Surrounded by the south-west Indian Ocean, Mauritius is ideally positioned to access the many exciting species of fish that frequent the warm, tropical waters. Listed below are five of the most exciting creatures that you may encounter. There are a slew of private companies across the island that offer half or full day trips out to enjoy sport fishing in the area. In Mauritius, luxury hotels will usually offer their own services for you to enjoy this exciting activity too, so you will have every opportunity to take advantage.

1. Sailfish

With a fiercely elongated bill and a tall dorsal fin that stretches the whole length of its back, the Sailfish can appear fairly intimidating. Capable of moving up to 68mph they are also the fastest fish ever reliably recorded. Rarely larger than 90kg, they are still more than daunting enough to herd schools of fish or squid when they hunt in groups. They are well spread throughout the world, inhabiting all of the warmer regions, meaning that you stand a very good chance of encountering one on your Mauritius holidays.

2. Wahoo

A prized catch in any sport fishing environment, the flesh of the Wahoo is also famously delicate and regarded as quite a delicacy. Few Mauritius luxury hotels would object to you returning with one either, as an 80kg individual could doubtless feed a host of hungry guests! Swift and solitary, their back is an iridescent blue/green, while their sides are a shade of silver with blue bars. Like the Sailfish they too feed on squid and other, smaller fish.

3. Tuna

Tuna are not simply one species, but it is actually an umbrella term for a fairly wide variety of fish. Off the shores of Mauritius you're mostly likely to encounter Yellowfin Tuna, with a smattering of Bigeye and Albacore. Perhaps the most arresting thing, to the non-fisherman, is the revelation of just how big they are. Smaller species may be less than a metre in length, but Northern Blue Fin Tuna (or Thunnus Thynnus) can grow larger than 4m in length and up to 680kg in size. You thought that tuna sandwiches were something unheard of in the South Indian Ocean? Think again on your next Mauritius luxury holiday.

4. Shark

Species you may grapple with out in the South Indian Ocean include Mako, Hammerhead, Blue and Tiger Sharks. Many tour companies report abundant sightings and catches of Shark species once they're way out in the open water, with Mauritius actually holding the record for the largest Blue Shark ever caught. Of course, there's very little to do with a Shark once you've caught it, other than photograph and release it, but there are few creatures out there that will give you such a satisfying fight.

5. Marlin

Marlin are the legendary big-game fishing catch. Striped, Black and Pacific Blue Marlin frequent the waters around Mauritius and are big, fast and beautiful. Discernible by their spear-like snout, rigid dorsal fin and enormous size (sometimes up to 5m and 670kg), attempts to catch them often become the stuff of many a wild-eyed story and would certainly become the crowning achievement of any Mauritius luxury holiday.

Ricky Coates is a Mauritius holiday expert for key2holidays, an online tour operator offering Mauritius luxury holidays, as well as trips to Australia, Cuba, the Caribbean, Europe, Egypt, the Far East, the Maldives, the Seychelles, Dubai and the Arabian Gulf and South Africa. Key2holidays has a dedicated team of experienced travel consultants to share their knowledge and help you to plan and book your ideal holiday.

Article source: Ricky Coates