SUBIOS - (Sub Indian Ocean Seychelles) Diving in Seychelles

SUBIOS (Sub Indian Ocean Seychelles) Underwater Film and Image Festival was the brainchild of diving aficionado Mr. Philippe Blanchard.  In 1989, he together with Mrs. Maryse Eichler, Mr. David Rowat, Mr. Maurice Lousteau-Lalanne and a special committee put together a festival that would highlight Seychelles’ extraordinary marine world, showcase the islands as an ideal diving destination and also sensitise the local population to the beauty beneath the waves. Since that time SUBIOS has grown in stature, every year attracting filmmakers, photographers, journalists and ecologists from all over the world in a week-long celebration of Seychelles Underwater World. The festival includes not only photographic competitions but also features presentations by famous visiting speakers, SUBIOS dedicated events at hotels and a special schools programme to educate the nation’s youth concerning the beauty and fragility of the islands’ marine eco-systems. Over the years special guests special guests have included such names as Kurt Amsler, recognised as the "Grand Master" of underwater photography, Pierre Coton - one of the organisers of the Festival Mondial de de l'image Sous-Marine in Antibes, David Doubilet, a National Geographic magazine underwater photographer; John Boyle, Mark Shelley, Lawson Wood, Norbert Wu, who used to film with Howard Hall, as well as Piet & Karen Van ZyI from South Africa.   SUBIOS 2008 - 6th - 12th October 2008

Find out more about Diving in Seychelles Take a look at Cerf Island Resort's Diving Package Visit the official SUBIOS website

____________________________________________________ SUBIOS 2007 Highlights   The week of 19th to 25th March 2007 saw, for the 18th year in a row, the spectacle of SUBIOS, Seychelles’ own underwater photography and film festival.   This year’s theme of the festival was ‘Our Ocean Cousins’ referring to the order of Cetaceans – whales and dolphins – that were the subject of many a presentation and film show from both visiting and local guest speakers, film makers and aficionados of the underwater world.   As in previous years, SUBIOS was launched by the Republic’s Vice President, Mr. Joseph Belmont, whose opening speech was followed by public voting for the various entries in the film and image competition.   Throughout the week of SUBIOS, several local hotels hosted special SUBIOS-orientated soirées featuring film shows, presentations and special dinners, while the dive centres offered intro dives to school children.   The festival, so useful in the sensitization of the Seychellois youth towards the beauty and fragility of their unique marine heritage, once again provided a platform for their artistic talents in the annual creative writing and art contest.  It was also the venue for the second SUBIOS Man and SUBIOS Woman athletic competition that was contested over swimming, cycling and running legs.   SUBIOS 2007 also saw the second edition of the popular Virtual Treasure Hunt in which cryptic clues, posted daily in the Nation newspaper and correctly arranged in a free-form crossword puzzle, provided the winner of the competition with a cheque from Kenwyn House worth SCR 5000.   The popular SUBIOS village at Beau Vallon was the throbbing heart of SUBIOS throughout the final weekend, providing a special edition of Bazar Labrinn, musical entertainment, a starting point for boat rides, as well as various exhibitions and a fashion show.  At the festival’s grand finale on Sunday 25th March, the SUBIOS 2008 theme was announced ‘Wrecks as Ocean Habitats’, designed to coincide with the sinking of certain specially chosen vessels to provide habitats for marine organisms.