Currently unavailable during the refurbishment of the Alphonse Resort

General Information
The coralline atoll of Alphonse is regarded as one of the world’s top dive destinations seems to be “in the middle of nowhere” although it is just one hours flight from Mahé. This truly is the ultimate underwater experience with pristine, untouched dive sites and drop-off’s around the island that are famous for clear waters, unbleached corals, generally great visibility with superb tuna, shark and barracuda encounters. The sheer underwater wall is one of the most impressive features. Just 400 meters offshore, the depth of the ocean floor is close to 3km in depth. The forests of impressive fan corals are in superb condition and are a highlight for underwater photographers. The warm and clear tropical waters of the Indian Ocean will give you some memorable and fascinating dives.

The Alphonse dive sites are suitable for all categories of divers from beginners to very advanced levels. On a regular basis we spot stingrays, barracudas, sea turtles, moray eels, scorpion fish, white tip reef sharks, nurse sharks, tunas, jack fish and many more. It is a general rule that here “anything can happen” so a look out into the blue is always recommended.

Seychelles is not a mass diving destination and the Alphonse diving groups seldom exceed six people so we can guarantee that ours are the only guests diving a particular site at any one time.

Organisation
We offer you an experienced team of international diving instructors that is there to make your diving experience on the Alphonse atolls an unforgettable one. As the safety of our guests is our primary concern, all dives are guided, with a minimum of one computer per buddy team obligatory and dive boats are equipped with oxygen and Medic First Aid. All dives are non-decompression dives with a maximum depth of thirty meters.

Guests will receive a detailed briefing on their first day, touching on our specific diving rules and some of the characteristics of diving in Seychelles before the overview of the dive site for the day. Less experienced divers and those who may not have dived for a time are recommended to do the Scuba Review before embarking on the more challenging dives.

Daily dives are selected according the weather conditions, divers’ experience and special interests. Navigation times to the different dive sites are between ten and thirty minutes.

All the dives are organised as drift dives along the edge of the atoll. Divers descend from the surface to their selected depth and drift with the prevailing current along the sheer walls of the atoll at a leisurely pace. The safety stop at five meters for three minutes is obligatory and we make use of a signal buoy to surface safely. The dive boat follows the divers once they are in the water and collects them at the end of the dive. Please note drinking water is always available on the boat.

Alphonse Resort Dive Sites
All the dives start and end on a plateau with a depth of five to eighteen meters depending on dive site and tide.

1. Arcade Dive
Depth sixteen to thirty metres plus
Twenty minutes by boat
Description:
Steep slope going over into a wall with holes and little overhangs. The “Arcade” itself is U-shaped, a welcome shelter where Napoleon and Groupers hide from the gentle current. Schools of Chevron barracudas and Jacks frequent this dive site. On the plateau you have a good chance of finding Leaf fish, turtles sleeping under coral heads or a white tip reef sharks.
Specialities:
One of the top dive sites of the Alphonse Atoll because of its underwater topography and a good chance of seeing big fish due to its position on the northern tip.

2. Abyss Dive
Depth sixteen to thirty metres
25 minutes by boat
Description:
This is located on the North-east side of Alphonse. There is a wall with a sandy platform at 28 metres and a big coral outcrop with a top of 22 metres. Overhangs and many pink sea fans along the wall. Schools of Snapper and Emperors, Potato grouper and Oriental sweetlips and a good chance of seeing pelagics such as big tuna and sharks.
Specialities:
One of the most famous sites on Alphonse, this has impressive underwater scenery and a breathtaking amount of life and is loved by underwater photographers.

3. Eagle Nest/Boiler/East Wall 1 & 2/Doile Dive
Depth ten to thirty metres plus
30 minutes by boat
Description:
East side of Alphonse. Wall with many holes and overhangs. Very big pink sea fans and whip corals along the wall. Check for Eagle rays and tunas in the blue, a sleeping Nurse shark under an overhang or a White tip reef shark patrolling over the coral garden of the plateau.
Specialities:
This is a great drift dive along the 90-degree wall with impressive fan corals and good chance of seeing big fish out in the blue

4.Pinnacles Dive
Depth seven to thirty metres
15 minutes by boat
Description:
South side of Alphonse. Mini wall from seven to ten metres with several overhangs where you often can find a sleeping Nurse shark, schools of Soldier fish and many, many Lionfish. The Pinnacles are three big coral formations at a depth of 25 metres going up to 15 metres, sticking out from the slope. Big Potato grouper, Napoleons and many Moray eels frequent this dive site.
Specialities:
This is an impressive formation of coral blocks near the wall. It’s really is a good dive that also offers opportunities to enjoy special sightings of smaller underwater life

5.South Cave Dive
Depth six to eighteen metres
Ten minutes by boat
Description:
South side of Alphonse. Huge overhang that is a shelter for Soldier fish, Squirrelfish, big Angelfish and many Groupers. Although we either start or end the dive in a sandy area with isolated coral heads where you can find mantis shrimp and schools of snappers, fusiliers and emperors and big napoleons, it is the beautiful pink, orange and white sea fans make you want to linger longer and longer.
Specialities:
This is an advanced dive on the southern side of Alphonse and can have high currents and can therefore only be dived in good weather conditions.

6. East side wall/West side wall Dive
Depth six to sixteen metres
Five minutes by boat
Description:
The right and left side of the channel going into the lagoon. A mini wall with lots of overhangs with sleeping Nurse sharks, Moray eels, Marble rays and Groupers. Napoleons always hang out here as well as many schooling fish. A good place to find an octopus. When you pass the channel mouth itself you find Garden eels and Sting rays.
Specialities:
This is an easy and relaxing dive site suitable for beginners who want to enjoy a wide variety of marine life.

7. Wonderland
Depth ten to fifteen metres on the plateau and thirty metres on the steep slope
Ten to fifteen minutes by boat
Description:
West side of Alphonse. Big coral head close to the edge of the plateau. A good place to find Leaf fish, Scorpion fish, Moray eel, lobster and Jacks.
Specialities:
Excellent spot for makro photographers and ideal for beginners.

8. Turtle Parade
Depth twelve to thirty metres plus
Fifteen minutes by boat
Description:
North west side of Alphonse. Many coral boulders on the plateau and a wall going down to thirty metres with several holes around fifteen metres. Here you can see as much as ten turtles on one dive plus Giant sweetlips, many many Morays, Groupers, lobster or the Leaf fish.
Specialities:
Great drop off with impressive fan corals all along the wall.

9. Galawa Dive
Depth twelve to thirty metres
Fifteen minutes by boat
Description:
Close to the northern tip of the island. Wall from sixteen to thirty metres with an anchor at 25 metres. The overhangs in the area of this anchor are very colourful with sea fans, corals and Lion fish, Oriental sweetlips and Angel fish. A good place to see Grey reef sharks or big tuna checking out the reef. The further you go towards the tip of the island the sandier it gets.
Specialities:
Pelagic fish patrolling in the blue, very nice coral scenery with plenty of spectacular coral reef life.

10. Napoleon Dive
Depth sixteen to twenty-five metres
Fifteen minutes by boat
Description:
Underwater mountain with its top at sixteen meters covered with big colourful sea fans, lots of schooling fish such as Emperors, Fusiliers, Snappers and Jacks, Potato groupers and Moray eels. Underwater photographers will be completely captivated by this dive. Sometimes very strong currents so a fast descent is necessary to hit the spot.
Specialities:
Another top spot around Alphonse – only for experienced divers in ideal weather conditions.

11. Hospital Dive
Depth eighteen to twenty-five metres
Fifteen minutes by boat
Description:
Two big coral patches with sea fans, coral garden and whip corals. Schools of Chevron barracudas frequent this site, Sting rays and Eagle rays feed in the sandy area beside the patches and White tip reef sharks cruise over the reef.
Specialities:
Advanced dive due to its general depth. It has breathtaking scenery of underwater flora and fauna.

12. Bijoutier out Dive
Depth sixteen to thirty metres plus
Fifteen minutes by boat
Description:
Underwater mountain covered with pink seafans. Schooling fish such as Fusiliers, Snappers, Emperors, jacks and barracudas. Good chance to see a giant grouper.
Specialities:
Another site with its top at only sixteen meters and therefore only suitable for advanced divers. This has truly impressive scenery and an amazing amount of life.

13. House reef Dive
Depth zero to five metres
Accessible from the shore
Description:
Mini wall with many inlets and outlets with a sandy bottom. During a night dive you find all sorts of shrimps, crabs, feeding sea urchins, sleeping turtles and you may even run into a Spanish dancer. During the day you may come across a school of Batfish, some Lionfish, groupers possibly even a turtle. The visibility however is not as reliable here as it is on the outer reefs.
Specialities:
This site is perfect for check and refresher dives and it gives the diver a good idea what to expect outside the lagoon and along the walls of the Alphonse atoll. It can be inaccessible during the southeast monsoon from May to late September.

For any query, please contact the Resort at alphonseinfo@gmail.com