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Hotels, dive operators, gear, and how to get here are on the Mahé location page.
Overview
Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker, 211 meters long, lost on 1 June 1970 when she struck uncharted granite pinnacles off Mammelles Islet at 07:37 local time. With her engine room flooding and fuel oil pouring into the Indian Ocean, Royal Navy divers placed scuttling charges and helicopters lifted them clear seconds before detonation, sinking her on the spot to keep the slick off Mahé. The hull broke into large sections that lie in 24 to 30 meters across white sand, bow and stern still recognisable. Around the kingposts and inside the open holds you find resident giant moray eels, schools of oriental sweetlips and yellow snapper packed under overhangs, batfish drifting in pairs, eagle rays cruising past, and the occasional tawny nurse shark on the sand. The largest wreck in Seychelles waters.
Briefing note
Deep dive on a fragmented wreck. PADI Deep Diver or equivalent certification expected, and most operators want 30 plus logged dives. Nitrox extends bottom time. The site is exposed and the run out can be rough in the southeast monsoon (May to September), so trips often cancel last minute in those months. Penetration of the broken sections is not recommended due to collapsed plating and sharp steel. Nearest hyperbaric chamber is at Seychelles Hospital in Victoria.
What you'll see
7 species curated- year-roundGiant morayPeak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
- year-roundOriental sweetlipsPeak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
- year-roundBluestripe snapperPeak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
- year-roundBatfishPeak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
- year-roundSpotted eagle rayPeak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
- seasonalTawny nurse sharkPeak: Mar · Apr · May · Oct · Nov · Dec
- year-roundYellowmargin scorpionfishPeak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
Conditions
| Month | Water | Visibility | Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28–30 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Feb | 28–30 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Mar | 28–30 °C | 25–40 m | mild |
| Apr | 28–30 °C | 25–40 m | mild |
| May | 27–29 °C | 15–25 m | moderate |
| Jun | 26–28 °C | 10–20 m | moderate |
| Jul | 25–27 °C | 10–20 m | strong |
| Aug | 25–27 °C | 10–20 m | strong |
| Sep | 26–28 °C | 15–25 m | moderate |
| Oct | 27–29 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Nov | 28–30 °C | 25–40 m | mild |
| Dec | 28–30 °C | 25–40 m | mild |
Season calendar
Peak season highlighted · current month outlined
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