2000 Chapbook

Billed as 3000 miles from anywhere, this group of islands has been trying to promote itself to divers as THE place to see whale sharks, but this is unproven. From time to time live-aboards run to the out-island of Aldabra, which is reported to have excellent diving.... Island prices are high....

Indian Ocean Explorer,March 1999, Richard (loner@castles.com). Boat carries 14 divers and is the only one at Aldabra Atoll. Cousteau and National Geographic have been there and few others. World heritage site, no commercial fishing. Remote. 500 mile flight on an air taxi to Assumption, small piece of limestone just above sea level that is dominated by an emergency airstrip. They refuel the plane from 55 gal drums. Dive operation is among the best anywhere. Food better than expected. Boat is adequate, air conditioner works. Shallow hard corals are dead, fried by hot temperatures. Deeper hard corals, sea fans, and such are fine. Big critter place. Giant turtles everywhere. Top of the food chain: huge 400+ pound sea bass and huge sweet lips. Cod Hole potato cod in Australia are the same but not as large. Tropical Indian Ocean critters also well represented. On shore a biologist takes tourists to see the giant tortoises (many more than Galapagos), the frigates and boobies, and the flightless rail. My C card says 1974, I have been to a lot of places, this is one of the best. (Tel/Fax +248 61-6032375; Cellular +248 79-2228435)

Indian Ocean Explorer,March 1999, Michael Waring, Pulborough, West Sussex, UK. Vis: 40-100 ft. Water: 82-86 degrees. Terrible vessel. Described by owner as "Military Style." Would say "convict transporter to Australia" more apt. Food poor, service poor (except divemaster Basil), Diving great. Dives whole of the archipelago right down to Aldabra the world's largest Atoll. Channel dives on incoming tide into lagoon great, congregation of fish dramatic (schools of 3000 Batfish). Critters good. Exciting diving and glad I did it, but never again on that Rust Bucket. Would go again on decent boat. Lots of coral bleaching but didn't distract from quality of diving.

Indian Ocean Explorer,April 1999, Paul & Phyllis Becker (PHBecker@aol.com), Ankara, Turkey. Vis: 50-100 ft. Water: 80-82 degrees. Dive restrictions: 120 ft. 60 minutes. Having dived in the Maldives from a live-aboard 3 times before El Niño, we were disappointed to see the coral damage around Aldabra. Because the area is so remote, we expected tons of fish, many sharks, pristine coral, etc. It wasn't there. Maybe we were spoiled by the Maldives, as other well-traveled divers thought the fish life was better than any place they'd been. Saw turtles every dive, many sting rays, lobsters, huge groupers, one purple leaffish, Spanish dancers at night, cowrie and scorpion shells. Experienced being sucked into the lagoon at breakneck speed through Johnny Channel. What a rush! Visited the research station on Aldabra and saw the huge lumbering land tortoises, flightless rails and fruit bats. A/C sometimes too cold, even at setting. Crew works hard schlepping steel 100 tanks with our gear into the Zodiacs. Good food, free soft drinks, beer and wine available in evening. Could dive as many times per day as we wanted.