A dive safari vessel operating in the Seychelles has sunk near the remote island of Marie Louise, with multiple people rescued and several others reported missing as authorities launch a search operation in the outer islands.
Authorities in the island nation confirmed that the dive vessel Galatea went down early in the morning near Marie Louise Island, part of the remote Outer Islands group southwest of Mahé. According to a report in Seychelles Nation, the alarm was raised shortly after 05:30 local time when the vessel was reported in distress.
Emergency services and maritime authorities responded to the scene, with rescue teams managing to recover several people from the water. However, early reports indicate that multiple individuals remain unaccounted for as search operations continue.
Initial information circulating from local sources suggests that two Swiss guests and one crew member may still be missing, although officials have not yet issued a final confirmed passenger list. As with many maritime incidents in remote locations, details are still emerging and authorities are working to establish exactly how many people were aboard the vessel when it sank.
The location of the incident highlights the logistical challenges facing rescuers. Marie Louise Island lies more than 250 kilometres southwest of the Seychelles’ main island of Mahé, placing it deep in the country’s Outer Islands region. The area is known among divers for its pristine reefs, pelagic marine life and remote expedition-style liveaboard trips.
The vessel involved in the incident appears to be the M/V Galatea, a sailing liveaboard that operated multi-day diving safaris around the Seychelles archipelago. According to vessel information, the yacht typically hosted small groups of divers exploring some of the most isolated dive sites in the Indian Ocean.
At the time of publication, the cause of the sinking remains unknown. Maritime authorities have not yet indicated whether the vessel encountered severe weather, mechanical failure, or another emergency that may have led to the loss of the boat.
Incidents involving dive liveaboards are relatively rare, particularly in the Seychelles where the liveaboard fleet is small and voyages are usually conducted with experienced crews familiar with the region’s remote waters.
For the global diving community, the story has already begun circulating rapidly across diver networks and social media as people seek confirmation of the events and updates on the fate of those involved.
Authorities in the Seychelles are expected to release additional information as rescue efforts continue and investigators begin piecing together what happened during the early morning hours off Marie Louise Island.
For now, the focus remains on locating those still missing and supporting survivors of the incident.
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