Epic mahé snorkeling boat trip to the Sainte-Anne-Marine National Park (2022)

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Complete Seychelle Island-Hüfführer to an unforgettable snorkeling trip by boat in Sainte Anne Marine National Park from Mahe. Discover the best snorkeling places on MAHE and explore island jewels like Moyenne Island and Round Island.

looking for the best snorkeling experience on the island of Mahé on the Seychelles. Do not seek more than a boat trip to Sainte Anne Marine National Park. This area has the richest sea life and houses over 150 fish species and other great underwater life, which makes it the best snorkeling area on Mahé.

In this travel guide, I unpack everything you would like to know about a tour of the Sainte-Anne-Marine National Park. I give tips on booking the best boat trips, which awaits you and of course photos of my trip.

#2 in 26 best activities in Mahé
Alt = "Island in the Sainte-Anne-Marine National Park">

MAHE snorkeling trip to Sainte Anne Marine National Park

The best way to get to Sainte Anne Marine National Park and enjoy a fantastic day with island hopping and snorkeling is to book a trip from Victoria.

Most island hop trips to the sea park usually start from Mahe Marine Charter. You can find this next to the Seychelles Yacht Club in Victoria. However, if you book a trip online, you will also receive the collection and return from and to the hotel from anywhere on the island of Mahé.

Most day trips by boat take a similar route and stop at several snorkeling spaces and islands, including:

  • Cerf Island Reef (various spots)
  • moyenne island
  • round island
Book

in advance: MAHE: snorkeling and boat trip
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The ultimate travel sare tour for the Seychelles

Looking for more Seychelle travel guides and inspiration? Below you will find my most comprehensive travel guides, who will serve as a great resource for your trip.

-50 activities on the Seychelles-Seychelle accommodation-18 Best beaches on the Seychelles-10 Best Islands on the Seychelles-15 Best Hikes on the Seychelles

About the Sainte-Anne-Marine National Park

The Sainte Anne Marine National Park is a nature reserve on the east coast of the island of Mahé on the Seychelles. It was the first sea protection area to be set up in the West Indian Ocean (March 1973). The park is located directly opposite Victoria and Eden Island.

The Sainte Anne Marine Park is a network of six islands where you can snorkel, watch wild animals, hike and relax in crystal -clear water. These arelands include:

  • ste Anne Island
  • ile moyenne
  • ile aux cerf
  • chachée island
  • ile ronde (round island)
  • Island Longue (Long Island)

Unfortunately, due to the weather event El Nino (El Niño) in the western Indian Ocean, which goes back to 1998, 90 % of the corals of the Seychelles were bleached. Today, a large part of the coral reef is still recovering. Fortunately, there is an initiative to restore the coral reefs of the Sainte Anne Marine Park called McSS Coral Restoration Program. This program continues to achieve great results and has a 10%increase in coral cover, fish density and diversity in the sea park since the beginning.
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best snorkeling in mahe

The Sainte Anne Marine National Park Tour is the best snorkeling experience that you can have on Mahe and maybe even on all inner islands of the Seychelles.

The first place on our mahe snorkeling tour was a coral reef on the west side of Cerf Island (pronounced "surf"). I spent about 30 minutes to dive and explore the underwater world, with some of the lower sections of the reef at about 10-12 meters.

something that really gave me a positive view was that the deeper coral spots were much healthier. The abundance and variety of fish and sea creatures were also impressive! Below are some photos that I took while snorkeling in the Sainte Anne Marine National Park so that they know what to expect on their tour.
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Alt = “Mahe Schnorkeltour, Sergeant Major Fish”>

Visit to the island of Moyenne

The second point of contact on our island shopping day trip was a visit to Moyenne Island. This special island has a turtle breeding program, several hiking trails and a unique story.

The island is about 9.9 hectares or 24 acres and was historically a private island. The most remarkable resident and owner was the very famous Mr. Brandon Grimshaw. This unmarried life Terraflagt Moyenne Island and brought several fruit trees and local plants to serve as his private oasis. Interestingly, Mr. Grimshaw also brought several ALDEBRA giant turtles to the island, most of which are still alive.
Alt = “Baby giant turtle on Moyenne Island, Sainte Anne Marine National Park, Mahé, Seychellen”>
Today Moyenne Island is part of Sainte Anne Marine National Park, but the story of Mr. Grimshaw is painted everywhere. We spent a lot of time to explore the hiking and natural paths to some great viewpoints, to learn something about the history of the island in the historical museum and to admire all the diverse plants and animals that are at home on the island.

There are also some beautiful remote beaches on Moyenne that compete with some of the most famous beaches of Mahe like Anse Major.

Before we continued the boat engines and continued the MAHE snorkeling tour, we had time to enjoy a fantastic traditional Creole BBQ lunch that was prepared by our boat driver and guide.

Below are some other photos that I took on the island of Moyenne.
Alt = “Beach on Moyenne Island, Sainte Anne Marine National Park, Mahé, Seychellen”>
Alt = “Insel Moyenne, Sainte-Anne-Marine National Park, Mahé, Seychellen”>
Alt = "Gräber on Moyenne Island"> Brandon Grimshaw, his father and a unnecessary pirate are buried next to each other on Moyenne Island
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Alt = “Fresh Creole BBQ on a Mahé boat trip”>
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Visit to Round Island

After Moyenne Island, our boat driver brought us to a few more great snorkeling spaces. While turtles often pass by, I was not lucky enough to see one during my visit. However, I saw a lot more fish species and a huge school of Sergeant major fish as well as bat fish and other species that are spread in coral reef systems in the West Indian ocean.

Before we ended the sea park excursion, we made one last stop on Round Island (Ile Ronde). This is a tiny island on which you can actually stay.
Alt = “Round Island, Ile Ronde, in Sainte Anne Marine National Park, Seychellen”>
Alt = “Fish on a snorkeling tour from MAHE”>

stay in the Sainte Anne Marine National Park

For those who are on a honeymoon or are looking for the ultimate private island vacation, you should definitely consider a stay in Sainte Anne Marine National Park. The best rated private Island Resort is called Enchanted Island Resort on Round Island.

Since I was visiting the region on a one -day snorkeling trip, I didn't stay in the resort. However, I was able to take a look at some of the facilities and just say that they blew me away!

Further accommodation for Mahé

mahe is the main island and home of Victoria, the capital of the Seychelles. It is the largest in the inner islands and has several great accommodation. Here is a short travel guide with some recommendations.

Complete guidelines: I have written a comprehensive guide for overnight accommodation on Mahé, which contains a breakdown of the best areas and fantastic resort and hotel recommendations.

  • Victoria and Eden Island for nightlife
  • Beau Vallon for beaches and restaurants
  • private islands for the ultimate island experience

Best selection

Best choice on Mahé: Eden Bleu Hotel (Eden Island)

The Eden Bleu Hotel is one of the best accommodations if you want to be near Victoria and Eden Island. It is an amazing modern hotel on the banks of the prestigious Yachthafen of Eden Island.

Visitors love the infinity pool, the clean, modern rooms and the world-class restaurant. I was in Eden Blue Hotel for 3 nights and it was my favorite accommodation on the Seychelles!
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Middle-class resort: Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Resort

This beautiful beach resort and casino combination offers elegantly furnished rooms with all facilities that you can only want. Here you will find a large pool, three restaurants, a pizzeria, a fitness center, a Padi diving center and a tennis court.

The location is great because it is located with many beautiful beaches and restaurants in the area away from Victoria's hustle and bustle.
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Budget studio for self-catering: Precious Residence

If you want to explore MAHE with a small budget, then accommodation with self -catering is the best choice. Precious Residence is an apartment with excellent reviews (9.5 /10) and offers budget apartments with free WiFi, air conditioning and a kitchenette on the Grand Anse (west coast).
Alt = “Precious Residence Self Catering Resort on the island of Mahé, Seychellen”>
Ultimate short vacation: yes Enchanted Island Resort

looking for the ultimate short vacation in the Indian Ocean? The yes Enchanted Island Resort is a flawlessly beautiful resort on a tiny private island at the foot of St. Anne Marine Park.

The villas in the French colonial style have a private infinity pool, a terrace with a panoramic view and a private footpath to the beach. If you are looking for a unique honeymoon vacation, this is your best choice.
Alt = “Yes Enchanted Resort, accommodation on a private island on the island of Mahe”>
Alternative: Stay on the mysterious island of Silhouette (Hilton).

alt = “Silhouette Island private resort, Seychellen”>

More photos of my mahe snorkeling excursion

Below are a few photos of my boat trip.
Alt = "Sainte-Anne Island, The Seychelles">
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Alt = “Moyenne Island, Seychelles”>
Alt = “Eden Island, Mahé”>
Alt = “Sainte-Anne-Marine National Park, Seychelles”>
Alt = “Mahé Sea Park”>

More Seychelle travel guides

I hope that my experience on a snorkeling tour on a mahe boat to Sainte Anne Marine National Park on the Seychelles inspired you to take your own trip. If you have any questions or news about snorkeling in MAHE, the sea protection park, or for traveling on the Seychelles in general, please leave a comment below!

Otherwise, while you are here on my blog, look at some of my other articles. I wrote in detail about traveling on Mahe, Praslin and La Digue, and I am sure that they will find something that inspires their adventures on the Seychelles.
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