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And so to recent diving. Not too much around here lately but Peter, Connie, Brigitte and I have just returned from the Seychelles which was a very nice trip indeed. Initially at least, we stayed on Praslin island which involves an hour-long catamaran journey from the main island, Mahé. Perhaps even more than Zanzibar, the lush green forests are a massive contrast to the Emirates. This also meant the humidity was pretty high but we coped with it. In the morning, we had a 10-minute walk down the beach to Octopus Diving Centre where we were booked in. After establishing our credentials, we got on the boat for a half-hour trip to the first dive site, Whale Rock. We didn’t see any whales but perhaps it wasn’t the season. What we did see were dolphins, above and below the water, hundreds of small eagle rays, turtles and a couple of white-tipped reef sharks. The viz was 15 – 20m and the water was 30°. I can live with this. There isn’t much in the way of coral. The Seychelles are essentially granite outcrops in the Indian Ocean but the fish life was excellent. The second dive was on a rocky protuberance known as Booby, and yes – this means exactly what you think it does. Maybe it was because the first dive was so good, but I got the impression that this particular booby was sagging a bit. There was a big shoal of Bannerfish half way through but otherwise there was a lot less to look at than at Whale Rock. There was a large moray and a solitary Lionfish which got the dive guide quite excited, but anyone who has dived the Musandam or the Damaniyats would not have that impressed. The Booby perked up, right at the end. On the seabed were a couple of Oriental Flying Gurnards which are as peculiar as the Indian Ocean Walkmen we saw in Zanzibar. These have the same habit of walking across the sand rather than swimming. This also got the dive guide excited, this time I think with good reason. Day 2 dawned damp and overcast but still warm. This time we headed east to two dives sites known as White Rock and Ave Maria. The first of these was notable for some remora, two of which were attached to a turtle and a third that preferred divers. It followed the group around for half the dive. The second dive was another good one. More turtles, eagle rays and a couple of Cowtail Rays. There were also some more morays and right at the end some junior morays who looked as though they were yet to leave the nest. I don’t know enough about the life-cycle of morays to know whether this was the case. Day 3 was still damp but no problem. The last two dives were on Channel Rock and Low Channel Rock, situated about half way between Praslin and the neighboring island of La Digue. These were nice because they filled in the missing ingredients – creatures we’d been told to expect but had yet to see. These included several large Napoleon wrasse, some lobsters and four or five octopuses. Above are a couple of photos but you may detect the hand of the non-expert photographer (me). That was about it for the diving but there was still time for a couple of days each on La Digue and Mahé. Beautiful islands both, though very different. The most notable thing was the giant tortoises (pronounced tor-TOY-zez), the largest of which may be 100 – 150 years old. Interesting to think that the oldest of them were born when Victoria was Queen of Britain, Napoleon was Emperor of France, Bismarck was Chancellor of Germany and the Romanovs still ruled Russia. And finally: 406 exiles, Wimbledon branch, also known as Mike, Zulfa and Robin. Nice to see them looking well in pictures sent to our private mail blog; but is that tea they’re drinking? Sharjah Branch wishes them well and hope to see them again in the future.
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The Plan is to dive Mafia island which is just south of Zanzibar. Eid Al Adha this year is predicted as follows: Saturday 10th August – Arafat Day Sunday 11th August – Eid Monday 12th August – Eid Tuesday 13th August - Eid Therefore logically, we are looking at flying out on Friday 9th August, 3 core days of diving on 10th, 11th and 12th with a return on Tuesday 13th August for those who want to keep the trip within the Eid holiday. Of course, the option exists to extend the trip either forwards or backwards. Taking Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th as leave would give the full week which is worth considering for those who can spare the time (and money). Those coming from outside the UAE will have their own calculations to make. Accomodation / Dives Mafia Island Lodge, which is located directly behind the dive centre. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g317083-d654347-Reviews-Mafia_Island_Lodge-Mafia_Island_Pwani_Region.html DIVERS AED 645 per night including dives and food. - Shared superior room - 2 dives per day - Water in your room and during meals - Full Board meal plan - Complimentary tea & coffee service throughout the day - Airport transfers - Complimentary sunset cruise NON DIVERS AED 423 per night no dives but food. - Shared superior room - Water in your room and during meals - Full Board meal plan - Complimentary tea & coffee service throughout the day - Airport transfers - Complimentary sunset cruise Note: Half board or B&B may be available but we have no information about the eating options in the locality. - Equipment rental (USD 25 per person per day – no additional charge for tanks and weights) - Marine Park fees (USD 23.6 per person per adult) regardless of whether you enter the water or not Flights: Emirates return Dubai to Dar Es Salaam AED 1805 Outward Dep DXB 10.15 arrival DAR 14.40 Inward Dep DAR 16.45 arrival DXB 23.20 Above prices is from the Emirates website. Other sites such as Skyscanner may be cheaper. Dar Al Salaam to Mafia and back by light aircraft is slightly more complicated in that there is no single carrier ideal in both directions. For the outward trip, the best is Auric Air Services: https://www.auricair.com/ Dep DAR 16.45, Arr MFA 17.15, Price USD 122 one-way. For the return, the best is Coastal Aviation: www.coastal.co.tz/ Dep MFA 13.00, Arr DAR 13.30, Price USD 145 one-way. Note there is a 20kg baggage limit on the light aircraft plus 7kg hand luggage. You are responsible for booking your own flights and accommodation but please let us know what you have booked so we can liaise with the dive centre and hotel. Mafia – an offer you can’t refuse. Thanks to Brigitte for doing most of the research.  Welcome All, Slight delays over the last month or so with Dive Log updates. Members have been overseas on holiday or on business. It was nice however to visit the Musandam again. It rained quite a lot which was more than welcome in these dry hot climes. There were 17 divers in total from various parts of the world. Water temperatures are still quite cool so a good wet suit is still needed or even a dry bag if you feel the cold. The corals and fish life was very colourful. In the absence of a full report, please view the video below. We hope you enjoy as much as we did diving in these parts. Dive Club meet every Tuesday in the Dive Bar. |
Authors-Ian Hussey and Dive Club writers. Archives
March 2020
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