A Brief History Of Shipwrecks In The Seychelles

Records of shipwrecks in the Seychelles did not begin until the late 18th century, once the islands became inhabited. It’s thought that more than 100 ships sunk there between 1550 and 1970. Dive in to discover more about the vessels taken by the waters of the Seychelles.

The wrecks that lie under the water form a huge part of Seychellois cultural history. Many lie undiscovered and others will be all but worn away. There have only been a few official recovery operations. No doubt there will have been countless artefacts taken by plunderers, but there must still be a treasure trove of relics waiting to be discovered.

The oldest shipwreck located in the Seychelles was L’heureux which sunk in 1763 off the notoriously dangerous south bank of the island of Providence – part of the Providence Atoll. The crew survived, but the rumoured 250,000 gold peso coins on board have never officially been discovered.

S.S Doh was chartered from the Comoros to send mail, and a considerable amount of cash to Seychelles. It sunk off of Alphonse in 1874, luckily remaining intact so as the valuable cargo could be recovered at the time.

Perhaps the most famous wreck is that of the Ennerdale, a Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker. It sunk in 1970 just 8 miles from Victoria after hitting uncharted rocks off the coast of Mamelle islet. With salvage not being possible and an oil leak already occurring, it was decided to destroy the wreck using explosives. Now in 3 pieces at around 30m (98ft) deep, the Ennerdale has become the most popular wreck dive site in Seychelles.

While there have been many tragic accidental shipwrecks here, there have also a few deliberate ones. These include the Aldebaran, which was a fishing vessel that was confiscated for illegal fishing. It was sunk in 2008 by the Seychelles Port Authority as part of the Festival of The Sea. The festival theme that year was ‘wrecks as ocean habitats’. The Aldebaran is now considered to be one of the most beautiful wreck dives in Seychelles. At 40m (131ft), advanced scuba divers are rewarded with a pristine shipwreck to explore.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

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