Mauritius
Wedding ring slipped off swimming in Mauritius?
Away from the beaches, things also go missing on the Port Louis waterfront, in the Pamplemousses garden, at a crater near Curepipe and on Rodrigues.
Yes, a wedding band that went down in the water below a waterfall can be searched for, and so can keys dropped on a garden avenue at Pamplemousses. Whether it turns up comes down to how closely you can place it: on which path, on which lawn, or where in the water.
Ring Seekers is a lost ring and jewellery recovery service that works with experienced local metal detectorists to search for a ring, wedding band, watch, keys or phone lost in Mauritius. Tell us what happened and where. We choose an experienced detectorist who knows the place, brief them with your map and photos, and tell you honestly if the odds are poor.
For a beach or a lagoon, go to the area page for the north, the west and south, or the east. Port Louis, the interior and Rodrigues are here.
Coral round the edge, mountains in the middle
Mauritius rests on the Mascarene plateau, with a barrier of coral reefs around it. The east has a huge lagoon of clear water, the west has long beaches, and the south is wild and rugged, with waves breaking against cliffs of volcanic rock.
Inland there are mountains, and a volcanic crater at Curepipe. Port Louis, the capital, lies in the north-west, a city of markets, parks and a waterfront beside the harbour.
Our side of it, from the first message
No handovers along the way
The person who answers your first WhatsApp message is the one who briefs the detectorist and sends you the result.
A brief to fit the ground
Water below a waterfall, a harbour walkway and a garden avenue each call for a different brief, so the detectorist gets your pin, your photos and your own words.
What to have ready
The date, a rough idea of the place, from the racecourse to a Rodrigues beach, and any picture that shows the item, even a wedding photo or a shop listing.
Rodrigues as well
A loss on Rodrigues is handled like one on the main island. Say which island in your first line.
Money talked about first
We explain the costs before any search is booked, so the decision is made with everything in front of you.
Our Ring Finder Service Locations in Mauritius
Port Louis, the interior and Rodrigues
Beaches and lagoons on the main island are covered coast by coast, so the first thing to settle is which coast you were on. Away from the sea the ground changes completely: harbour paving, a racecourse stand, garden avenues, forest paths, waterfalls and another island.
Where it happened, coast or inland
Mauritius north
The north coast is a run of bays, with Grand Baie as its lively hub. Pereybère, Trou aux Biches, Cap Malheureux, the beaches in between and the boat trips out to Ilot Gabriel are on Mauritius north.
Mauritius west and south
Flic en Flac, Tamarin, Le Morne and the south coast round to Blue Bay, its marine park, Île aux Aigrettes and Mahébourg share one page, Mauritius west and south.
Mauritius east
Belle Mare, Trou d'Eau Douce, the boat crossing to Île aux Cerfs and the forest trails of Bras d'Eau are on Mauritius east, which runs from Roches Noires to Vieux Grand Port.
Le Caudan Waterfront, Port Louis
Le Caudan Waterfront sits beside the harbour in Port Louis. People stroll its shop-lined walkway under colourful umbrellas and stop at the food court and cafés, so tell us which table or shopfront you were near when you noticed.
Champ de Mars, Port Louis
Champ de Mars is a horse racing track in the centre of Port Louis, with hills all around it. On race days, a ring or earring lost there is traced from the grandstand seat you had.
The botanic garden at Pamplemousses
The Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanic Garden lies in the village of Pamplemousses, north-east of Port Louis. Its paths are named avenues, Rochon Avenue among them, and a rectangular pond holds the giant water lily of the Amazon. An avenue name or a photo of the plants beside you places a loss far better than 'somewhere in the garden'.
Trou aux Cerfs, Curepipe
Near the town of Curepipe, Trou aux Cerfs is a dormant volcano, and people hike up to its crater for the viewpoint. If something went missing on that walk, pin the viewpoint and mark the way you came up.
Rochester Falls and Eau Bleue
Rochester Falls, near Souillac in the south, is a waterfall where people come to swim and picnic. Close to the village of Cluny, in the south-east, a slippery path leads down to Eau Bleue, and many visitors go straight into the water to cool off. At either one, the first question is whether the item went in the water or on dry ground.
Rodrigues
Rodrigues is a hilly island, a flight from Mauritius, surrounded by coral reefs, with a vast lagoon used for water sports and fishing. Trou d'Argent, a beach tucked between two craggy, low cliffs, can only be reached on foot along a coastal path, so the walk in counts as part of the ground.
Places we cover in Mauritius
- Grand Baie
- Pereybère
- Trou aux Biches
- Cap Malheureux
- Ilot Gabriel
- Flic en Flac
- Cap Dal, Tamarin
- Le Morne
- Blue Bay
- Blue Bay Marine Park
- Île aux Aigrettes
- Mahébourg
- Belle Mare
- Trou d'Eau Douce
- Île aux Cerfs
- Roches Noires
- Bras d'Eau National Park
- Le Caudan Waterfront, Port Louis
- Champ de Mars, Port Louis
- Pointe aux Sables
- Baie du Tombeau
- SSR Botanic Garden, Pamplemousses
- Trou aux Cerfs, Curepipe
- Rochester Falls, Souillac
- Eau Bleue, Cluny
- Trou d'Argent, Rodrigues
Worth a message if it went missing here
Jewellery packed for the trip
- Wedding and engagement rings
- Signet rings
- Tennis bracelets
- Gold and silver necklaces
- Drop earrings
On a strap or in a pocket
- Oura rings worn in the water
- Fitness watches
- Phones
- Hire car keys
- Prescription glasses with metal frames
Where a Mauritius day puts them at risk
- A swim below Rochester Falls
- The slippery path down to Eau Bleue
- Race day in the Champ de Mars grandstand
- A stop beside the lily pond at Pamplemousses
- A hike up to the crater at Trou aux Cerfs
- A stroll along Le Caudan Waterfront
- The coastal path to Trou d'Argent on Rodrigues
What happens after you write
Four steps, and only the first two need anything from you.
What went, and where
Send a WhatsApp message naming the item, the place and the day, and the last moment you remember having it.
Show us the ground
Drop a map pin where you think it went and send photos of the spot, with any shot of the item you can find, a close-up from the shop or a holiday snap where it shows.
A detectorist for that exact spot
We then look for a metal detectorist able to get there, whether that is Port Louis or Rodrigues, and pass on everything you sent.
The search and a plain report
Once you agree, the search is arranged. Afterwards we tell you plainly what the detectorist covered and whether anything turned up.
Questions about Mauritius
Our wedding band came off in the water at Rochester Falls. What should we tell you about the swim?
Where you were in the water, first of all. Rochester Falls, near Souillac, drops over a cliff of jagged, rectangular rocks, so say whether you swam close to the falling water or near the edge, and whether you could stand where you last felt the band.
A phone fell at Le Caudan Waterfront, and we are not sure whether it went over into the harbour.
Then start with the walkway, since it may not have gone in at all. Tell us which stretch of the walkway you were on, what was next to you, and whether anyone saw it drop. If it did go into the harbour water, that is a long shot, and you would hear that from us first.
One earring came out on race day at Champ de Mars. Is the grandstand the place to look first?
It is the natural place to start, together with the way you walked in and out. Tell us which part of the stand you sat in, and send a photo of the other earring, since it shows the size and shape of the one you are missing.
A ring slipped off beside the giant water lily pond at Pamplemousses. Could it have gone into the water?
That is the first thing to work out. The lily pond in the botanic garden is rectangular, so tell us which side you stood on and whether you leaned over the edge. The garden's paths are named avenues, so add the name of yours if you remember it.
Keys went missing on our hike at the Trou aux Cerfs crater near Curepipe. Would photos from the viewpoint help?
Very much. The viewpoint at the crater looks out towards Rempart mountain, Trois Mamelles and the Moka range, so a photo from where you stopped shows which way you were facing. Say what hangs on the key ring.
A smartwatch came off at Eau Bleue, near Cluny. Was it on the path down or in the water?
Think back to when you last checked the time. The path down through the forest to Eau Bleue is slippery, so a stumble on the way down is one place to start, and the water where people swim is the other. Tell us whether you went in, and how close to the waterfall.
My bracelet went on the coastal walk to Trou d'Argent on Rodrigues. Does Rodrigues count as Mauritius for you?
It does. Trou d'Argent can only be reached on foot along the coastal path, and it sits between two craggy, low cliffs, so tell us whether the bracelet went on the path, on the sand or in the water, and pin the place where you started walking.
Mauritius
Harbour, garden, waterfall or reef, send us the spot
Whether it went on the Port Louis waterfront, at a waterfall in the south or on a beach on Rodrigues, the next step is a WhatsApp message naming the item and the place, with a map pin attached.