Outer Seychelles · Seychelles · Reef · Wall
Napoleon
Deep crevices at 16 to 30 m with hammerheads on the drop-off
Area photo: Bennet Gevers · CC BY-SA 4.0
An open-water reef 15 minutes from the Alphonse jetty, dropping between 16 and 30 m. Deep crevices and large coral formations hold nurse sharks, octopus and heavy schools of emperor and snapper, while hammerheads, whitetip reef sharks and silvertips patrol the drop-off alongside.
Also known as Napoleon Reef.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Outer Seychelles and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
Napoleon is an open-water reef rather than a fringing one, and it sits between 16 and 30 m. The structure is the point: many deep crevices cut into large coral formations, so the dive is spent working along and into them rather than following a single contour. Tawny nurse sharks and octopus hide among the coral, both easy to swim straight past.
The reef fish here are in numbers. Emperor and yellowspot emperor swim around in abundance, with humpback unicornfish and bluelined snapper over the coral, and giant sweetlips and bumphead parrotfish among the larger residents. Napoleon wrasse work the same ground, along the coral and out towards the edge of the reef.
The drop-off is where the dive changes character. Hammerhead sharks, whitetip reef sharks and silvertips patrol along it, so it is worth spending part of the dive facing out into the blue rather than down at the coral. Keep an eye on depth while you do — the reef reaches 30 m and it is easy to drift deeper following something out over the edge.
Marine life and season
- Hammerheads
- Reef sharks
- Napoleon wrasse
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Prime | Prime | Good |
Season follows Outer Seychelles: Oct–May is the season with Mar–Apr and Oct–Nov calmest between the monsoons; the lodge closes for part of the year.
Know before you go
- The reef reaches 30 m and the drop-off falls away beyond it, so watch depth and gas when following sharks out over the edge.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Napoleon dive site?+
The reef lies between 16 and 30 m, with the drop-off falling away beyond that. It is an advanced-level profile rather than a shallow reef dive.
How far is Napoleon from Alphonse Island?+
About 15 minutes by boat from the Alphonse jetty.
Sources
- Scuba Diving Alphonse Island in the Seychelles — Scuba Diver Life
- Beneath the Blue: Unforgettable Dive Adventures on Alphonse Island — Blue Safari
More dive sites in Outer Seychelles
Pinnacle
Three pinnacles topping out at 15 m beside an open drop-off
Reef
Schooling snapper, jacks and barracuda off Bijoutier
Reef
A cleaning station at 13 m working the eastern end
Pelagic & blue water
The area's best odds on manta rays and green turtles
Wall
Alphonse's macro wall, all of it inside 16 m
Similar dives elsewhere
Coral slopes and a vertical wall between 5 m and 30 m
House-reef wall with caves, table corals and a canyon
Hard coral gardens from 6 m to a 20 m drop-off
A shore entry in the marine reserve, 4 m to a small drop-off