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The Seychelles Diving Safari

The Seychelles Diving Safari

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Description

Dive the depths of the world’s most ancient islands on a 7-night cruise that seeks out the archipelago’s most prolific underwater sites.

This cruise combines the underwater world of the Seychelles with a PADI dive instructor as your guide, together with the rustic charms of our historic early 1900s vessels that double as full-service floating hotels.

The limited dates we’ve selected for our dive safaris coincide with the best diving conditions the islands have to offer. This not only makes for great visibility, but also allows us to venture to out-of-the-way, open-sea dive sites that may not offer good enough shelter for diving at other times of the year. A dedicated tender allows divers comfort, space and mobility, while also making it easier for non-diving companions to partake in other activities during the cruise including snorkeling, kayaking and island excursions.

Most of the dive sites we’ll visit feature large granite rock formations that create different passages and caves. These are home to a rich population of tropical fish, large numbers of pelagic species such as sharks, barracudas, jacks and tunas as well as rays and turtles.

Trip Name
The Seychelles Diving Safari
Days
8
Overview
Vessel Type: Sail Ship Schooner Length: 35m Passenger Capacity: 20 Built: 1915  / Recent Refurbishment: 1997 / 1999 ACCOMMODATION Air-conditioned Dining Salon TV, DVD, stereo, ice-machine, washing machine, dryer Upper Sun Deck and Bow Net for sun bathing Covered Back Deck Lounge Fully air-conditioned cabins with wash basin: 6 Double-bed cabins +1 bunk (Category A) 2 Triple cabins with 3 bunk beds (Category B) 4 Showers - 3 Toilets - 1 Deck Shower CREW 1 Captain 1 Chef 1 Mechanic 2 Stewardesses 1 Dive instructor 2 Deckhands

Itinerary



Day 1 - Day 1 - Saturday Diving & Crossing
Embarkation at the Inter-Island Quay at 1030hrs, followed by theCaptain's welcome briefing. Depart Port Victoria at 1200hrs,sailing from Mahé to a late afternoon anchorage at RoundIsland, just off the isle of Praslin. In the evening, introduceyourself to Creole cuisine with a welcome barbecue dinneronboard.
Day 2 - Day 2 - Sunday Diving & Visit to Vallee de Mai, Praslin
Sail to Praslin, Seychelles' second-largest inhabited island, fordisembarkation to the famous World Heritage Site, the Vallee deMai Nature Reserve. This ancient forest is home to the curiouslyshaped double coconut, the coco de mer, as well as the BlackParrot, unique to Praslin. Explore the valley's eerie pathwaysbeneath its canopy of massive palms, before returning onboardfor afternoon opportunities to dive, snorkel or enjoy otherwater sports.
Day 3 - Day 3 - Monday Diving & Visit to La Digue
Sail to La Digue, a sleepy island community where ox-carts andbicycles still remain the most common mode of transportationthroughout the island. La Digue is home to the endemicSeychelles Paradise Flycatcher, and is perhaps most famous forits massive granite boulder formations at Anse Source d'Argent,which is thought to be the most photographed beach on earth.Explore the island, perhaps stopping by Union Estate, asprawling network of traditional island activities, including acopra mill, vanilla plantation, and shipyard.
Day 4 - Day 4 - Tuesday Diving & Island visit (visit to Sisters is for non-divers)
The vessel sails toward Grande Soeur and Petite Soeur (theSisters). The waters surrounding these two uninhabited privateislands provide excellent diving, meanwhile non-diver guestswill have the opportunity to visit the island.In the afternoon, visit Coco Island, one of Seychelles’ tiny granitejewels, a fantastic spot for snorkeling within a kaleidoscope oftropical fish.
Day 5 - Day 5 - Wednesday Diving & Visit to Aride
Sail to Booby Island for a morning of diving and water sports.After lunch, sail to Aride Island, a globally important naturereserve with more native bird species than any other island,including five endemics and the world's largest population of 3species (Lesser Noddy, Audubon's Shearwater and SeychellesWarbler). The nature trail leads to a spectacular cliff-top viewwith the largest frigatebird roost outside of Aldabra. Aride is theonly natural location in the world for Wright's Gardenia and 400species of fish have been recorded around the island.
Day 6 - Day 6 - Thursday Diving & Visit to Curieuse, St. Pierre
Disembark at Curieuse for a visit of this virtually uninhabitedisland. Experience the island's vast mangrove forests and itsgiant tortoise farm, along with the historic ruins of this formerleper colony. After a barbecue lunch on the island, enjoy anarray of water sports or simply relax and enjoy the island'sbeautiful beach and turquoise waters.
Day 7 - Day 7 - Friday Diving & Crossing
After breakfast, enjoy a leisurely sail back towards Mahé, with alast stop at Ile Seche for more diving/ or snorkeling, followed bya farewell barbecue. The vessel then sails into Port Victoria foran overnight stay.
Day 8 - Day 8 - Saturday Disembarkation
Disembarkation at 08.30am at Inter Island Quay, Mahé.
Day 9 - Please Note:
For the well-being and overall enjoyment of guests,adjustments to the itinerary and/or the dive sites visited may benecessary, in the event of certain weather conditions or otherfactors. Any such changes are at the discretion of the captain.

Trip Dates

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Inclusions

    • Enjoy a more concentrated dive experience for those seeking to maximize their time spent underwater, as well as to discover the widest possible variety of different dive sites during a Seychelles holiday.
    • We’ve carefully selected the dates for our diving safaris to coincide with the calmest periods the islands have to offer. Calm conditions allow us to venture to out-of-the-way, open sea dive sites that may not offer good enough shelter for diving at other times of the year. These sites typically offer some of the most dramatic scenery and marine life to be found on Seychelles’ inner-island plateau, including large pelagic.
    • Companions Welcome. While diving is the primary focus of this cruise, the Seychelles archipelago is as diverse as it is beautiful, allowing us to accommodate non-diving companions with no shortage of activities parallel to the diving excursions. Visits to nature reserves and island sanctuaries, as well as snorkeling and kayaking, are available throughout the cruise, meaning partners unable to dive can enjoy the experience fully, with or without a good book.

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