Denis Private Island, Praslin and La Digue

The diving around Praslin and La Digue is characterised by beautiful granite slopes, sun-lit reefs, and striking underwater boulder formations. Colourful fish cloud the reefs, octopuses, eels, and lobsters can be found amongst the crevices, and turtles, eagle rays, and reef sharks can make appearances at any moment. Visitors will find more than 30 dive sites scattered around the islands, with stronger currents and bigger fish the further out you explore. Many of the closer sites can be reached with a five or ten minute boat ride, while longer day trips are often required to explore the more remote locations.

Local dive sites

Curieuse sits just north of Praslin, and the island is a breeding ground for hawksbill turtles and a nursery for sicklefin lemon sharks. The Curieuse Marine National Park encompases the entire island of Curieuse and most of Praslin’s northern coast. St Pierre is located in the heart of the park, offering sheltered sites with shallow depths, making it perfect for beginners. In the channel between Praslin and La Digue, Ave Maria features more advanced depths of up to 25-metres and a variety of interesting reef life including turtles, stingrays, and bumphead parrotfish. White Bank and Channel Rock are two more classic sites found within the channel.

Long-range diving

Named after its resident seabirds, Booby Island lies a few kilometres north of Praslin and delivers some great diving. A large crevice in the island’s southern rockface continues below the waves, waiting to be explored, while groups of up to a dozen grey reef sharks can sometimes be seen patrolling the reef’s edge. Located further north - more than ten-kilometres from Praslin - Aride Island boasts some of the more rewarding long-range dives in the area, with excellent visibility and large fish including whitetips and grey reef sharks. East of these two islands is the isolated Amoujie Maman - one of the most demanding sites in the region. This drift dive reaches depths of 30-metres and features stunning rock formations interspersed with areas of open blue sea.

The Ile Cocos Marine Park lies some seven-kilometres northeast of La Digue, just off Felicite’s northern tip, and is home to several small reefs and an abundance of colourful reef fish. Even further north, the two Sister Islands offer the chance to encounter some slightly larger pelagic species such as tuna and occasionally reef sharks. South Marianne Island, due east of La Digue, is home to some of the best diving in the Seychelles’ Inner Islands. The interesting rock formations here reach depths of 25-metres and are swept by strong currents, attracting pelagic species such as jackfish, tuna, eagle rays, and grey reef sharks.