Silhouette Island Diving — Seychelles
Silhouette Island's granite boulders create dramatic underwater topography unique to the Seychelles, with swim-throughs and overhangs draped in soft corals. The island is 93% national park, and its reefs show strong recovery from the 1998 bleaching event. Whale shark encounters peak during the inter-monsoon transitions.
- Score
- 64.3 / 100
- Country
- Seychelles
- Region
- Indian Ocean
- Area
- Inner Islands
- Nearest airport
- Mahé (SEZ) then boat
- Visibility
- 12–28 m
- Water temperature
- 25–30 °C
- Max depth
- 35 m
- Current strength
- moderate
- Dive types
- reef, wall, granite boulders
- Best months
- March, April, May, October, November
- Minimum certification
- Open Water
- Access type
- boat
- Average 2-tank dive cost
- $140 USD
- Budget tier
- luxury
- Key species
- whale shark, hawksbill turtle, batfish, Napoleon wrasse, moray eel
- Google rating
- 4.6 (48 reviews)
- Top operators
- Silhouette Cruises Diving, Blue Sea Divers
- Nearest hyperbaric chamber
- Victoria Hospital, Mahé (~20 km)
SCORE
-4.4800°N
55.2400°E
Silhouette Island's granite boulders create dramatic underwater topography unique to the Seychelles, with swim-throughs and overhangs draped in soft corals. The island is 93% national park, and its reefs show strong recovery from the 1998 bleaching event. Whale shark encounters peak during the inter-monsoon transitions.
Seychelles' Untouched Granite Diving
Score breakdown
Click any score to see a detailed breakdown
Marine Life
72.0Species diversity, megafauna encounters, reef fish abundance, macro life, and endemic species.
Dive types
Traveling with non-divers?
Your non-diving travel companions will find plenty to enjoy topside while you're underwater. Here are some activities to consider.
Activities for non-divers
Nearby cultural sites
- La Passe village
- Dauban Plantation ruins
Non-diver score
Good topside options for non-diving companions.
Safety & emergency
Boat to Mahé (45 min); chamber at Victoria Hospital
Top operators
Silhouette Cruises Diving
PADI
Blue Sea Divers
SSI
Silhouette Island in Seychelles scores 64.3/100in OkToDive's 12-category data-driven rating. Best for reef diving with 12–28m visibility and 25–30°C water temps. A 2-tank dive costs ~$140 USD. Peak season: March, April, May.
Last updated: 2026-05-25
Who should dive here
Best for
- + Divers who prioritize reef diving
- + Anyone visiting Indian Ocean for the first time
- + Groups seeking 10+ named dive sites in one area
Skip if
- − You don't have Advanced certification
- − You're on a tight budget — avg $140/dive
Verdict
Choose Silhouette Island over similar Indian Ocean destinations when crowding matters more than getting there
How Silhouette Island compares
| Site | Score | Visibility | Cost/dive | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silhouette Island | 64.3 | 12–28m | $140 | reef, wall |
| Maldives | 78.8 | 15–40m | $150 | channel, reef |
| North Malé Atoll | 77.1 | 15–40m | $130 | reef, channel |
| Baa Atoll | 74.9 | 12–35m | $150 | reef, channel |
| South Ari Atoll | 74.8 | 15–40m | $140 | reef, channel |
What your dive shop won't tell you
The minimum certification printed on a brochure is the legal floor, not the honest recommendation. Here's what we actually think you should bring to this site.
Below this we'd send you somewhere easier first.
“Accessible to most certified divers with basic open water skills.”
What will challenge you
- →Moderate currents. Expect to drift — this is not a skill-builder site for a first trip after certification.
- →Recreational limit of 40 m is reachable here (max depth 35 m). Gas planning and NDL tracking matter.
What will surprise you
- →Thermoclines can drop water temp by 5°C between the surface and depth. Your wetsuit choice should match the minimum, not the average.
When to dive it
Every dive shop gives you this briefing at 7am. We just wrote it down. Tidal dependency: slight. Optimal window: First light to 11am for best visibility..
- Vizhigh
- Currentmoderate
- Crowdlight
- reef exploration
- photography
Best light and calmest conditions before afternoon wind picks up.
- Vizmoderate
- Currentmoderate
- Crowdmoderate
- drift diving
- second tank
Wind chop can reduce viz. Still diveable but morning is better.
Dive forecast
Realistic conditions by month. Viz ranges are what you should actually expect, not best-case marketing numbers. Confidence % is the share of days that match this profile historically.
| Month | Viz (m) | Temp (°C) | Current | Sea | Rain | Confidence | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20–28 | 28 | Mod | Calm | Light | 70% | reef fish active, peak season crowds |
| Feb | 20–28 | 28 | Mod | Calm | Light | 70% | reef fish active, peak season crowds |
| Mar | 20–28 | 28 | Mod | Calm | Light | 70% | reef fish active, peak season crowds |
| Apr | 20–28 | 28 | Mod | Calm | Light | 70% | reef fish active |
| May | 20–28 | 28 | Mod | Calm | Light | 70% | reef fish active |
| Jun | 12–20 | 29 | Mod | Mod | Wet | 70% | reef fish active |
| Jul | 12–20 | 29 | Mod | Mod | Wet | 70% | reef fish active, manta season |
| Aug | 12–20 | 29 | Mod | Mod | Wet | 70% | reef fish active, manta season |
| Sep | 12–20 | 29 | Mod | Mod | Wet | 70% | reef fish active, manta season |
| Oct | 12–20 | 29 | Mod | Mod | Wet | 70% | reef fish active |
| Nov | 20–28 | 28 | Mod | Calm | Light | 70% | reef fish active |
| Dec | 20–28 | 28 | Mod | Calm | Light | 70% | reef fish active |
Photography brief
Subjects are only half the shot. A perfect macro site is useless in a three-knot drift, and a wide-angle dream is useless at 35 m with a murky ceiling. These are the conditions, not the hype.
Recommended kit
- →Wide-angle or fisheye (8-15mm range), dual strobes for close-focus wide angle
What this site will teach you
The dives that made you a better diver are the ones that made you uncomfortable for the right reasons. Here's what this site will quietly train you for.
Deep diving comfort
advancedRegular dives past 30m build confidence at depth.
7-day trip, per person
Rough ranges anchored to existing regional data — not booking quotes. Land-based trip, standard breakdown.
Hostels, shore diving, cheap eats
- Flights (RT from US)
- $1,150–$1,450
- Accommodation / day
- $100–$180
- Diving / day
- $120–$140
- Food / day
- $40–$80
- Transfers + misc
- $50–$150
3-star hotels, standard boat ops, mix of restaurants
- Flights (RT from US)
- $1,700–$2,100
- Accommodation / day
- $220–$400
- Diving / day
- $140–$180
- Food / day
- $90–$160
- Transfers + misc
- $50–$150
Top resorts or liveaboards, premium operators
- Flights (RT from US)
- $2,500–$3,100
- Accommodation / day
- $500–$1,000
- Diving / day
- $180–$240
- Food / day
- $180–$350
- Transfers + misc
- $50–$150
Budget decision guide
Choose Budget if you prioritize dive count over comfort — hostels and shore diving maximize bottom time per dollar. Choose Mid-range for the best balance of comfort and value — most divers land here. Choose Splurge for premium operators, private guides, and top-tier accommodation — worth it for special trips or non-diving partners.
Flights priced round-trip from a major US hub. Figures are per person on a shared room. Solo travelers add ~30% to accommodation.
Build a trip around it
Most divers fly across the world for one destination and don't realise another worth-it site is 90 minutes away. Here are the honest pairings.
- Mahe & Praslin64.2Seychelles
Same country, easy to combine into one trip.
- Aldabra Atoll66.2Seychelles
Same country, easy to combine into one trip.
- Maldives78.8Maldives
Regional neighbour with a different dive type. Worth the extra flight if you want variety.
- North Malé Atoll77.1Maldives
Regional neighbour with a different dive type. Worth the extra flight if you want variety.
- Baa Atoll74.9Maldives
Regional neighbour with a different dive type. Worth the extra flight if you want variety.
- South Ari Atoll74.8Maldives
Regional neighbour with a different dive type. Worth the extra flight if you want variety.
Best dive types here