SCUBA DIVING IN SEYCHELLES: extraordinary coral and sea life. Divers’ Reviews

Get ready for top level dives! Located to the north-east of Madagascar, the Seychelles Islands are an archipelago composed of 115 islands. As expected, the sea life around the islands is simply breath-taking; more 1000 species of fish have been recorded.  Marine wildlife is unafraid of both snorkelers and scuba divers as the use of spear guns and dynamite for fishing was banned in the 1960´s. The main scuba diving areas are the Inner islands with 29 dive sites and Outer Islands with 3 dive locations.

CLIMATE

The weather is tropical.  The cooler season is from May to October, the temperatures range around 75 °F (24 °C).  The warmer season is during the northwest monsoon, from November/December to March, it´s also very wet as it´s also cyclone season. The water can be choppy then. The best months to visit the Seychelles are from April to October when is cooler and dry.

INNER ISLANDS, UNIQUE GRANITE REEF

The Inner Islands are a group of 42 islands. The islands are actually the top of underwater mountains formed from granite. The islands of Mahé, North Island and Praslin are the center of Seychelles’ tourism. These islands include true coral reefs and granite reef formations. The islands of the south have wall dives, drop-off dives and drift diving opportunities. 

Whale sharks can be found year-round here, with peak sightings from August/October through January. The Ennerdale wreck is the most popular off the Inner Islands.

The Valle De Mai Nature Reserve is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and has an incredible palm forest; the Coco De Mer palm has the largest seeds on Earth. You could also see the rare black parrot here too. The islands of Mahé and Praslin offer a variety of guided tours in the different trails to experience the rare flora and fauna of the islands.

OUTER ISLANDS, HIDDEN DIVING TREASURES

The Outer Islands are mostly uninhibited; they sit on the Seychelles plateau and are low laying coral keys and atolls. Only two islands, Alphonse and Desroches have accommodations. The Outer Islands are ideal for drift dives. The islands actually consist of five groups of coral line islands: Southern Coral Group, Amirante Islands, Alphonse Group, Aldabra Group and Farquhar Group.

The coral islands are flat with elevated coral reefs. There´s no access to fresh water and that is the main reason why very few people live here, roughly 2% of Seychelles population is here. The main dive spots here are Aldabra Main Channel and Grand Bleu, both suitable for advanced divers and have great visibility. In all of them you will have the opportunity to see not only reef fish but pelagic species such as gray reef shark, silvertip and nurse sharks.

Scuba dive in Aldabra´s Terrace one can see green sea turtles. The Cosmoledo Atoll offers huge hard coral and spotted potato bass can be seen here. The rare and exotic African pygmy angelfish can be seen off the coast of Astove Island. Sailing with a pre-booked yacht is a fantastic activity throughout the reefs and atolls at the Outer Islands.

The Seychelles have some of the best beaches in the world, perfect for swimming, snorkeling or simply relaxing with a book. Sixteen of the islands in Seychelles offer top-class accommodations to experience all the beaches have to offer .

DIVE CENTERS LISTED IN SEYCHELLES

Blue Sea Divers / Hawks Bill Dive Center