TextAlphonse and photos Atoll by Brandi Mueller — Pristine Diving in the Seychelles' Outer Islands 21 X-RAY MAG : 93 : 2019 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO travel There is just something that As we flew away from Mahé, a beautiful always feels right about getting granitic island in its own right, it took about an hour to fly 400km (250 miles) south- on a small airplane for the final west over blue seas before we began leg of travel to begin a dive trip. to descend on a small coral atoll, just a In my mind, it almost guarantees speck of palm trees and sand that steadily the destination is somewhere got larger as we approached. I watched out the open cockpit windows as the amazing—a place that is so spe- pilots took us straight in, onto a clear-cut Grouper, lionfish and anthias on coral reef cial that the large jets used in runway in the center of the island. My mass transit cannot even get to spontaneous grinning continued. life painting showed the shallow depths it. I departed the island of Mahé, Below was a small section of the of the lagoons lightening to turquoise Seychelles’ outer islands, the Alphonse and surrounded by white sand and green the largest and most-populated group. It consisted of Alphonse and St. palm trees. I could not help but think, island in the Seychelles, for the François atolls. The deep water surround- “Our planet is so gorgeous.” tiny island of Alphonse, with that ing the atolls was a shadowy, dark navy, but the green and ivory specks of the Arrival giddy, childlike feeling in which I islands were encircled by what I would I was still smiling like a kid on Christmas could not stop grinning. I looked like to call Seychelles’ blue—an abstract when our plane landed on the island, around at my fellow passengers watercolor painting of every shade of which was just 1.8km long by 1.4km wide also destined for Alphonse, and I blue imaginable, from the lightest pale (1.12mi by 0.87mi), and out the window Divers on a wall with sea fans (above), with a blue to sapphire and indigo, with brush was a line of resort staff waving to us. school of snapper (top left), and with a blue- could see them smiling too. strokes of jade and light brown. The real- We disembarked and were greeted with Alphonse Atoll had an incredible fin trevally over sea fans (previous page) number of sea turtles on all the dives. 22 X-RAY MAG : 93 : 2019 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO travel The resort's pool (above) and bar area (left), which was a meeting place to discuss diving and fishing tales before dinner each night is known and bike tours, a lovely spa, and coconut and some information to have plenty of other activities to keep about the island. Other guests some of anyone busy. included a lovely family with two the best fly- small girls from Botswana and fishing flats Getting around a South African fishing TV show on earth. Taken in a golf cart to my lux- crew. (Well, I guess the fishing Obsessive ury bungalow with beachfront really is that good.) fishermen access, I learned that this was I ventured over to the activity (whom I one of the fastest modes of trans- and dive center where my gear found to be portation on the island. Sitting had already been delivered and comparable in front of my adorable A-frame made plans for the next day. I to obsessive bungalow was my personal trans- would be diving, of course… and introductions and smiles (big divers) travel halfway around the portation for the week—a beach the only one. (Seriously? I thought, smiles, but probably not as big world to throw a fly at tarpon, cruiser bike with a basket (in lime who goes to pristine islands in the as mine.) I was about to spend bonefish, milkfish and giant treval- green) with my name on it. I do middle of the Indian Ocean and a week on an isolated island in ly, among others (it’s catch-and- not know if it was possible for my does not dive?!?! Answer: fisher- the middle of the Indian Ocean release only here). The Alphonse smile to get any bigger, but it did. men). I would find myself revisiting visited by only a small number of Resort was initially just a fishing I loved this place already. this question in my mind through- people each year. And honestly, lodge, but now has a full range Biking over to the restaurant out the week, only to discover it most visitors come to fish, not of activities, including diving, and main bar area (also ocean- was exactly what the fishermen dive. (Crazy, I know!) snorkeling, kayaking, stand-up front), I joined the rest of the (and fisherwomen) were saying The Alphonse group of islands paddle boarding, nature walks guests who had arrived for a fresh about me. My charming bungalow home for the week (top); The bungalow's airy interior (middle) and cozy deck (bottom), overlooking palm trees and the sea just beyond 23 X-RAY MAG : 93 : 2019 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO travel Seychelles Trevally swim over sea fans (far left); Endemic Seychelles anemonefish (top center); Bumphead parrot- fish at Car Wash (above); Cleaner wrasse give a fish a cleaning (right); The resort's dive boat (left) a golf cart to pick up my (large) camera while I was at breakfast (it was too big to manage on my bike), and it also magically appeared on the boat waiting for me. Once I was ready, the boat Morning bliss headed out to a site called Car After waking up natu- Wash. The fishermen had all left rally by the golden light of much earlier and the boat ride felt dawn streaming through like we were heading out on an my curtains, I made a adventure into the unknown, with cup of coffee in my room no other boats or people around. and strolled out to the beach in front of having ridden my bike only a few min- It was not unknown to the crew though, my bungalow. While the other bungalows utes before arriving, and enjoyed more who gave an impressively accurate dive were not too far away, the gardening and coffee, along with yogurt with fresh fruit briefing of the site, even down to where landscaping made it feel as if I was the and a croissant and muffin. More hardy we would see schools of certain fish. lent. As briefed, groups of bluefin trevally only person on a private island. Looking options were available as well, such as Once underwater, it felt just as adven- swam past us. As we passed a school out at the water, I saw several turtles pop eggs made to order and other hot items. turous—there would be no hordes of of bluestripe snapper, Rose pointed out their heads above the surface for a breath other divers here, and no risk of another endemic Seychelles anemonefish, and and then disappear back underwater, but Diving boat dropping a dozen tourists on top of there were massive pink gorgonian sea I could still make out their silhouettes in the Over at the dive center, my gear was us. It was just me and my guide, Rose, for fans everywhere. The big surprise (not in clear, shallow water in front of me. already on the boat and my wetsuit fold- hundreds of miles. How incredibly cool the briefing) was a group of about eight I leisurely made my way to breakfast, ed and waiting for me. They had also sent was that? And—the diving was excel- massive bumphead parrotfish. Not bad Endemic Seychelles anemonefish 24 X-RAY MAG : 93 : 2019 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO Seychelles for the check-out dive. Currents and visibility are influenced by the tides, so to get the best condi- tions, the dive team suggested we dive once in the morning, take a long break, and then two dives later in the day. I was traveling alone, and somewhere along the line prior to arriving, I had mentioned it would be great to have a dive model. Just to start to describe how accommo- dating the staff was, they provided me with a dive model. On my next two dives, I had a dive guide and a dive model (and a quite good model at that). We visited the dive sites known as Abyss and Arcade, and my model posed with more schools of bluestripe snapper and yellowspot emperors. We swam over an old anchor that probably belonged to a ship that long ago hit the reef. A large school of barracuda passed by and friendly batfish followed us around like curious puppies, particularly on our safety stops where they seemed to hover right along with us until we returned to the surface. After diving and a warm shower (in my Divers swim through a school of yellowspot emperors; Batfish (top center); School of bluestripe snapper (top right) 25 X-RAY MAG : 93 : 2019 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO travel Your Buddies Bonaire Madness Just before the start of the holidays, enjoy a week of sun, fun and madness with crazy incentives! Every 2nd diver dives free + group discounts.