Praslin & La Digue · Seychelles · Pinnacle
Red Point
Granite boulders inside Curieuse Marine National Park
Area photo: Tobias Alt, Tobi 87 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Red Point sits at the southernmost tip of Curieuse, inside Curieuse Marine National Park, and is dived between 10 and 20 m. The site is built of gigantic granite boulders, some submerged and some still standing out of the water. Spotted eagle rays and whitetip sharks are the regulars, along with schools of yellowfin soldierfish.
Where it is and how deep
4.2772° S, 55.7459° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The dive is at the southern end of Curieuse, on ground made of big granite boulders: some are submerged, others break the surface and mark the site from the boat. Depth is 10 to 20 m across the whole of it, so the plan is horizontal rather than vertical. You work along and between the rock and stay inside recreational limits without having to think about it.
Spotted eagle rays and whitetip sharks are the sightings that make the site popular, and the fish holding on the rock run to schools of yellowfin soldierfish, Moorish idol and yellowbanded rubberlip. Hawksbill and green turtles, octopus and barracuda are logged on the same boulders. With the whole dive between 10 and 20 m there is time to work the gaps between the boulders slowly, which is how most of this is seen rather than by covering ground.
Background
Curieuse and the waters around it were declared the Curieuse Marine National Park in 1979, in order to protect the native wildlife. Red Point sits at the island's southernmost tip, inside that boundary, so the boulders here are dived as part of a protected area rather than as open coast.
Marine life and season
- Eagle rays
- Reef sharks
- Reef fish swarms
- Sea turtles
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Barracuda
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Good |
Season follows Praslin & La Digue: The southeast monsoon runs from May to September; the water is windiest and the visibility thinnest in July and August, while March, April and November log the clearest water.
Questions divers ask
Is Red Point inside a marine park?+
Yes. Curieuse and its surrounding waters were declared the Curieuse Marine National Park in 1979, and Red Point lies at the southernmost tip of the island, inside that boundary.
Sources
- Red Point dive site — Scubago
- Curieuse — Wikipedia
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