Denis and Bird Islands sit at the northern edge of the Seychelles Bank in the Indian Ocean, where the seabed at North Point drops sharply away to great depth. The sites here cover reef, drop-off, and seagrass habitats, with depths ranging from very shallow snorkelling water down to thirty-five metres, making them accessible to beginners and intermediate divers alike. Divers encounter green sea turtles, Napoleon wrasse, giant moray, bluespotted fantail ray, and a range of macro life including harlequin shrimp, robust ghost pipefish, and painted frogfish. Denis Island is a marine protected area, and the resident dive operator is based there. Conditions are calmest from October to April, which also brings occasional whale shark and manta ray sightings.
Monthly water temperature across Denis & Bird Islands's sites, from satellite sea-surface data corrected for depth. The band shows the site-to-site spread.
Water temperatures are warmest from March to May and coolest from July to September, when they sit a few degrees lower. The calmer season from October to April generally offers the most settled surface conditions and is the period most favoured for diving.
Water temperature around Denis & Bird Islands ranges from about 27°C in July to 30°C in March, based on satellite sea-temperature data for its dive sites.
With water around 27–30°C, a rash guard or 3mm shorty works in Denis & Bird Islands year-round.
Fin maps 7 sites in Denis & Bird Islands (2 scuba diving sites and 5 snorkelling spots).
5 more sites to explore
