Ever popular with the diving fraternity is the beachside bar at the Coral Strand Hotel, Beau Vallon, which has one of the finest sunset views in the Indian Ocean. For a taste of the local Kreol cuisine, the Marie Antoinette restaurant just outside Victoria is famous for its set meals, while most divers who just can't get enough of fish seem to end up at the Boat House at Beau Vallon for at least a couple of their table d'hote fish dinners. The wreck of the Ennerdale is an alluring dive midway between the main island of Mahe and Praslin, the second largest in the group. This British Royal Navy Auxillary Tanker was laden with fuel oil when she struck an uncharted rock in June 1970, sinking in 30m of water. Having been severely blasted by the Navy to reduce her profile as a hazard to shipping, she has become a magnet to marine life of all types.
Most dives are on the stern of the vessel, which is relatively intact.
Closer towards the northern end of Praslin, a set of granite pinnacles just break the surface. These are Trompeuse Rocks. Too far from both Mahe and Praslin for land based operations to visit, they harbour an impressive diversity of marine life, including stingrays and reef sharks. This is a comfortable dive in calm conditions, to a maximum depth of 23m. However, in any sort of swell, the granite reef shreds the surface into a white maelstrom which the schools of fusiliers, mackerel and jacks seem oblivious to.