Dive Shop 4 x 4 under maintenance

Our works vehicle was looking very sad for itself and was in desperate need of a lot of care and attention at the garage !!  So when I said  ' lets get rid of all the rust   during this years service ' I am not so sure I expected this :

They have removed the back pick up  section

they have removed doors, seats, bonnet ..............it seems as though if it can be removed  then it has come off!!

So in a few weeks time we will have what looks to be a new vehicle ........ and minimal maintenance for a year or two!

Happy Easter to everyone

It was a busy day at the Dive Centre today ......Easter weekend is upon us and we had 3 boat departures this morning;
 Boat 1  with advanced divers went to the long distance dive sites of Dragons Teeth and Brissiare Rocks

Eagle rays are very common on many sites

Dive Master and yellow snapper at Brissiare rocks

Dive Boat 2 went to Twin Barges wrecks and Bay Ternay Marine  National Park as a special  request  from  Naomi and Kevin 



Diver along side one of the twin barges

 

Dive boat 3 was a special request for 1 dive on the bay of Beau Vallon  by a family newly certified as SCUBA divers

 

Blue damsel fish

sea cucumber

common lion fish

Hawksbill turtle and divers

A great dive day was had by all . In the afternoon we went back to the Bay Ternay Marine Park with several snorkeling enthusiasts and a few divers .

Tamara is completing her Navigation specialty

different ways to hold the compass

Dive 2 is completing several  distance swims with different patterns ......square, rectangle, triangle

 

We love our bugs

 Just had to take a photo of Mr. Stick the Stick insect . He seem to think he is invisible but I have to tell him he is not!!

There are several different types of stick insect .....some red like this one , some green and some light cream  

Reef Diver HC 239 gets a face lift

Every year we have to put out boats up on the slip and do repairs and maintenance. currently Reef Diver  HC 239 is  the boat on the slip. HC 257 has just come down and is now fully operational.
 It should not be long till  239 is ready

We repaint, repair  frame work  and seats .......she is looking good

Dive Shop pet

 Daily I find this little skink in the Dive Centre hiding  on top of the credit card machine or inside paper work or just sitting on a shelf.  He really does seem to have adopted the Reception area

 The machine has a low heat radiating from the surface............obviously this guy likes a warm tummy

Perfect day on Beau Vallon beach 22-03-2016

 The sun has been shinning since 6am and Beau Vallon Beach is just perfect.
 2 boats went out for dives today.
 * Dive Boat 1 with advanced divers to the Ennerdale Wreck and Mushroom Rocks .........2 longer distance dive site  by a special request form  repeat divers. Maureen and Markus.
* Dive Boat 2 did 2 easy shallow dives with students  on Aquarium and Coral Gardens .lots of fish and great corals.

So everyone was happy .

Perfect day on Beau Vallon beach looking North from the Dive Centre

Beau Vallon Looking south from the Dive Centre. Perfect conditions for a longer distance dive site

Boat ride to Ennerdale Wreck

typical wreck dive with large propellers


 

Sunglasses with attitude

Today |I saw the best pair of sunglasses with a definite attitude ...just had to take a picture

I think they are amazing!!!

Beach wedding party

Today is Sunday 20th March and there is a wedding planed  by Berjaya on the beach outside of the Dive Centre .  Luckily times are planned to miss out the divers going to the boat or returning from the boat !!!

Palm tree leaves mark the  exit to  the beach

Last of the divers on their way to the boat before the bride arrives!!

PADI Rescue class over the weekend

This Friday and Saturday we ran a PADI Rescue Diver class......fantastic weather and conditions made practicing the exits  and carrying the unconscious diver a little easier!!

International School Seychelles snorkel class

 It is the end of term and the last of the Jr. Snorkel classes. When asked ;;What do you want to see?'' the answer was '' Shark and Turtle'' .   never a guarantee so see photos attached !!

Say HELLO to the Seychelles Aldabaran tortoise

you will find a tortoise is often kept as a pet in many Seychellois gardens . You will find them printed on local currency. Tortoise are a big  part of Seychelles heritage

Meet Dennis face to face

Friendly and gentle giants

Calm seas and good visibility

We are having great dive conditions at the moment.....calm seas warm waters and good visibility .just like the holiday brochures predict!!  Still having afternoon  rain .short and sharp but it is still the tail end of  the rainy season.

See some wonderful photos 

Spanish Dancer with cleaner shrimp......look closely!

Octopus...very common in Seychelles

Hawksbill turtle .. the most common turtle in the inner islands


 



Returning divers after a great dive

Water sports activities available at the Berjaya Resort

The Underwater Centre - Dive Seychelles is based in the beach fronted grounds of the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Resort  just behind the hotel Bistro / Pizzeria Restaurant . On the other side of the hotel grounds you will find the Water Sports Centre  and Paragliding is one of the things you can enjoy . I quickly snapped these photos of the adventure.

 High in the sky  on a tour around Beau Vallon Beach

Coming in for landing

A shallow water wet landing with the boat on his way to pick you up

No new wreck for divers!!

See below a comment received about the ship wreck:
 

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Accidents happen !!":

Longliner in the Seychelles stranded:
(09:03:16) The South Korean fishing vessels "Oriental Kim" 102 GT (IMO Nr .: 7827495), ran on the morning of 9.3.L'ilot ', Glacis, on the north coast of Mahé, the main island of the Seychelles, due. He was traveling with 700 tons of fish to Port Victoria, when he ran to the bow on the rocks and lay down on the port side. The Coast Guard was alerted at about three o'clock.
All valves were sealed for the case of ammonia leakage. Captain and Chief pumped the diesel from the front tank to the inner tank. There were a total of 250 tonnes on board, whose barges for the Coast Guard has the highest priority. An oil boom was designed. The bulbous bow of Longliner had taken apparent harm, the tail was still over clear water.

Source: Tim Schwabedissen

Thanks Tim.  I can tell you that the ship has been removed safely from the rocks and towed away by  Port Victoria Tug Boats.  We all assume it is on  its way to dry dock for repairs  .

Dive Master trainees must know the Recreational Dive Tables ( RDP's)

When taking people diving it is essential that you know the time and depth limits and extra rules and regulations that apply .. Roberta is no exception   and exams are coming soon

DM Ro doing a final check before taking her exams

The three Musketeers

It is  such a wonderful photo  of the  3 Dive Mater trainees

Accidents happen!!

Arrived at the Dive Centre  with the sun shining and the skies blue ........a wonderful day  and a wonderful view of Beau Vallon  Beach BUT not so for everyone it would seem.
 At north point just across from the  dive site of L'Ilot  Island a Long Liner Tuna fishing vessel had run aground.......Ooops!!

Heaven knows how  they managed  to do this...???  but maybe we  will have another wreck site soon??

Happy customers

Dear Glynis & Team,

We Are back in Switzerland, back in the cold Winter and back at work... But still we remember the Great vacation on your Island...

We wanted to Thank you for the Great Time we had. We felt very Save around your competent Team. Thanks to Sabrina for Teaching US so good.

And please give a Special Thank to Alex. She will be a fantastic dive instructor one day. She made Steven feel very comfortable underwater Even he was very Insecure in the beginning.

Have a Great Time...

Cheers Viviane & Steven 

Viviane  Duijf

Steven Duijf

Find the Fruit Bat

We have a very large Takamaka Tree outside the Dive Centre and the Fruit Bats love the  nuts that are now in season....so find the resting Fruit Bat

He is in there somewhere

Getting close?

 

Found Him!!