Level:
This spot has been added by
2 spots added - 23 photos shared
Last updated on October 20, 2024
Îlet Thiery is part of the Ilets du Francois, a small archipelago of 8 islets located off the east coast of Martinique. It hosts a snorkel trail, made up of 6 buoys, which allows exploring sandy bottoms, seagrass beds, and a coral cay. In the shallows, many fish and invertebrates can be spotted from the surface.
This spot is located at Ilet Thiery, about 5 km off Le François. It is accessible by sea, either by your own means or via tour operators (snorkel tours, kayak rental, etc.).
You can explore this spot on your own, or by booking a guided tour with a diving instructor from the Le Carbet des Sciences association. Guided tours include boat transfer to the islet and snorkeling equipment. More info on guided tours here (in French).
It is recommended to enter the water from the small sandy beach at the western tip of the islet, in order to be very close to the snorkeling area.
The recommended snorkeling area includes the snorkel trail that stretches opposite the small beach. Yellow beacons delimit the snorkeling area, where boat traffic and fishing are not allowed.
The snorkel trail is made up of 6 buoys which form a loop of approximately 800m passing through the various marine environments of the area.
After taking a look at the sandy bottom (buoy 1), you’ll “fly” over the seagrass beds (buoys 2-3), where cushion starfish, reef squids, sea urchins, and juvenile reef fish are easy to spot.
Around buoy n°3, you will notice an artificial reef that starts recruiting marine life. You can then head to the cay built by corals and calcareous algae (buoys 4 to 6). This reef area, where patches of elkhorn coral are found, serves as a habitat for many fish such as wrasse, grunt and damselfish.
An educational panel on the beach provides information on the habitats and marine species that can be encountered on this spot. Le Carbet des Sciences also offers a nice virtual visit to the site.
There is no restaurant on Ilet Thiery but there are a few options near Port du François (Kay Nono and Chez Milo restaurants). You can spend the night on the islet at Habitation de l’Ilet Thiery or on the neighboring Islet Oscar at La Maison de l’Ilet Oscar, at swimming distance from the snorkel trail.
These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
