Nosy Be and Nearby Islands

Ask an operator for current certification and insurance, boat safety briefings, working oxygen, first-aid training, emergency communications, surface supervision, appropriate group size and a named emergency-action plan. Tropical Diving describes guided groups and oxygen kits, but its advertising is not independent proof of inspection. Know the difference between Tanikely shallow protected reef diving and Sakatia/wreck/wall profiles; deeper walls and 26-29 m wrecks require suitable experience and depth limits. Discuss tidal currents, visibility, weather, separation and surface-marker procedure before entry. For freediving, use qualified active safety supervision; never practice alone or use unsafe breath-hold preparation. Sea-life snorkeling, whale-shark swims and scuba have separate legal and rescue risks. After repetitive or multiday no-decompression dives, DAN recommends at least 18 hours before flying, and longer is prudent when practical. A single no-stop dive has a minimum suggested interval of 12 hours; decompression dives require more individualized time. These are minimum risk-reduction guidelines, not guarantees.

UK health advice says complex medical care in Madagascar is limited and critical cases may require air evacuation to Mauritius, South Africa or Reunion. Plan insurance, accessible payment and a reliable evacuation contact before diving. A Nosy Be dive operator states that a hyperbaric chamber exists nearby, while generic third-party directories report otherwise. Neither source validates the chamber's present certification, staffing, pressure capability, oxygen supply or availability. No operational local chamber is confirmed in this research. DAN guidance explains why injured divers need urgent local medical evaluation and emergency coordination first rather than traveling on their own to a listed chamber. Treat suspected decompression illness as an emergency: activate local EMS and the dive operator's emergency action plan, provide oxygen if trained and available, avoid further diving or unadvised flying, and obtain DAN and physician input. CDC reports malaria risk throughout Madagascar outside Antananarivo; discuss recommended prophylaxis, vaccines, mosquito avoidance and relevant entry certificates with a travel-medicine clinician. Tap water is not considered reliably safe to drink.

The Tanikely park manager requires designated mooring/landing, respect for marked zones, no touching reef or wildlife, no feeding or collecting, no fishing and no sunscreen inside park boundaries. Use appropriate UV-blocking clothing; ask park staff if regulations change. Respect turtle feeding and resting areas near Sakatia and Tanikely by maintaining distance and never handling animals. Boat propellers, pursuit and crowded swimmer entries threaten whale sharks. The Madagascar Whale Shark Project documents the 2023 decree making its conduct standards mandatory, and the Marine Megafauna Foundation describes scientific monitoring and a marine conservation corridor. Pick an operator that gives a code briefing and will forgo an encounter if it cannot meet the rules. During Lokobe and Nosy Komba visits, use designated paths, do not touch/feed lemurs or collect wildlife and respect community customs. The national park publishes its own terrestrial code.