Diego Suarez Bay and Northern Coast

Before boarding, give the operator your actual certification and experience, obtain a site-specific current/depth/surface-traffic briefing and confirm the vessel's weather and return criteria. The local operator lists first-aid and emergency oxygen equipment on its equipment page, but stock/working condition and staff rescue certification were not independently inspected. Strong Varatraza can shut outer-bay routes and wet-season storms may force cancellations. Dive within training, keep suitable surface signaling equipment, never dive alone and observe conservative no-fly intervals. Do not attempt overhead or technical dives on the basis of a shallow-wreck photo. Snorkel with a guide and flotation where needed; formal freediving requires one-up/one-down supervision and a verified rescue setup.

No operational recompression chamber in Antsiranana, formal diver evacuation time, specific hospital hyperbaric capability or suitable local night medevac was independently confirmed. DAN advises suspected decompression illness cases should first receive local medical evaluation and stabilization, rather than self-transporting directly to a purported chamber. In a medical emergency call local responders and reach the nearest appropriate medical facility, administer oxygen if indicated by trained personnel, then coordinate DAN and the insurer for referral/evacuation. The US State Department warns of limited ambulance access, up-front medical payments and need for evacuation insurance. CDC recommends malaria prevention assessment for Madagascar outside Antananarivo and appropriate travel vaccination planning. UK government entry advice lists different Ebola measures depending on where you travelled or transited in the past 21 days. For Kenya or Nigeria, it says you must sign a health undertaking and will receive regular telephone monitoring after arrival. For the Democratic Republic of the Congo, you must declare your recent travel and may face screening or be denied entry. Travellers who qualify for a listed exemption must spend 21 days in quarantine at an approved location, with health monitoring and at their own expense. Confirm the latest requirements for your itinerary with Malagasy authorities and your airline before departure. Cholera-origin screening and vaccination-document requirements can also depend on route. Confirm current Malagasy rules before travel.

Nosy Hara is a designated marine national park and Madagascar National Parks identifies pressure from coral trampling, anchoring, turtle poaching and mangrove damage. A May 2026 government report describes ongoing community reef monitoring and conservation there. For all local marine trips, avoid touching/standing on coral, collecting shells or wildlife, feeding fish, littering and disturbing turtles or nesting beaches. Use designated anchor/mooring areas only as directed; ask rangers and coastal communities about boundaries, temporary closures, landing permission, boat access, wildlife approach and whether scuba/freediving is legal. Park snorkeling permission does not imply open scuba access. The absence of a proven fee or closure for a specific Diego Bay site is not an affirmative permit.