Diving the Seychelles

destinations » indo-pacific » Diving the Seychelles

13 March 2024
The 115 islands that make up the Seychelles are scattered far out in the Indian Ocean, between the Maldives and East Africa.

When to dive the Seychelles

The best time to dive the Seychelles is April, October or November when the seas are calm and boats can reach the more remote spots where you will often dive with sharks and manta rays. The weather is cooler and more humid during the southeast monsoon season of late May to September. During this period the visibility is lower, however the presence of lots of plankton brings in the whale sharks. The warmest weather is during the northwest monsoon from December to March. The water is always warm, from 25 to 29 ^oC.

Whale shark. Photo: Tim Nicholson

Best dive sites

Where are the Diving Islands in the Seychelles?

The main diving islands are Mahé, La Digue and Praslin - part of the inner island group. There are also dive centres on outer islands like Alphonse. Plus, you can dive the Seychelles by liveaboard.

What you need to know

Medical facilities in Seychelles are limited, especially on the more remote islands where doctors are often unavailable. Take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before you travel. If you need an ambulance dial 999.

Sun screen and insect repellent are expensive in the Seychelles: bring your own supplies with you.

The currency is Seychelles rupees. Other currencies are rarely accepted but some hotels may take Euros or US dollars. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted.

No-one needs a visa to enter the Seychelles, just a valid passport and a return ticket.

The Seychelles has agreed to designate 210,000 square kilometres of its ocean as Marine Protected Areas, limiting their use to research and regulated tourism while prohibiting harmful activities like dredging and oil prospecting. The protected areas will be rolled out in two phases. The first phase will cover the remote Aldabra Group in the outer islands. The second phase will protect 135,000 square km of deep water.

Despite being scattered across more than a million square kilometres, new research has revealed that remote coral reefs across the Seychelles are closely related. A network of ocean currents scatter significant numbers of larvae between these distant islands, acting as a "coral superhighway".

Find a Seychelles liveaboard…

Dive Sites of the Seychelles • Seychelles Diving Operators & Liveaboards • Your Comments • Specialist Diving Travel Insurance

Dive Sites of the Seychelles

Reviews:

"Pristine coral reefs, mantas, octopus and tritons. Outstandingly clear water."
Deb

A British Royal Navy Fleet motor tanker. She was loaded with 40,500 tons of oil when she sank in 1970 after hitting an uncharted rock, badly holing her starboard side. She now lies in 3 sections at 30 m. The stern section is relatively intact, with the wheelhouse and propeller easily accessible.

After being confiscated for illegal fishing, the Alderbaran was scuttled in 2008 for an artificial reef as part of the Festival of the Sea. She lies between 30 and 40 m. The wreck now has lots of life, including sharks

8 km northwest of Mahe. A granite plateau with massive boulders it is rich in marine life and coral. Many different tropical reef fish, grey stingrays, white tip reef sharks, schools of barracuda, Jack fish, humphead and parrotfish as well as turtles and whale sharks.

A short distance from Mahe Island. The wreck lies on its side at the depth of around 25 m. It is covered by different species of corals and a plethora of fish including large shoals of yellow Snapper, pepper and snowflake morays, stone and scorpion fish.

Photo credit: Tim Nicholson

An easy dive near the Beau Vallon dive centre. A gently sloping reef with coral formations interspersed with sand.

Diving with large numbers of grey reef sharks. You'll also see large shoals of snappers, turtles and moray eels.

The Seychelles Diving Operators and Liveaboards

If you own or manage a dive centre: get yourself added to our directory. Have you dived in the Seychelles? Let us know about the diving centre you used.

Diving on one of the outer islands.

Comments

Please send us your comments on the Seychelles. Do you want to recommend a diving centre or dive site? Let us know. If you own a dive centre get yourself added.