Yes, you can take children fishing in Mauritius, and many captains are happy to have them. For young kids, book a short morning trip inside the lagoon, where the water is calm and the fish are small enough to reel in alone. Save the open-ocean big game trip for older children who can sit through a long morning at sea. Tell the captain the children’s ages when you book, and pick a boat that says outright that children are welcome.
The short answer by age
There is no single rule for every boat, so treat this as a starting point and confirm with the captain:
- Under about 6: a lagoon trip of two or three hours at most, close to shore, with a parent holding the rod. The goal is one or two fish and a happy child, not a full morning.
- About 6 to 10: a half-day lagoon or light tackle trip. Kids this age can cast, wind in and handle small fish with help, and the shallow water keeps the boat steady.
- About 10 and older: a half-day offshore trip becomes realistic if the child is not prone to seasickness. Trolling for mahi mahi or tuna gives them a real fight, and the crew does the heavy work.
- Teenagers: most can do anything an adult can, including a full day, as long as they want to be there.
The deciding factor is rarely age on its own. It is whether the child is happy sitting on a boat for hours, and how they cope with motion.
Lagoon or deep sea?
Mauritius is ringed by a coral reef. Inside it the water is shallow and sheltered. Outside it the seabed drops away fast and you are on the open Indian Ocean. For a family, this is the main choice.
The lagoon is where we would start with children. The boat sits almost still, the fish bite often, and a child can feel every one on light gear. The Small Game Fishing trip in Mahebourg is built around exactly this: light tackle fishing in the south-east lagoon, the largest on the island, with casting, light trolling and bottom fishing, gear and drinks included. A child who catches five small reef fish in two hours will remember it longer than a teenager who waited four hours for a marlin that never came.
Offshore is big game country: marlin, tuna, wahoo and mahi mahi. It is exciting when it works, but there can be long quiet stretches, the boat moves more, and the fish are too strong for a child to fight alone. With older kids it can be the trip of the holiday. With small ones it often ends with a bored or seasick child and a parent who spent the morning in the cabin.
If you are unsure, read our guide to seasickness on a fishing trip in Mauritius before you book. The same tips (morning start, sheltered coast, sitting low in the middle of the boat) matter twice as much with children.
Boats that say children are welcome
Some captains write it into their listing, which is the best sign you can get. On Reelzy:
- Fishing on Ivan, Trou-aux-Biches. Captain Sebastian runs a 36-foot boat with room for up to 6 anglers, a toilet, an ice box and a fighting chair, and the listing says children are welcome on board. Trips last 4 to 9 hours and he tailors each one, so ask for the short end and say you are fishing with kids. Snacks, drinks and lunch are on board, and you share the catch with the crew.
- Pyramide, Pointe aux Biches near Trou-aux-Biches. Skipper Mike Seblin and his brother Hansley take up to 4 guests nearshore or offshore, and the listing says kids are welcome. They teach several methods, from bottom fishing and handline to trolling, which suits a child who wants to try everything. Licences, soft drinks and snacks are provided.
- Last Cast, Grand Baie. Captain Belon and his mate Pravin run half-day, full-day and sunset trips for small groups of 2 to 4, and offer snorkelling, dolphin watching and island picnics as add-ons. For a family that wants a fishing trip that is also a day out, ask for a shorter trip with a swim stop.
A toilet on board sounds like a small thing until you are two hours out with a six-year-old. Ivan lists one; for other boats, ask before you book.
You can see every boat on the island on the Mauritius charters page, or only the Trou-aux-Biches boats, where most of them are based.
How long to book
Shorter is better with children, and a trip that ends while they still want more is a success. Most Mauritius charters start very early: Flying Kiss at Pointe aux Piments goes out at 5:30 and is back by 12:00, and Baywatch at Trou-aux-Biches runs from 6 a.m. to around noon. That early start is good for fishing and for calm water, but it is hard on small children.
Ask the captain two things:
- Can we do a shorter trip, or come back early if the kids have had enough?
- Can we start a little later, or fish inside the lagoon first?
Many captains will say yes, especially in the quieter months. Put it in your first message, not on the morning of the trip.
What to pack for children
Our full packing list for a Mauritius fishing charter covers adults. For children, add:
- A long sleeved sun top, a hat with a strap and reef-safe sun cream. The tropical sun on the water burns fast, even on cloudy mornings.
- More water than you think, and familiar snacks. Boats provide drinks, but a child who refuses everything on board will be fine with their own biscuits.
- Seasickness tablets for children, if your pharmacist or doctor recommends them, taken before boarding.
- A towel and a change of clothes, because they will get wet.
- A dry bag for a phone or a small camera, so they can take their own photo of their fish.
Ask the captain whether the boat has children’s life jackets in the right size. If it does not, or you are not sure, bring one from home or rent one in the resort.
Keeping the fish, and letting them go
Children usually want to know what happens to the fish. On most Mauritius charters the crew keeps a share of the catch; Pyramide, for example, lets you and the crew each keep one fish under 10 kilograms. Our guide to who keeps the fish on a Mauritius charter explains how it usually works.
Releasing a small fish is often the best moment of the trip for a child. Ask the crew to show them how to hold it with wet hands and put it back in the water. If you are staying in a villa with a kitchen, ask whether you can take one fish home for dinner: a child who catches their own supper will talk about it for weeks.
When to go
The calmest mornings tend to come in the Mauritian summer, roughly November to April, but January to March is cyclone season and trips can be cancelled at short notice. The winter months, roughly May to October, bring a stronger trade wind, so with children it pays to book early in your holiday and keep a spare day in case the captain calls it off. Our Mauritius fishing seasons guide shows which fish are around in which months.
The north-west coast (Trou-aux-Biches, Grand Baie, Pointe aux Piments) is sheltered from the trade wind, which is one more reason most family trips start there. If you are staying in the south-east, the Mahebourg lagoon is protected by the reef even on the windy side of the island.
Questions to ask before you book
Send these in your first message to the captain. A good captain will answer all of them happily:
- What is the youngest age you take, and have you had children of this age on board?
- Do you have life jackets in children’s sizes?
- Is there a toilet and some shade on the boat?
- Can we fish inside the lagoon, or shorten the trip if the children are tired?
- What happens if the weather is bad on the day?
On Reelzy you can message the captain through the listing before you book, so you can ask all of this first. When you have a boat in mind, open its page, check the dates, and send the ages of your children with your first question. That one message tells the captain exactly what kind of morning to plan.
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