect to be told no.