Alphonse Island Lodge, Alphonse, Desroches and the Amirante Islands

These may be the Seychelles’ most accessible Outer Islands, but they still offer a sense of frontier exploration in a setting so secluded, you could spend a week underwater and not see another dive group. A wide variety of sites can be explored, ranging from sloping and patch reefs to near-vertical drop-offs. But the one thing they share is an incredible diversity of fish.

Diving the Amirante Islands

Much of the Amirante island chain sits on a shallow plateau, with each island surrounded by shallow reefs or lagoon flats. These shallows are home to light filled coral gardens with calm conditions - ideal for underwater photography, macro diving, and laid-back reef exploration. But, it’s still possible to find some faster-paced action thanks to the strong tidal shifts filtering in and out of the atolls. Diving around the lagoon inlets can deliver powerful drifts with surprise encounters from pelagic species like sharks and rays.

At the far north of the Amirantes, a series of seamounts, part of the African Bank, offers some of the region’s most exciting frontier diving. Divers here descent straight onto aquarium-like reefs clouded by fish where sharks patrol the drop-off. Further south, the islands of Poivre, Île d'Arros, and Saint-Joseph are surrounded by kilometres of thriving coral. A resident group of reef manta rays has also been discovered around Île d'Arros, making it one of the Seychelles’ most reliable places for encounters.

Desroches sits on the edge of a dramatic deepwater drop-off known as the Desroches Drop. The island is also home to unique topography, with 18 dive sites that include plummeting walls, pitted gulleys, caverns, and deep caves. Desroches is one of the most biodiverse diving destinations in the Seychelles and among the least visited, making it an absolute treat for explorers of all kinds!

Diving Alphonse Atoll

The Alphonse island group consists of two neighbouring atolls - Alphonse Atoll and St François Atoll - separated by a deep channel. This trench serves as a highway for marine wildlife, beckoning some large species in from open water and allowing others to migrate through the region, increasing a divers chance for close encounters with pelagics.

The plummeting walls and towering pinnacles around Alphonse Island are famous for dense forests of gorgonian fans, sharks, rays and huge shoals of predatory fish like trevally, jacks, and barracuda. Many of the sites here are home to powerful and constantly changing currents, with some requiring the use of reef hooks. If you’re hoping for an adrenaline rush, head to Flyaway Highway, Bluewater Stop, or Channel.

To reach St François, you’ll cross the Canal la Mort - or Death Channel. The water here is deep and treacherous, with powerful currents that make diving impossible. On the other side, however, lies a coral cay with the fitting name of Bijoutier, or “little jewel”. Explore the fascinating hard and soft coral reefs here for a chance to spot sea turtles, colourful fish of all kinds, and macro critters, while enjoying a break from the current. Further south, St François is surrounded by seldom explored sloping and patch reefs. The dive sites here are relatively unknown, with opportunities to spot large pelagics, including surprising species like bull sharks.

Snorkeling with manta rays and sailfish

Alphonse is home to two signature snorkelling experiences that occur from September to May. During these months, when ocean conditions are at their calmest, the resort’s dive boats venture out to the drop-off, where depths plunge suddenly from 30 to 40 metres to several hundred.

Reef manta rays are routinely seen here, cruising the drop-off and feeding in the shallows. But, you’ll need near-perfect conditions if you’re hoping for a close encounter or clear photography. Try to visit around a new or full moon when the currents are most powerful.

This is one of the only places on planet earth where you can snorkel with sailfish. These high-speed ocean predators are actually quite shy, and unlikely to approach humans without some encouragement. So, the team at Alphonse Island will first tempt them in closer using “stingless” bait - similar to a fishing lure with no hook. Once the sailfish are pursuing the snorkelling boat, participants can kit up and slip into the water. These rare once in a lifetime encounters can last for seconds or minutes.

All images courtesy of Blue Safari Seychelles.