Marine Life: Seychelles and Scuba Diving

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Seychelles is considered to have some of the top scuba diving sites of the world. The marine life is plentiful enough to satisfy even the most imaginative underwater enthusiast, and the picturesque setting of the granite formations make delving into the blue waters a magical experience. The Seychelles offers a multitude of dive sites that are diverse and cater for all levels of experience.

The Seychelles is made up of the world’s most beautiful islands lying just four degrees south of the equator in the Indian Ocean. The 115 islands have a volcanic origin and consist almost entirely of granite. Mahe, La Digue, Praslin, Denis, Bird, Aride, Silhouette and several minor outcrops make up what is known as the inner islands. They are the remains of a submerged mountain range and lie on a plateau offering the unique choice of granite reef diving and the more common and widespread carbonate reefs. The impressive granite formations make excellent dens and magnificent swim-throughs for marine life and have a splendid mixture of both hard and soft corals, marking them as some of the best dive site in the world.

The outer, mainly uninhabited, islands comprise of Cocos, the Amirantes, Poivre, Desroches and the more remote ‘crown jewel’, Aldabra which is also a World Heritage Site. These sites offer wall dives, drift diving and drop-off dives where one can discover underwater caves and canyons, coral atolls and sand cays. They grant experienced divers a rare opportunity to investigate some less explored areas but can cater for beginners too.

MARINE LIFE

The Seychelles truly has reason enough to celebrate the sea and has earned its title for being a top diving destination. The marine life is diverse and rich in exotic fish, large p...

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...s, onespot snapper, lion fish, schools of fusiliers, jacks, and barracudas.

ALDABRA

Whilst the Seychelles provides many magnificent world-class dive sites, Aldabra is the crème de crème. Divers are engulfed by extravagant sightings as soon as they submerge. The remarkable drift dive carries divers through the pass of a giant lagoon, while diving off the wall creates a setting quite unlike anything else found in the Seychelles.

The only drawback to diving one of the best dive sites in the world is that reaching Aldabra can be quite an undertaking. The logistics restrict many divers; however there are many live-aboard dive charters that frequent the site. Keep in mind that whilst diving by boat is endorsed; landing on Aldabra is prohibited as it is a World Heritage Site. Despite this, the divers who make the journey all leave with a feeling of gratification.

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