Dive Spots and Diving in the Seychelles
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With 115 islands scattered between 4° and 10° south of the equator, the Seychelles offer versatile and impressive dive sites in the Indian Ocean. Below is a list of the most interesting dive sites off the island of Mahé.
Dive Spots Mahé
Trompeuse Rocks
is north of Mahe and about 24 km away. With a diving depth of 65ft there are large schools of fish, tuna and small sharks. The Trompeuse Rocks is one of the dive sites in Seychelles that cannot be missed either on land or water. They protrude from the Indian Ocean and are up to 25m high. Please note during your dives that there is a strong underwater current.
Mamelles
is north of Mahe and about 12km away. With a diving depth of 40-60ft, there are shoals of fuseliers and corals. The dive spot is directly in front of the small, uninhabited Island located. With a shallow reef on the south side and shallow diving depth, diving here is great fun.
Ennerdale Wreck
is north-east of Mahé and about 2.5 km away. With a diving depth of 100ft there is grouper and nurse shark. Not far from Mamelles Island, at a depth of 25 meters, lies the shipwreck of the English tanker Ennerdale, after which this dive spot was named. Since the wreck was blown up, it is possible to dive inside the ship.
Ennerdale Rocks
is north-east of Mahé and about 2.5 km away. With a diving depth of 40-80ft there is tuna, kingfish, octopus and crayfish. This rock is about 3km south-east of the wreck of the Ennerdale. Around the Ennerdale Rocks is also a great dive site. Not too deep, rather shallow and very suitable for beginners.
Brissare Rocks
is north of Mahé and about 4.5 km away. With a diving depth of 50-65ft there are fire coral, wrasse and nurse shark. The two small rocky islands are not to be missed. Around the rocks is a large coral area with coral fish.
L'Ilot Island
is north-west of Mahé and about 0.5 km away. With a dive depth of 50-65ft there are snappers, parrot fish and soft corals. A small island which you will hardly miss when you go around the island. The island is characterized by a few palm trees on the island as well as charming rock gardens, where larger shoals of reef fish await you. It is also possible to see whale sharks from November to March.
Chuckles
is south of L'Ilot and about 0.5 km away. With a diving depth of 50ft there are butterfly fish, sweetlips and angler fish. This reef consists of a single large granite rock, with many gorges and passages. Depending on the current, you can find different species of fish. The rocks are loosened up with soft corals and also beautiful fan corals can be seen. The steep walls protect an abundance of reef fish and the invertebrate life on the rocks. This dive spot is used for night dives - when conditions are good. Lobsters and Spanish dancers are present.
Ste. Anne
is in the national park east of Mahe and about 4 km away. With a diving depth of 30-50ft there are different fish but no living corals. Very nice snorkeling and diving area with over 150 species of fish and marine life and a very well preserved, huge arsenal of corals in great colors. As this is a water nature reserve, you will not be disturbed by fishermen.
Harrison Rocks
is east of Mahé and about 4 km away. With a shallow diving depth there are sharks and eagle rays. A wild and rugged granite reef, only 2 1/2km south of Ile Sèche. If the sea on the west side at Beau Vallon is too choppy, you should go to the other side of Mahe, around Victoria where the sea is quite calm during this time. The visibility is pretty good and there is a lot to see, like big stone fish, lots of schools of soldier fish, schools of big mackerel, giant moray eels and lion fish.
turtle skirts
is east of Mahé and about 3 km away. With a diving depth of 30-70ft there are stingrays, shark and soldier fish. Accumulation of many granite blocks south of St. Anne National Park. Large area which is hardly to be mastered with one dive. You can see white tip and nurse sharks, eagle rays, barracudas, mackerels, tunas, stingrays, batfish, scorpion and stone fish - seasonally also whale sharks.
Vista Skirts
is north-west of Mahé and about 0.5 km away. With a diving depth of 40ft there are crayfish, octopus and snappers. A very interesting and inshore dive site. The mighty main rock rises 14m above the sea bed and even 2m above the surface. These rocks are located in the north of Beau Vallon, opposite the Vista Bay Hotel.
sunset skirts
is north-west of Mahé and about 0.4 km away. With a diving depth of 40ft there are scorpion fish and surgeon fish. Located opposite the Sunset Beach Hotel, reefs run almost at right angles to the beach and break the surface in many places.
Northolme
is north-west of Mahé and about 0.7 km away. With a diving depth of 30ft there are snappers and eagle rays. About 1km seawards from the Hilton Northolme Hotel is this particularly shallow area with a maximum depth of 10m. The area is also suitable for beginners. The area is teeming with coral fish and schools of yellow snappers.
Coral Gardens
is north-west of Mahé and about 0.7 km away. With a diving depth of 40-60ft there are Yellow Snapper, Clownfish and Angelfish. In this area there are several coral reefs surrounded by sandy bottom. These reefs are often visited by turtles and rays. Clownfish can be found on many corals. This spot is also suitable for macro photographers, many soft and hard corals. There is almost no current and suitable for beginners.
Vacoa
is north-west of Mahé and about 3 km away. With a diving depth of 40-65ft there are table corals and batfish. This colourful coral reef is located about 3km off Vacoa Village in Beau Vallon Bay. The depths are very different, the side facing the land reaches 12m, the side facing the sea 20m. Numerous fish live here, including batfish. On the reef surface mainly the table corals spread out.
BV1
is north-west of Mahé and about 4 km away. With a diving depth of 40-50ft there are batfish and sergeant fish. At Beau Vallon Bay about 4 km from the beach police station is the BV1 dive site. The special attraction are two large coral sticks separated by a narrow corridor and corals. Some parts of the corals are broken up, especially by the violent monsoon storms that come in again and again, but they still attract many fish: Batfish glide around the divers and king perch come in large shoals.
Corsair Reef
is north-west of Mahé and about 0.8 km away. With a diving depth of 40-85ft there are eagle rays, soft corals and helmet shells. This coral reef runs parallel to the coast and is less than 1km from the (unfortunately burnt down in 2011) Le Corsair Restaurant near Bel Ombre. Between two big coral sticks is the best dive site.
barge wrecks
is north-west of Mahé and about 0.8 km away. With a dive depth of 56-82ft there are red snapper and grouper. The two shipwrecks were sunk by the Professional Divers Association Seychelles, the Seychelles People's Navy and the Victoria Port Authority at Corsais Reef to make the dive site more interesting in the west of the reef. The sites are marked with buoys. Many fish, including the Bourzwa, have been attracted by this measure. One of the dive spots!
Willy's Folly
is north-west of Mahé and about 0.8 km away. With a diving depth of 88ft there are bigger fish species. A little seawards from Scala Reef, at a depth of about 27m, there is another ship that was sunk here in 1989, also to increase the attraction of the dive site. Many large fish have been sighted in this area since then.
Horseshoe skirt
is north-west of Mahé and about 0.7 km away. With a diving depth of 46ft there are corals, eels and octopuses. About 750m east of Danzilles (dead end towards Bel Ombre) is this semi-circular flooded rock. The land side drops about 14m down to the sandy seabed. The sea side has many canyons surrounded by coral gardens. Morays live at the western end and this area is also rich in fish and octopuses. From time to time even hawksbill turtles appear.
Baie Ternay
is west of Mahé and about 0.1 km away. With a diving depth of 30-85ft there are sea turtles, eagle rays and corals. The park is suitable for swimmers and snorkelers. One of the best dive sites in the Seychelles. You should take your time, as there are countless species of corals and a rich fish life. The dive spot consists mainly of corals. The quality of these dive sites is excellent. Real hawksbill turtles and eagle rays can be seen regularly, as well as a large number of live shells and snails. Nothing, neither alive nor dead, may be taken from this marine park!
grouper skirt
is west of Mahé and about 0.2 km away. With a dive depth of 72ft there are groupers and red snapper. Grouper Rock is located on the westernmost promontory of the Baie Ternay. There is usually a strong current, at least around the big rocks. Here lives the mighty grouper, but also many red and yellow snappers and soldier fish. Almost all big fish cavort in this quite wild area and also real loggerhead turtles appear.
Conception Island
is west of Mahé and about 1.5 km away. With a dive depth of 56-92ft there are tuna, grouper and eagle rays. The dive site is located outside the Port Launay Marine National Park and just south of Cap Ternay. It is a very remarkable, inshore dive site, with decent depths (over 28m) and steady, sometimes even dangerous currents. Swarms of tuna fish pass here, as well as big groupers, eagle rays, barracudas and other big fish. All of them can be seen regularly. Huge schools of fusiliers also populate this area at certain times.
Ile-Therese
is west of Mahé and about 1 km away. With a diving depth of 32-66 ft there are corals, eels and octopuses. About 2 km away from Conception Island this area offers diving opportunities in shallow water (up to 10m depth) as well as in deep water (up to 20m depth). An abundant fish population awaits every diver, although some of the corals are damaged.
Trois Bancs
is west of Mahé and about 4 km away. With a diving depth of 40-110ft there are eagle rays, batfish and barracuda. This large granite area is 3km to 4km from Beau Vallon Bay with the seabed at 33m. The rocks rise to 12m. Very strong currents can also prevail here.
Shark Bank
is west of Mahé and about 8 km away. With a dive depth of 62-150ft there are red snapper and grouper. Shark Bank is famous for its huge grey stingrays, as well as the large, still undamaged white gorgonian sea fan corals. Shoals of small barracudas, batfish, banner fish and halter fish are omnipresent, but whale sharks and groupers are also frequently seen.
Dive spots around La Digue and Praslin
Hail Mary
One of the more famous sites in this area is a series of huge granite blocks that surround the small island and fall in dramatic vertical walls and swim-throughs. The series of protected gorges and bays is home to a rich fish population including stingrays, spotted eagle rays, Napoleon wrasse and reef sharks, and is also visited by turtles.
channel rocks
These rocks are located in the middle of the English Channel between Praslin and La Digue and are a magnet for fish and invertebrates among their corals. A number of interesting gorges and holes offer plenty of shelter to protect not only schools of smaller reef fish but also the larger groupers and snappers.
White Bank
Right next to the Ave Maria, less well known but just as inviting, is the White Bank; this row of rocks is the meeting place for schools of unicorn fish, jack, snappers and batfish. Lobster, octopus, scorpionfish, humphead parrotfish and white tip sharks can be found in the crevices and tunnels.
Godfather Anse Severe
Here, a long backstone of granite supports an impressive coral reef where Moorish idols, parrotfish and surgeonfish swim along turtles and schools of eagle rays. Look out for the beautiful anemones that shelter pairs of clownfish. The gentle current makes this an excellent place for drift dives.
Round Island
The gentle drift along the side of the island can reveal several giant stingrays and nutrice sharks. Humphead parrotfish glide by, unimpressed by the presence of divers. Several species of large groupers can also be found hiding under overhangs and in holes.
Anse Marron Rocks
Here a long backbone of granite supports an impressive coral reef, which has become a hunting ground for several small reef sharks. At the end of the reef there are a number of interesting caves and swim-throughs that house a variety of the more shy fish species.
Roche en Bas
A circular granite formation adorned with coral, with swim-throughs and rock crevices to explore. An ideal place to find bumphead parrotfish, hawksbill turtles and swarming eagle rays. Small stingrays and white tip sharks sleep under the corals and rocks.
Grand Sœur
Granite peaks rise from the sand to the surface at a height of 20 metres and form impressive underwater towers and canyons. These provide a protected home for Napoleon wrasse, perch, parrot fish and a variety of colourful reef fish.
East Sœur Roche
Un énorme bloc de granit fournit a maison for the écoles de vivaneaux and the extremely rare Armitage Angelfish. The big barracuda and the necessary gris gris occasionnel ajoutent a touche passionnante. By the way, the great Mérou marbré towards the end of the Plongée est très timide, alors approchez-vous tranquillement!
East Sister Bank
Drift dives over dramatic rock formations with swim-throughs and soft corals are a specialty. Shoaling humphead parrotfish and hawksbill turtles are regularly seen, as well as the unusual and colourful clown triggerfish.
Albatross
These rocks between Sister Island and Felicite begin just three meters below the surface and are a natural focal point for swirling schools of jacks and mackerels. Reef sharks and green turtles are frequently sighted.
lost city
A good place for diving between granite formations scattered on the seabed and reaching up to seven meters to the surface. Grey reef sharks and nurse sharks are common, and the swim-throughs attract shoals of humphead parrotfish, napoleon fish, hawksbill turtle, lobster, moray eels and stingrays lying on the sand.
Shark Rock & Cayman Rocks
These two remote granite reefs have large coral formations, often visited by schools of barracuda and jackfish, and are home to turtles, stingrays, eagle rays and reef sharks.
Godfather Blanc Chiminee
This deep granite bench is an excellent location to see shoals of large pelagic fish. Dogtooth tuna, big jacks, rainbow runners and red snapper roam the outer edge, while the overhangs are home to sleeping sharks, rays and an abundance of reef fish.
Amoujie Mamon
This series of granite rocks that cover the seabed is perfect for a drift dive. They are a reservoir for many species of pelagic fish and wild fish such as dogtooth tuna, big jacks and even sail fish. Keep an eye out for nurse sharks, giant stingrays and schooling oceanic trigger fish.
red point
The underwater cliffs at the eastern end of Curieuse Island are covered with an immense variety of corals, attracting an equally exciting variety of coral fish species. Sharks and rays are often seen when passing by. Turtles are a common favourite.
coral garden
An extensive coral reef tableau dominated by large coral heads and table corals is an excellent place to find lionfish, squid, moray eels and scorpionfish. Its protected status means that you will often be surrounded by hundreds of shoals of fusiliers and jackfish. The regulations of the marine park apply.
Trompheuse skirt
A series of dramatic granite boulders are just breaking the surface and are home to huge stingrays, reef sharks and pristine coral formations. Swarms of fusiliers crash over the divers and turtles are often seen in the shallow water.
South Felicite
At this site, a huge granite formation has literally split apart, leaving behind a series of narrow, interconnected gorges. These provide excellent diving and hiding places for many unique species of fish and corals as well as visiting turtles.
South Cousin
A long granite that rises up to seven meters to the surface is covered with hard and soft corals and is home to shoals of small fish, which in turn attract turtles, dolphins and the occasional reef shark. Happy divers can also spot the occasional whale shark at the right time of year.
Trompheuse skirt
A series of dramatic granite boulders are just breaking the surface and are home to huge stingrays, reef sharks and pristine coral formations. Swarms of fusiliers crash over the divers and turtles are often seen in the shallow water.
Aride Island
An island known as a nature reserve for its birdlife, and the underwater world is equally spectacular! The reefs off the island offer excellent diving and shelter for many unique species of fish and corals as well as turtles.
Whale Rock
This rock, which only just breaks through the surface at low tide, is a potential hazard for shipping, but a Mecca for divers. The dive site is home to a number of reef sharks and has an impressive 10 metre long tunnel with several openings to the outer reef.
Godfather Charlotte
This shore consists of a series of granite rocks surrounded by boulders covered with coral. Here you are guaranteed to find small reef sharks (sometimes bigger ones!) and a variety of schooling fish.
Bobby Rock
A drift dive around Booby Rock is an excellent opportunity to see eagle rays, Napoleon wrasse, turtles and dolphins. Sleeping sharks and lobsters hide under the rocks and coral heads, while shoals of snappers and soldier fish inhabit the reef tops. Whale sharks are quite possible during the season.
Chimney skirt
This offshore peak is covered with untouched coral formations and is rarely visited by divers.
Visibility is usually excellent and schools of devil rays, giant groupers and reef sharks are often sighted.
Roche Marianne
Grey reef sharks and stingrays rest on the sand at the foot of this rock. Shoals of batfish, snappers and the occasional hawksbill turtle can be found a little shallower, near a good swim through the rocks. Often large morays can be seen. Don't miss to watch the different shades of blue formed by the waves breaking on the rocks during the ascent.
South Marianne
The island falls steeply into the sea and forms dramatic cathedral-sized structures. Three shark species can be observed in one dive, including up to 25 grey reef sharks patrolling the lower reef edges. Hawksbill turtles, Napoleon wrasse and eagle rays are easy to find, while guitar fish are a rare treat.
More dive spots will be added from time to time. We are also interested in your dive spots. We are happy about the naming of more dive spots.
Author: Karl Schnürch
In 2007 I started the website Seychelles.com to write everything I experienced from my head. Since then I have been constantly optimizing and expanding Seychelles.com to eventually present a complete picture of Seychelles on this site.
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