Turtles and dense reef fish inside the Tanikely reserve where nothing has been fished for years, and out at the Mitsio, basalt…Turtles and dense reef fish inside the Tanikely reserve where nothing has been fished for years, and out at the Mitsio, basalt organ-pipe cliffs above water with coral, lobster and clouds of tropical fish below. Whale sharks off Nosy Be from October, humpbacks passing from July. Madagascar split from Africa around 160 million years ago and from India around 90 million, and its marine life is as distinct as its lemurs. Nosy Be was a Sakalava royal island and then a French colony, which is why the diving vocabulary here is French and the rum is good. Anchorage: Nosy Be is the cruising base for north-west Madagascar, with anchorages at Nosy Sakatia, Nosy Komba and Nosy Iranja and a run north to the Mitsio and Radama groups. Hazards: The Mitsio are 30nm offshore with no shelter and a real crossing; cyclone season runs Jan-Mar. Plus