Snorkel and send: New underwater mailbox opens in Seychelles

Guests of the hotels and residents can now send a postcard from an underwater mailbox (Le Meridien Fishermen's Cove) 

(Seychelles News Agency) - Guests of Le Meridien Fisherman’s Cove Hotel and locals in Seychelles can now send a postcard from an underwater mailbox.  

A new snorkelling trail and underwater mailbox were introduced Monday. Snorkelers can also view an underwater gallery that houses the work of local artist Georges Camille.  

According to Romain Charnet, general manager at Le Meridien, the idea to develop the snorkelling trail started last year when he joined the hotel.

"I found this place amazing but the guests were not really enjoying it to the maximum, so we decided to promote this area and make sure that the guests can fully enjoy what it has to offer concerning corals and fishes,” said Charnet.

Le Meridien Fishermen's Cove hotel is located near the popular Anse Marie-Laure beach where the new snorkelling trail is found (Jude Morel, Seychelles News Agency)Photo License: CC-BY

Le Meridien Fisherman’s Cove hotel is located in the northern Mahe district of Bel Ombre next to the popular Anse-Marie Laure beach. The hotel has partnered with the Seychelles Marine Conservation Society to develop the trail under the ‘Unlock the Sea’ programme.

The snorkelling trail has five points of interest where guests can get up close to see the sea grass bed, corals and other marine species.

Since the public has full access to the beach, Charnet says the trail is open to them, and the hotel has made different packages for rental of snorkelling equipment and guided tours for residents.

The hotel is located on the coast of Bel Ombre in the North of Mahe. (Jude Morel, Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY

Kanishk Khullar, from New Delhi, India, was the first hotel guest to enjoy the wonders of the ‘Unlock the Sea’ snorkelling trail.

He has been on vacation with his family in the Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean, since last week.

“I have done snorkelling twice before but this is the first time I do it in the sea like this, and it was very interesting, and I put my postcard in the box so that was fun as well,” Khullar told SNA.

The hotel's general manager says that his staff are working on other marine projects with the assistance of the Seychelles Marine Conservation Society.

Charnet says they will launch a coral restoration project at the end of the year to educate their guests about the importance of sustainable development.