The Four Seasons Seychelles Resort has teamed up with the Marine Conservation Society of Seychelles to provide a programme that gives holidaymakers the opportunity to swim with whale sharks.
Tourists taking scuba diving holidays at the Seychelles resort will be able to book whale shark watching excursions where they will have the chance to swim and snorkel with the friendly giant creatures.
Whale sharks are filter feeding so they pose no threat to humans despite their huge size. The gentle creatures are most likely to be found in waters surrounding the Seychelles during September and October as they make their journey to the central west coast of Australia during their annual migration.
The MCSS will use MicroLite aircraft to track whale sharks on a daily basis and once spotted, the Fours Seasons recreation team will be notified, guests will be alerted and they will be taken out on a boat charter to the location where the whale sharks were spotted.
Seychelles is one of the few places in the world that you can spot whale sharks, so this is really a once in a lifetime opportunity to swim with them, explained Diarmuid Connolly, the Leisure Experience Manager. Sightings dont happen every day, so signing up to the programme is no guarantee of being able to see them, but the hard work of the MCSS means the prospect are increased. We will contact you if there is a sighting, so you can relax and enjoy the facilities of the Resort.
The Marine Conservation Society of Seychelles is a non-governmental organisation that includes a team of local scientists, ecologists and conservationists. The organisation works hard to improve the conservation of marine eco-systems through scientific, management, educational and training programmes within one of the most popular scuba diving destinations in the world.
The whale shark swimming excursions costs EUR 120, and the revenue raised goes to the MCSS to help fund their work and studies.
The Seychelles is a fantastic destination for scuba diving holidays and the island nation is home to an abundance of breathtaking natural landscapes including white sand, palm-fringed beaches; crystal-clear aquamarine ocean waters and lagoons; and lush green forests.
The beautiful archipelago of 115 islands is situated in the Indian Ocean, 900 miles east of Madagascar and while scuba diving in the Seychelles, tourists can catch sightings of magnificent whale sharks, Octopus, Spiny Lobster, Giant Grouper, reef sharks, Angel fish, butterfly fish, sea turtles and colourful coral reefs.