The DIVER Travel Planner

INDIAN OCEAN
Maldives
Marine life: Mantas, reef sharks, turtles, whale sharks, rays and superb soft corals with a rich diversity of marine life bring divers to the Maldives, though hard corals are now dead.
Type of diving: For beginners to advanced. Most dives are very close to the resorts and involve short boat trips. Diving is generally within the atoll lagoons for the inexperienced, and outside the atolls on reef walls for the advanced. Much of the diving is drift diving. Currents flowing into or out of the atolls increase plankton levels and make for great manta viewing. Live-aboards operate throughout the islands.
Major diving areas: The 80 islands open to tourism all have dive centres. Resort islands are on North and South Male atolls, Ari Atoll, Addu Atoll, Raa and Baa atolls, North and South Nilhandhe atolls, and Lhaviyani Atoll.
Cost: Moderate.
Seasons/climate: Hot tropical climate with two monsoon seasons. Diving is year-round, but monsoon winds in November/December and particularly May and June can make the sea quite rough. Plankton blooms from December to May reduce visibility but increase chances of seeing manta rays and whale sharks, especially in the east. Best times are June to October and December to March.
What to wear: Out of the water - light tropical clothing. In the water - lightweight wetsuit or Lycra suit.
Hazards: Normal reef hazards, including inquisitive surgeonfish, which can inflict nasty cuts with their razor-sharp tail barbs. Strong currents can make for demanding diving outside atolls.
Currency: The rufiyah Ł1=MR17.80 approx. US dollars are widely accepted.
Electricity supply: 220V.
Inoculations: Typhoid, polio and hepatitis A recommended.
Visa required: No.
Getting there: Direct charter flights to the Maldives take 10 hours. Scheduled flights go via Dubai and Sri Lanka.
Tipping: Officially discouraged.
Information: Maldives Tourism Promotion Board (00 960 32 3224). Website - www. visitmaldives.com.
Tour operators include: Hayes and Jarvis, Explorers Tours, Goldenjoy, Kuoni, Sport Abroad, Regal Diving, Maldives Scuba Tours, explor Dive the World, The Barefoot Traveller, Aquatours, Harlequin Worldwide, Scubaway, Sportif International, Divequest, Crusader Travel, Club Med.
Seychelles
Marine life: The Seychelles has more soft corals and fans than hard corals and has also suffered damage caused by El Ni–o. Reef life includes batfish, yellowfin tuna and teeming shoals of smaller fish, but divers might also encounter stingrays, turtles, sharks, groupers, snappers and whale sharks. World Heritage Site Aldabra has green turtles, tiger sharks, mantas and potato cod.
Type of diving: Diving for all grades in the inner islands. Most diving in the Seychelles is by boat, and much of it is on the characteristic granite rocks. Some islands, including Desroches, are coral with reefs, canyons and drop-offs. There are also some wrecks. Nitrox diving is available on the Indian Ocean Explorer live-aboard.
Major diving areas: There are about ten dive centres in the Seychelles, offering diving from the main island of Mahe, and other islands including Praslin and La Digue. Live-aboards dive islands including Aride, Desroches and Aldabra. Wreck dives include the tanker Ennerdale.
Cost: Expensive.
Seasons/climate: The climate is tropical. May to September brings the cooler and drier south-east monsoon, with strong winds and high seas in July and August. October to April brings the more humid north-west monsoon, and November to February often sees monsoon rain. Diving is year-round, but the best time is March to May and September to November, with calmer seas and clearer visibility.
What to wear: Out of the water - light tropical clothing. In the water - lightweight wetsuit or Lycra suit.
Hazards: Normal reef hazards. Very strong currents off Aldabra.
Currency: The rupee. Ł1=S Rs8.65 approx.
Electricity supply: 240V.
Inoculations: Typhoid, polio and hepatitis A recommended.
Visa required: Yes.
Getting there: Flights take 11-12 hours.
Tipping: Restaurant/hotel bills include a 10 per cent service charge, but it is not mandatory. Tipping is generally 10 per cent.
Information: Seychelles Tourist Office (0171 224 1670). Website - www.seychelles.uk.com.
Tour operators include: Hayes and Jarvis, Kuoni, Sunset Travel, Aquatours, Scuba Safaris, Silhouette, Somak Holidays, SARtravel.

Mauritius/Comores
Marine life: Mauritius has a fringing coral reef system with a diversity of marine life and drop-offs where divers can come face to face with pelagics including huge marlin. The Comores islands have plenty of hard and soft corals and sponges, as well as rays, barracuda, turtles and other species. Coral damage has occurred recently through climate changes.
Type of diving: Mauritius has shallow dives for beginners, and walls, rock formations, caverns and wrecks for the more experienced. Vertical walls, coral bommies and wreck-diving are on offer in the Comores.
Major diving areas: Most diving in Mauritius is on sites close to resort hotels off the south-west, north-west and east coasts. The Comores islands have a wide variety of dive sites.
Cost: Expensive.
Seasons/climate: Less tropical than the Seychelles, Mauritius has a warm climate, particularly January to April. Tropical storms are likely in the cyclone season, from December to March, and sea breezes blow all year, especially on the east coast. The Comores' climate is very warm and coastal areas are hot and humid from December to March, when most rain falls and seasonal cyclones can occur. January and February bring strong winds and rough seas. Best diving is from April to December.
What to wear: Out of the water - light tropical clothing. In the water - lightweight wetsuit or Lycra suit.
Hazards: Normal reef hazards.
Currency: Mauritius - the rupee. Ł1=Mre40 approx. The Comores - the Comores franc. Ł1=KMf729 approx. The French franc is also in circulation.
Electricity supply: 220V.
Inoculations: Typhoid, polio and hepatitis A recommended. Malaria risk.
Visa required: Yes.
Getting there: Flights to Mauritius take 11-12 hours. Flights to the Comores are not direct and can take 18 hours.
Tipping: Generally 10 per cent.
Information: Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (0171 584 3666). Website - www.mauritius.net.
Tour operators include: Kuoni, Sunset Travel, Beachcomber, Hayes and Jarvis, Somak Holidays.

Appeared in DIVER - June 1999