Saint-Gilles-les-Bains tide times

Spring tidal range at Saint-Gilles is approximately 0.9 m; neap range is around 0.4 m. The regime is semidiurnal — two highs and two lows per day. Despite being small in absolute terms, the 0.9 m spring range has a significant effect on the inner lagoon because the reef flat is very shallow: the difference between mid-tide and low spring water can make the difference between a snorkellable reef crest and a bare rock flat. SHOM (Service Hydrographique et Océanographique de la Marine) publishes the authoritative French overseas territory tide tables, including Réunion. Predictions here come from Open-Meteo Marine, a gridded global ocean model, accurate to typically plus or minus 45 minutes on timing and 0.2 to 0.3 m on height above chart datum — at Saint-Gilles, the height uncertainty approaches the total spring range, so treat timing and height as approximate.

No. The Vigie-Requin shark monitoring programme on Réunion's western coast uses acoustic receivers to detect tagged bull sharks and tiger sharks in the lagoon and reef system, and issues a daily beach status (green, orange, or red) based on recent detections. The programme operates continuously regardless of tidal phase, and the status reflects acoustic detections — not a model of shark behaviour tied to the tide. Sharks move in and out of the monitored area at all tidal states. Water entry at supervised beaches in Saint-Gilles is conditional on the Vigie-Requin daily status, which is posted at each beach and published online by the Groupement d'Intérêt Public Requin Réunion. The tide table and the shark status are two separate planning inputs — check both before entering the water.

The reef crest at Saint-Gilles drops to 0.3 to 0.5 m of water coverage at low springs. Crossing by snorkel requires at least mid-flood — approximately 0.4 to 0.5 m of rise above the low — which brings enough depth over the crest for fin clearance without touching coral. Small boats crossing the crest need the same minimum depth. On neap tides the range is smaller (around 0.4 m total), and the crest stays slightly submerged through the cycle; on spring tides the crest nearly surfaces at low water and the crossing window is narrower and more precisely timed. The practical rule used by operators and experienced snorkellers at Saint-Gilles: check the tide table, wait for at least 30 minutes past the low before attempting the crest crossing, and plan to be back inside the lagoon before the next low.

Tide predictions for Saint-Gilles-les-Bains come from Open-Meteo Marine, a free gridded global ocean model. The model estimates tidal height across a geographic grid. Accuracy is typically within plus or minus 45 minutes on timing and 0.2 to 0.3 m on height above chart datum. At Saint-Gilles, where the spring range is only 0.9 m, the height uncertainty of 0.2 to 0.3 m is a substantial fraction of the total range — treat both the timing and height predictions as approximate, and use them to identify the approximate tide phase rather than to compute precise depth at a specific location. SHOM (Service Hydrographique et Océanographique de la Marine) is the authoritative source for Réunion tide predictions.

Saint-Gilles marina is the main departure point for offshore big-game fishing on Réunion's western coast. Target species include wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri), dorado (Coryphaena hippurus), yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), blue marlin (Makaira nigricans), black marlin (Istiompax indica), and sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus). The fishing occurs in the open Indian Ocean beyond the reef, typically 5 to 30 km offshore, where the pelagic species are independent of tidal phase but responsive to the sub-surface temperature structure and current patterns. Several charter operators are based in the marina and run full-day and half-day trips. The best months for marlin are November through March in the warm season; wahoo and dorado are available year-round with peaks varying by year. Inshore trolling around the outer reef edge also targets trevally and barracuda in shallower water.