RFA ENNERDALE - Inner Islands
The RFA Ennerdale, a behemoth of a tanker, hit a submerged object and went down in 1970. She lies broken now, but what a dive. At 28 metres, it’s a site for advanced divers, no question, but the rewards are huge. We love descending onto the deck and seeing the sheer scale of the thing – 216 metres long, she just keeps going. The stern is our favourite part; you can often spot large groupers patrolling the propeller shafts, and the deck plates here are home to a vibrant community of scorpionfish and nudibranchs. We've seen schools of snapper circling the superstructure, and the occasional silvertip shark glides by in the blue. Exploring the open cargo holds gives you a real sense of the ship’s past, sunlight piercing through the rust-eaten metal, creating an almost cathedral-like effect. Visibility can vary, but on a good day, you get incredible views of the whole wreck, a metal mountain on the sand. It’s a proper wreck dive, a chance to really feel the history and see how marine life reclaims man-made structures.
- Location
- Inner Islands, Seychelles, Indian Ocean & East Africa
- Coordinates
- -4.497066, 55.521435
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 28m
Marine Protected Area: Mamelles
Best Time to Dive in Inner Islands
The warmest water temperatures in Inner Islands occur in April, averaging 30.4°C. The coolest conditions are in August at 26.6°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.7°C
- February: 29.0°C
- March: 29.8°C
- April: 30.4°C
- May: 29.8°C
- June: 28.5°C
- July: 26.8°C
- August: 26.6°C
- September: 27.4°C
- October: 28.3°C
- November: 29.0°C
- December: 29.1°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Inner Islands
- Albatros (reef)
- Albatros (reef)
- ALDEBARAN - 26m (wreck)
- Aldebaran Wreck (wreck)
- Aldebaran Wreck (pinnacle)
- Amoujie Maman
- Anse Petit Cour (muck)
- Anse Petit Cour (reef)
- Aquarium (reef)
- Aquarium (reef)
- Aride Bank (reef)
- Aride Bank (reef)
- ATERPE-ALAI - 17m (wreck)
- Auberge Reef (reef)
- Auberge Reef (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to RFA ENNERDALE
Marine Life in Inner Islands
Home to 184 recorded species including 156 reef fish, 8 hard corals, 6 sharks & rays, 5 sea snails & nudibranchs, 4 whales & dolphins, 2 other.
Notable Species
- Stripy (Katsuwonus pelamis) - Reef Fish
- Allison's Tuna (Thunnus albacares) - Reef Fish
- Kingston (Decapterus macarellus) - Reef Fish
- Bullet Mackerel (Auxis thazard) - Reef Fish
- Dorado (Coryphaena hippurus) - Reef Fish
- Bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) - Reef Fish
- Rainbowfish (Halichoeres hortulanus) - Reef Fish
- Salmon (Elagatis bipinnulata) - Reef Fish
- Blackspot Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus) - Reef Fish
- Silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) - Sharks & Rays
- Armed Squirrel-fish (Neoniphon sammara) - Reef Fish
- Threadfin (Chaetodon auriga) - Reef Fish
- Great Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) - Reef Fish
- Giant trevally (Caranx ignobilis) - Reef Fish
- Banded Toby (Canthigaster valentini) - Reef Fish
- Blue Surgeonfish (Acanthurus leucosternon) - Reef Fish
- Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) - Reef Fish
- Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Argus Grouper (Cephalopholis argus) - Reef Fish
- Blenny (Istiblennius dussumieri) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for RFA ENNERDALE
Based on average water temperature of 28.6°C, currents 11 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories