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| Mahe (Beau Vallon) |  
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Description:
The Seychelles are stunning. There are 125 islands set in over 125,000 miles of ocean. As you look on the map, the distances are misleading and whilst the Inner Seychelles are neighbours, the other island groups could only be called acquaintances. The principal islands are Mahe, Praslin and La Digue. Other islands include Frigate, Silhouette, Dennis, Bird and Desroches. The group of islands towards the west are the Amirantes, a group of coral built islands. Last but not least in the very south Aldabra is a UNESCO nature heritage and the biggest Atoll in the world. The mother tongue is Kreol (or Creole) although English and French are spoken by almost everyone. Creole is the food that gets it wagging.
Mahe, the main island, is mountainous but rather developed. On the one hand, it has the characteristic granite boulder structure that made the Seychelles islands famous worldwide. On the other hand, however, the town of Beau Vallon has hotels, shops, entertainment and all the things you wouldn't go to the Seychelles for.
Due to the efforts of, among others, the Marine Conservation Society Seychelles, the Seychelles are the divers paradises that it is today. | |
| Details: |
 Nearest commercial airport: Seychelles International Airport, Point la Rue, Mahe. |
| Average watertemp: Min 25 - Max 30 oCelcius. |
| Average visibility: 15 Horizontal metres |
| Bottom composition: Sand, Corals, Rocks |
| Dive conditions: Ocean/Sea, Salt water |
| Seasonality: Seasonality: Seychelles are a all year round diving destination. Diving is characterized by two main monsoon winds. The North west monsoon blowing from end of November to beginning of march and the South East monsoon blowing from end of May to September/October. The winds affect the accessibility of the divesites. During the South East wind season, for example, diving is mainly off the North and North West coast (Beau Vallon area), because that is protected. However, during the North West wind season (December to beginning March)the same area can become too rough for diving and diving activities may be moved to the East coast. |
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Marinelife in the area:
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | | | Coastal fish & Reef Life |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Seychelles has abundant fish life; the granitic islands offer impressive submarine granite reefs with bolder fields that provide numerous nooks and crannies for fish to live in. Spear-fishing is illegal in Seychelles and so fish life is not generally scared off by divers. Lion fish and scorpion fish... (More)
| | | Eagle rays | | | | | |  | | | | | | |  | | Eagle Rays can be seen in large groups around the main island of Mahe. due to the shallow depths and the sandy bottom there is plenty of food supply. Especially in Feb./March/April sightings of groups of 30 and more eagle rays are quite common. towards the south east monsoon sightings are a bit fewe... (More)
| | | Green turtles | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Seychelles hosts one of the largest remaining Green Turtle rookeries in the world. Green turtles can be found around the southern coral islands of Seychelles all year round. Breeding and nesting occurs from October through to January. Green turtles nest on the beach during the night and so watching ... (More)
| | | Hawksbill turtles | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | Seychelles hosts one of the largest remaining Hawksbill Turtle rookeries in the world. Juvenile hawksbills can be found around the granitic islands of Seychelles all year round while the adults come into the area for breeding and nesting from October through to January. Hawksbill turtles nest on the... (More)
| | | Nurse sharks | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Nurse sharks are together with white tip reef sharks the most common sharks sighted in the Seychelles. Due to the granite boulder structure of the Archipelago there are many cracks and overhangs where these sharks find shelter. Especially the inner islands are quite shallow, so that encounters with ... (More)
| | | Stingrays | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Giant Stingrays are common around Mahe. They are non-aggressive and will often allow photographers to get very close to them for photography. Especially at dive sites like Shark Bank (off North West Mahe), Turtle Rock or Dr. Matthes Wreck these creatures can be sighted. Here they can appear in group... (More)
| | | Whale sharks |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Seychelles is one of the few world destinations of regular whale shark sightings during some months of the year. Following the plancton bloom, they are regulary seen around Mahe in the northern part of the island. Seychelles has its own whale shark monitoring programme run by the Marine Conservation... (More)
| | Probability of encounter:  0%,  0 > 60%,  60 > 90%,  90 > 100%
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