Seychelles

Diving in Seychelles

50 sites92 species24–30 °C10–40 m vis

Photo: Francesco Ungaro / Pexels

Seychelles — 115 granite-and-coral islands scattered across 1.4 million km² of Indian Ocean, where ancient granite boulders carved by 750 million years of ocean create underwater scenery found nowhere else on Earth. Dive with 50-strong hammerhead schools at Trois Bancs, drift with grey reef sharks through South Marianne's current-swept channel, photograph turtles on nearly every dive, and from September to November share the water with whale sharks drawn to seasonal plankton blooms. The Inner Islands (Mahé, Praslin, La Digue) offer granite swim-throughs, boulder gardens, and cave-riddled walls while the Outer Islands (Alphonse, Desroches, Astove, Cosmoledo) deliver pristine atoll walls, unpressed shark populations, and visibility regularly exceeding 30 metres. With 30% of its waters protected, a shark sanctuary since 2012, and year-round water temperatures of 24–30°C, Seychelles combines world-class diving with genuine conservation leadership.

Seychelles' granite islands are among the oldest oceanic islands on Earth — 750 million years old, formed when the supercontinent Gondwana broke apart.Aldabra Atoll is the world's largest raised coral atoll — 34 km long and home to 152,000 giant Aldabra tortoises.Seychelles completed a landmark debt-for-nature swap in 2018, converting $27M of national debt into 210,000 km² of marine protected areas.The critically endangered Napoleon wrasse (humphead wrasse) is actively tracked via tagging programs at Desroches Channel and other Seychelles sites.Whale sharks visit the Inner Islands reliably every September–November — among the most accessible whale shark encounters in the Indian Ocean.Seychelles was one of the first countries in the world to establish a shark sanctuary (2012), banning all commercial shark fishing in its waters.The Coco-de-Mer — the world's heaviest seed weighing up to 42 kg — grows only in Seychelles, in the Vallée de Mai on Praslin Island.Seychelles Creole cuisine blends French, African, Indian, and Chinese influences — try pwason ek diri (fish with rice) and ladob (plantain in coconut milk).

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Conditions

Water temp

24–30 °C

Visibility

10–40 m

Depth

5–40 m

Current

Moderate

Best season

March–May and September–November (inter-monsoon transitions — calmest seas, peak visibility 20–40m)

Month	Summary
Jan	Warm NW monsoon waters (28–29°C) with 15–30m visibility. Calm surface conditions on leeward coasts; Beau Vallon may be choppy. Turtles active on all reefs.
Feb	Peak summer warmth (28–30°C), visibility 15–30m. Similar to January — NW monsoon conditions with occasional afternoon showers. Excellent for beginners at protected sites.
Mar	Transition month — NW monsoon easing, visibility climbing to 20–40m. Water 28–30°C. One of the best months of the year with calm seas and excellent clarity.
Apr	Peak inter-monsoon window — arguably the best month. 20–40m visibility, 28–30°C water, light currents. All sites accessible. Eagle rays, turtles, and reef sharks abundant.
May	Still excellent conditions (27–29°C, 20–35m vis) as SE trade winds begin building. Good month for advanced sites before winds strengthen. Whale shark season approaching.
Jun	SE trades established — cooler water (25–27°C), visibility drops to 10–25m with plankton blooms. Whale shark season begins; mantas more active. Wetter, windier — leeward sites preferred.
Jul	Coolest water of the year (24–26°C), visibility 10–25m. Peak whale shark and manta season. SE trades at their strongest — some northern sites inaccessible. Wetsuit recommended.
Aug	Water 24–26°C, visibility 10–25m. Whale sharks and mantas at their peak — best month for pelagic encounters. SE trade winds persist. Wreck dives sheltered from wind are excellent.
Sep	SE trades easing — water warming (25–27°C), visibility improving to 15–25m. Last reliable month for whale sharks. Mantas still present. Transition beginning toward November calm.
Oct	Transition month — excellent conditions return. Water 26–28°C, visibility 20–35m. Humpback whales possible in outer island passes. Manta sightings still good. Winds lightening.
Nov	NW monsoon returns — peak visibility (25–40m), water 27–29°C, calm seas. Best month for crystal-clear photography and outer island walls. All sites accessible. Many consider this the finest month.
Dec	Excellent holiday-season conditions — 28–29°C water, 20–35m visibility. NW monsoon settled in. Warm, calm, clear. Busy season — book dive operators and accommodation well in advance.