Mayotte : Profile

Facts

Mayotte Island is geographically part of the Comoros archipelago, a small group of islands lying between the northern tip of Madagascar and East Africa in the Indian Ocean.
In 2011, Mayotte will become an overseas département of France. The French Navy maintain a naval base on the island.
The island is surrounded by reefs and the main harbour at Dzaoudzi is very well-protected. There are many anchorages inside the reef and diving is excellent.
Some repair facilities are available in Dzaoudzi. Supplies are better than in the neighbouring Comoros and most imported goods are French.
The other three islands in the group, Grande Comore, Moheli and Anjouan, now form the independent republic of Comoros

Security

Noonsite has received more than one report about the increase of crime and violence on the island, and how this is affecting visiting yachts.

Recently there has been mixed reports from cruisers. However, it would be wise to take the usual precautions to protect your dinghy and outboard and to secure the boat against intruders.

For a summary list of reports, see here

Last updated September 2011.

The climate is tropical, with two seasons, the dry season lasting from May to October, with an average temperature of 75°F (24°C), and the rainy season from November to April, when both temperature and humidity are higher. The cyclone season is from December to March.

The local weather forecast (out of Reunion island) is broadcast daily by "Charlie Tango" (the port captain) on 6216.0 kHz USB.