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Top Reasons to Dive The Seychelles

The Seychelles is made up of over 100 islands of diving bliss. This archipelago in the western Indian Ocean offers white-sand beaches, numerous dive sites, and plentiful marine life. There are two main groups of islands to explore, the Inner and Outer Islands, and October is one of the best months to visit.

Here are some top reasons to dive the Seychelles:

Laid-back Sailing & Dive Adventures

Seychelles liveaboards offer sailing trips for divers and non-divers alike from beautiful modern yachts and traditional schooners. They are a great choice for divers to explore the best dive sites of the Seychelles, take time out to relax on the ocean and go island hopping.

Seychelles Island
Praslin, the Seychelles second largest inhabited island, has idyllic beaches, a laid-back atmosphere and plenty of scuba diving.

Family-friendly Destination

Some liveaboards, such as the SV Sea Shell, require no dive certification and combine snorkeling, diving (for those qualified) and other activities into one sailing adventure. Guests on Seychelles liveaboards can visit uninhabited islands and stroll along white-sand beaches, plus enjoy snorkeling offshore, kayaking and stand up paddle boarding. Land-based activities include nature reserve trips, trekking in national parks and sightseeing tours. It is a destination with something for everyone to enjoy.

Wreck Diving Paradise

The main island of Mahé is home to some of the Seychelles best beaches and is the main hub for tourism and culture. It is the largest islands of the Seychelles and the granite landscapes provide boulders, drop offs, swim-through, caves, massifs and hard coral formations. Mahé dive sites are world-renowned and offer some of the best dives sites in the Seychelles for wreck fans.

The Twin Barges at 12 to 24 meters is ideal for night diving and The Dredger is another highlight and lies on her side at 25 meters depth. She is covered in corals and surrounded by large schools of colorful fish. The Ennerdale, a British Royal Navy Fleet motor tanker, sank in 1970 and lies in three sections at 30 meters depth. The stern of this popular wreck is relatively intact, with the wheelhouse and propeller both accessible.

Dive With The World’s Largest Fish

One of the main reasons to visit the Seychelles is to dive with whale sharks. They can be found off the southern side of Mahé Island and are seen during October and November each year. The whale sharks feed near the surface, where both divers and snorkelers can enjoying swimming with these iconic giants.

Other marine life highlights at the Seychelles include manta rays, stingrays, dolphins, sailfish, turtles, silvertip sharks, and even occasional hammerhead sharks.

One of the main reasons to visit the Seychelles is to dive with whale sharks.
One of the main reasons to visit the Seychelles is to dive with whale sharks.

Pink Granite Diving At Private Islands

The Sister Islands of Grande Soeur (Big Sister) and Petite Soeur (Little Sister) are only accessible by boat and are two small privately-owned islands with pristine and uncrowded dive sites.

Grande Soeur, less than 200 meters (656 feet) in size, is surrounded in part by pink granite rocks and protected by a coral reef teeming with fish life. It is undeveloped and offers great diving and island hiking. Petite Souer is uninhabited, covered in tropical forest, and surrounded by a coral reef. This remote island is only accessible during calm conditions. Sister Bank is a great drift dive to see the rare Armitage angelfish, Hawksbill turtles and large schools of fish, all whilst drifting over rock formations and swim-throughs. A visit to nearby Coco Island is well worth it for the diverse fish life in this natural aquarium.

The Sister Islands of Grande Soeur (Big Sister) and Petite Soeur (Little Sister) are only accessible by boat and are two small privately-owned islands with pristine and uncrowded dive sites.
The Sister Islands of Grande Soeur (Big Sister) and Petite Soeur (Little Sister) are only accessible by boat and are two small privately-owned islands with pristine and uncrowded dive sites.

Fantastic Diving All Year Long

The Seychelles is a year-round diving destination, with the best dive conditions from March to May and September to November. The waters are at their calmest during those months and dive boats can reach more remote dive sites. October is one of the best months to visit for great water conditions and very little wind.

Consistently Calm Weather

The weather in the Seychelles is consistently calm and with warm water temperatures all year; reaching up to 29 °C and rarely dropping below 25 °C. Surface intervals needn’t be cold, with the average air temperature ranging from 24 to 32 °C. Water visibility is up to 30 meters, making it easy for divers and snorkelers to enjoy watching the marine life below them.

Kathryn Curzon
Kathryn Curzonhttps://www.liveaboard.com
Kathryn Curzon is a diver and writer for Liveaboard.com.

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