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| Seychelles |
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| Fast facts |
Full Name: Republic of Seychelles
Capital City: Victoria
Population: 79,330
Time zone: GMT/UTC +4
Language: English / French
Currency: Seychelles Rupee (SCR)
Electricity: 240 V / 50 HzHz
Country dialing code: 248
The Seychelles is an archipelago scattered across the crystal clear waters of the Indian Ocean. Often referred to as the original Garden of Eden, with soft, sand beaches, fantastic coral reefs and soaring mountains the Seychelles is the perfect setting for a tropical yachting holiday.
Lying just under 1000 miles east of Kenya, 1700 miles southwest of India and 560 miles northeast of Madagascar, these 115 islands, of which 76 are coralline and the remaining granitic, enjoy a favorable climate in a zone free from cyclones. The coralline islands are low lying, averaging 1.5 meters above sea level while in contrast the granitic islands rise from the sea to altitudes of 600 to 1000m.
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The islands possess some of the world's rarest flora and fauna and half of their landmass is protected in reserves and World Heritage Sites. Surface streams provide fresh water and as such most islands are covered in luxuriant and verdant vegetation. White sandy beaches surrounding the islands are a natural feature of the Seychelles and one of the main reasons sailors cast off and head for this stunning area.
With spectacular scenery above and below the warm tropical waters, wonderful walking, superb sailing and world class fishing, these remote islands offer a rich diversity for sailors. |
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| Climate |
Climate and winds
The sea and weather conditions are perfect for the charterer.
The archipelago, which is under the influence of really strong winds, is dominated by a distinctive system consisting of two monsoons separated by a month of variable weather: the inter-season.
From May to October, almost constant winds blow south easterly with clear skies.
The winds drop in November and give way to north-westerly.
The south-easterly wind pattern returns in April.
In between these two periods of south-easterly and north-westerly winds there are two short periods of calm or light winds. April and May are the sunniest months with a daily average of 7h50' to 8h20' of sun. These slight climate changes barely affect the temperature, which remains at an average of 28¬? to 32¬?C, both air and sea.
There is no hurricane season in the Seychelles, and winds rarely exceed speeds of 30 knots.
The winds
January to march: north-westerly winds are dominant with short spells of wind from the north or north east. Speeds between 10 to 15 knots, small swell. In March winds begin to weaken.
April and may: The winds blow from north/east with speeds between 5 to 15 knots. Very calm sea, air temperature 32C, sea temperature 30C.
June: south-easterly winds predominate slightly with speeds between 10 and 20 knots.
July to September: dry season, air and water temperature at 28C, very few rainfalls. South-easterly winds predominate at a steady 20 to 25 knots. Sea can be choppy and some anchorages not accessible.
October and November: Winds and swell decrease progressively. As November goes by north-west winds come back.
December: the winds blow from north-west with speeds between 5 and 10 knots. Temperature rises.
Tides
Tides are semi diurnal and asymmetrical with a gap of about 6 hours between high tide and low tide. The tidal range is as low as 1.80m at spring tides and 1.40m at neap tides. Tides give rise to currents which can be quite strong in the straits between islands or in the channel leading to lagoons. There can be quite considerable differences in height between the two daily high tides.
Sea conditions
Throughout the equatorial zone of the Indian Ocean the swell is generally moderate. Waves are usually between 1 and 1,2 m. |
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| Cruising notes |
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Mahé
Surrounded by three national marine parks, Mahé is fringed with 68 beaches while the inland revels in lush vegetation from rainforests and coconut palms, to cinnamon plantations. With a backdrop of towering 1000m granite peaks it’s the principle island in the Seychelles archipelago. Home to 90% of the Seychelles population, the cultural diversity reflects the decent of African, Indian, Chinese and European populations.
Praslin
Twenty four miles to the northeast of Mahé, Praslin enjoys the distinction of being the last refuge of the unique coco de mer palm in the Vallee de Mai (one of the Seychelles’ two UNESCO World Heritage Sites) and is also the habitat of three of the rarest birds on earth. Home to two of the world’s top ten beaches – Anse Lazio and Anse Georgette, Praslin used to be a favorite haunt for pirates! |
Since its first settlement, this island has evolved into a place with its own distinct flavor and enviable pace of life. The smaller islands around Praslin are all close enough to weave your way from one to another, taking time to explore and enjoy each one.
Silhouette
Silhouette is the Seychelles’ third largest island and its dominating mountainous profile can been seen on the horizon from Mahé. The island has a primitive beauty and is popular with walkers and hikers who head to the heart of the island for a step back in time. As early as the 9th century the Arabs used Silhouette as a base for their ‘dhow’ sailing ships and the ruins of ancient Arab tombs can be found at Anse Lascars.
Diving and snorkeling is a huge pastime in the Seychelles as the Inner Islands are the remains of a submerged mountain range and house an extensive range of fascinating marine life across a multitude of dive sites.
The diving is diverse and includes both coral reefs and the impressive granite reef formations that the Inner Islands are renowned for. The different islands each have their own special sites - all the northerly islands offer impressive granite reef locations where the sculptured rocks are covered with soft corals and sponges and fish life is prolific, wreck dives are available in some areas, but only the islands to the south have wall dives, drop-off dives and drift diving opportunities.
Wherever you sail in the Seychelles, you won’t fail be amazed by some of the most picture-perfect scenery on the planet. |
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