A Diver's Guide To The Seychelles

Big Blue Divers, a five star PADI resort, offering access to more than 75 dive sites Big Blue Divers, Mahe, Seychelles +248 4 261 106

Blue Sea Divers, offer CEDIP, PADI and PROTEC CMAS courses. Blue Sea Divers, Mahe, Seychelles +248 2 526 051

Octopus Dive Center, a five-star PADI resort. Octopus Dive Center, Praslin Island, Seychelles +248 4 232 602

White Tip Divers is linked with Paradise Sun Hotel, and has fantastic dive masters and their own pool for beginners learning the basics. White Tip Divers, Praslin Island, Seychelles +248 2 514 282

There are a few private islands offering their own dive schools; North Island Resort is particularly good. When you stay at North Island Resort, you get all of your scuba diving included in the price, even PADI courses. North Island Resort, Seychelles, +248 4293 100

Expect to spot plenty of colourful reef fish, including surgeon, rabbitfish, lionfish, batfish and parrotfish.

Sharks – mainly reef sharks, although you can occasionally find bull sharks, particularly at the deep wreck sites.

Rays – there’s a variety of rays here including manta rays, eagle rays and various species of stingrays.

Turtles – particularly the endangered hawksbill turtles, but you can also find green turtles here.

Whale sharks – the ultimate sight for any diver is the whale shark, the world’s biggest fish. You’re most likely to spot them from September to November.

There are a few wreck sites to dive off Mahe, notably Ennerdale and The Aldebaran (although this lies particularly deep at 40 metres).

You will be hard pushed to miss the fact that there has been significant coral bleaching in the Seychelles. A few hotels and resorts in Seychelles have realised a gap in the market and are offering the chance to participate in various Reef Rescue projects. Four Seasons Resort, and Fisherman’s Cove are just two examples of these.

Four Seasons Resort, Mahe, Seychelles +248 4 393 000

Le Méridien Fishermans Cove, Mahe, Seychelles +248 4 677 000

There really are so many great spots to dive in Seychelles – here are a few recommendations:

Shark Bank, L’Ilot Island, Brissare Rocks, wreck of Ennerdale, Marianne and Ave Maria.

If you’re looking for more, check out our article on the most beautiful dive sites in Seychelles.

All people looking to dive, both qualified and unqualified, must ensure they have a medical clearance certificate for any medical issues.

Qualified divers should always bring qualification cards with them to dive centers. This gives them clearance to dive sites to the various levels of expertise.

There must be at least 12 hours (recommended 24) between a dive and flying on a plane – this includes inter-island flights and helicopter rides. Dive centers will not allow you to dive the same day you are flying.

If divers suffer from decompression sickness while on holiday in Seychelles, there are two Hyperbaric Treatment centers available; one at Victoria hospital on Mahe Island where there are two decompression chambers, and one on Silhouette Island.