Journeys
Dive & Fly-Fishing
Thirty-metre visibility, bonefish on the flats, and a naturalist who knows every reef.
What the week feels like
In April, the southeast trades have not yet arrived, the visibility on Shark Bank clears to thirty metres, and the whale sharks that followed the tuna north from the equator begin appearing off the eastern coast of Mahé at 6am. If you are in the water with a guide at 5:45, you will be there when they arrive.
The Seychelles is, quietly, one of the world's great fishing destinations. Alphonse Island sits at the edge of the Seychelles Bank — a vast, shallow atoll where bonefish and permit move across the flats on the tide. Jean-François, the head guide at Alphonse, has been fishing these flats since he was twelve years old. He does not need to think about where the fish are. He already knows.
We build dive and fishing journeys around the calendar, not around a brochure. In the northwest monsoon season (November to March), the inner islands offer the calmest conditions for technical diving. In the southeast trade period (May to September), Alphonse and the outer atolls are at their most productive for fishing. In April, you can sometimes do both in the same week.
Every itinerary begins with a conversation about your experience level, your target species, and what the week should feel like when it is over. We do not send beginners to Aldabra. We do not send serious fly-fishers to a property without a skiff.
The shape of it
Only we can take you here
The parts no brochure mentions
Every diver knows Shark Bank. These are the sites and sessions our guides keep for guests who travel with us — the ones that depend on tide, season, and knowing whom to ask.
Off Mahé — Northwest
The Ennerdale wreck at slack water
A 297-metre British tanker that sank in 1970, resting in 30 metres and almost never dived because the current window is short and unforgiving. Hit the slack correctly — our divemaster Marc has the tables memorised — and you drift through a cathedral of batfish and giant groupers with the wreck entirely to yourselves.
Silhouette — North Point
The whale shark dawn watch
From late March through May, we run a 5:15am departure to the northern tip of Silhouette with a spotter who has worked these waters for the Marine Conservation Society. You are in the water before the day boats have loaded their tanks. Last April, our guests averaged three whale shark encounters per week. We do not guarantee it — the ocean does not sign contracts — but we know where to be, and when.
Alphonse — St. François Lagoon
The milkfish eat
On certain tides, milkfish gather in their hundreds to feed in the St. François lagoon — a sight fly-fishers cross the planet for and mostly miss, because it lasts an hour and the window shifts daily. Jean-François reads it from the previous evening's tide and wind. When he says 6:40 tomorrow, you are on the skiff at 6:20.
Praslin — Aride Bank
The unnamed pinnacle
Between Aride and Booby Island there is a granite pinnacle that appears on no dive-centre schedule — the crossing is too exposed for group boats. On calm days in April and October we take a maximum of four divers. Grey reef sharks patrol the base, and the soft coral on the eastern face is the best our guides have seen anywhere in the inner islands.
This journey is for you if
- Experienced divers looking for genuinely world-class sites without crowds
- Serious fly-fishers who want a guide who has been on these flats for a decade
- Guests who want to combine both disciplines in the same week
This journey is not for you if
- First-time snorkellers (though we design snorkel-only itineraries on request)
- Guests who prefer a resort-based holiday without structured activity
- Those who need a predictable daily schedule — this week follows the fish and the tide
Included
- All inter-island transfers
- Named dive guide throughout
- Alphonse fishing guide (6 half-day sessions)
- Equipment rental
- Dive boat fuel and permits
- Skiff hire on Alphonse flats
Not included
- International flights
- Accommodation
- Fishing licences (arranged by us, billed separately)
- Personal dive/fishing equipment
- Gratuities
- Travel insurance
Begin a conversation about this journey.
Begin a conversation