Outer Seychelles

The Outer Seychelles islands extend hundreds of kilometres south and west of the granite inner islands, scattered across the western Indian Ocean as low coralline atolls and reef platforms. These are among the most remote inhabited or seasonally accessible island groups in the world. Three sites anchor the region for TideTurtle purposes: Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with 100,000 giant tortoises and 4-5 knot tidal currents through the passes; Alphonse Island, an exclusive resort atoll with world-class bonefish flats on a spring range of 1.5 to 2.0 metres; and Farquhar Atoll, a remote big-game fishing destination 700 kilometres southwest of Mahé. Tidal regimes vary across the outer islands. Aldabra experiences a spring range of 2.5 to 3.5 metres — exceptional for atoll geography — driven by the atoll's position in the Indian Ocean tidal wave path. The tidal currents through Aldabra's four passes are among the strongest in the Indian Ocean tropics and define the ecology of the lagoon, which covers 155 square kilometres. At Alphonse and Farquhar, the range is smaller (1.5-2.0m), but even moderate tides over shallow atoll flats create significant habitat transitions — the difference between ankle-deep water and knee-deep water across a kilometre-wide grass flat matters enormously for both fish behaviour and access logistics. Access to all three atolls is restricted or controlled: Aldabra by the Seychelles Islands Foundation (scientific permits only, no commercial tourism); Alphonse by the Island Conservation Society resort; Farquhar by charter vessel or occasional light aircraft. The Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) and the Seychelles Maritime Safety Administration (SMSA) are the national authorities. Open-Meteo Marine provides gridded predictions for TideTurtle pages covering the Outer Seychelles.