Is Sainte Anne Marine Park the Best Mahé Snorkeling Trip?

What I learned from a Seychelles island hopping & snorkeling boat excursion at Sainte Anne Marine National Park from Mahé.

I was in search of the best snorkeling spot from Mahé Island in the Seychelles. So, I booked a boat excursion to Sainte Anne Marine National Park. I was told that this area has the richest marine life, being home to over 150 species of fish and other magnificent underwater life.

This park is also home to Moyenne Island and Round Island, which made me pull the trigger.

In this guide, I’ll unpack everything you need to know about a Sainte Anne Marine National Park tour and provide a review to help you find the best boat trips and learn what to expect.

Quick Things to Know About Sainte Anne Marine National Park

The Sainte Anne Marine National Park is a protected area on the east coast of Mahe Island in the Seychelles. Here are some things to know:

• It was the first Marine Protected Area set up in the West Indian Ocean (March 1973).
• The park is located directly across from Victoria and Eden Island.
• The Sainte Anne Marine Park is a network of six islands where you can enjoy snorkeling, wildlife viewing, hiking, and relaxing in crystal clear water.
• The best islands include Ste Anne Island, Ile Moyenne, Ile aux Cerf, Chachée Island, Ile Ronde (Round Island), Ile Longue (Long Island)
• Unfortunately, due to the El Nino (el niño) weather event in the Western Indian Ocean dating back to 1998, 90% of the Seychelle’s corals have been bleached. Today, much of the coral reef is still recovering.
• Luckily, there is an initiative to restore the coral reefs of Sainte Anne Marine Park called the MCSS Coral Restoration Program. This program continues to see great results and has seen a 10% increase in coral cover, fish density, and diversity in the marine park since starting.

Review: Is Sainte Anne Marine Park the Best Snorkeling Spot in Mahe

The boat trip that I went on visited many of the islands and stopped at several coral snorkeling sites. From my experience, the Sainte Anne Marine National Park tour is the best snorkeling experience you can have in Mahe, and perhaps even among all the inner islands of the Seychelles.

The first spot on our Mahe snorkeling tour was a stretch of coral reef on the west side of Cerf Island (pronounced “surf”). I spent about 30 minutes free-diving and exploring the underwater world, with some of the deeper sections of the reef sitting at approximately 10-12 meters.

Something that really gave me a positive outlook was that the deeper coral patches were much healthier. The abundance and diversity of fish and marine life was also quite impressive!

Yes, I recommend visiting this marine park if you want to see healthy fish populations and corals. Below are some photos that I took snorkeling in the Sainte Anne Marine National Park so you know what to expect on your tour.

Visiting Moyenne Island On the Snorkeling Trip

The second port of call on our island hopping day trip was a visit to Moyenne Island. This particular island has a turtle breeding program, several hiking trails, and a unique history.

The island is roughly 9.9 hectares, or 24 acres in size, and has historically been a private island. The most notable occupant and owner was the very famous Mr. Brandon Grimshaw.

This unmarried life terraformed Moyenne Island, bringing in several fruit trees and native flora to serve as his private oasis. Interestingly, Mr. Grimshaw also brought several Aldebra Giant Tortoises onto the island, most of which are still alive.

Today, Moyenne Island is part of the Sainte Anne Marine National Park, but Mr. Grimshaw’s history is painted all over it. We spent a fair bit of time exploring the hiking and nature trails to some great viewpoints, learning about the island’s history at the on-site history museum, and admiring all of the diverse plants and animals that call the island home.

There are also some beautiful secluded beaches on Moyenne that rivaled some of the most famous Mahe beaches like Anse Major.

Before we ramped up the boat engines and continued on the Mahe snorkeling tour, we had time to enjoy an amazing traditional Creole BBQ lunch, prepared by our boat driver and guide.

Below are some more photos that I captured on Moyenne Island.

Visiting Round Island

After Moyenne Island, our boat driver took us to a couple more great snorkeling spots.

While turtles are often seen cruising by, I wasn’t fortunate enough to spot one on my visit. However, I did see many more fish species and a huge school of sergeant major fish, as well as batfish and other varieties common to coral reef systems in the West Indian Ocean.

Before finishing up the marine park excursion, we made a final stop to Round Island (Ile Ronde). This is a tiny island which you can actually stay on.

Staying in the Sainte Anne Marine National Park

Those on a honeymoon or looking for the ultimate private island getaway should seriously consider staying at the Sainte Anne Marine National Park.

The best-rated private island resort is called Ja Enchanted Island Resort on Round Island.

Since I was just visiting the region on a one-day snorkeling trip, I didn’t stay at the resort. However, I was able to get a peek at some of the facilities, and let’s just say they blew me away!

Below are some more photos from my boat trip.

I hope that my experience and short review on the Mahé boat snorkeling tour to Sainte Anne Marine National Park in the Seychelles has inspired you to embark on your own trip.

Also, if you have any questions or updates regarding snorkeling in Mahe, the marine-protected park, or travel in the Seychelles in general, please leave a comment below!

Otherwise, while you’re here on my blog, make sure to check out some of my other helpful guides below.