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The
Seychelles islands are a diverse group - the name alone is
exotic and romantic and conjures up images of palm trees,
white sandy beaches, crystal clear warm waters, coral fringed
atolls and tropical fish. The images prove to be a reality
when you fly into the archipelago just 40 south of the Equator.
Nestled
as they are in the Indian Ocean, the Seychelles escaped human
habitation until the early l8th century. Their oceanic isolation
has also accounted for a vast number of rare species of plants
amidst a lush vegetation. Many exotic birds also thrive under
the protection offered in the islands.General
Gordon (of Khartoum fame) described the Valles de Mai on the
island of Pralin as "the original Garden of Eden"
with the Coco de Mar as "the forbidden fruit".The
islands have been visited over the centuries by Arab traders
who used them for revictualling, and by several pirates, who
made the islands their base for attacking the rich merchant
ships which plied the Indian Ocean and East African routes.
It wasn't until 1770 when the first French colonists arrived
with their African slaves, that man started to make his impression
on the islands. The French were succeeded by the British who
made the Seychelles a separate Crown colony in 1903. The Seychelles
finally became and autonomous nation in 1977, following a
coup by France Albert Rene.Today
the Republic of Seychelles is an independent, non-aligned
nation with a unique combination of ethic affinities that
have unmistakably created a culture that is recognisable only
as Seychelles.
The islands are friendly and inviting, as are
the locals themselves, and the whole ethos is one of relaxed
contentment.The
coral reefs are fresh and of good structure - testimony to
the work of the local dive shops in organising anchorages
at specific sites to stem anchor damage. The submarine environment
is dominated in shallower water by sea grasses, soft and hard
corals and sandy bays. Most of the diving tends to be on submarine
granite and coral outcrops which are profuse with life.There
are some forty five varieties of coral and over 900 species
of fish. Many of the fish are typically Indo-Pacific, which
can be found from the Red Sea to Hawaii and all points between
These are squirrel fish, soldier fish and clown fish. The
Seychelles has three species of clown fish. The usual pelagics,
such as barracuda, tuna and jacks, are fairly common. Whale
sharks are seen regularly, and turtles are forever cruising
amongst the coral heads. The Seychelles are an ideal location
for a film festival and offer a wide range of photographic
sites for all levels of divers.Between
27 April and I May this year, the third annual underwater
film festival was held in the Republic of Seychelles.SUBIOS,
as it is known, is now internationally recognised as being
a major staging post for presentations of film, video, audio-visuals
and photographs.The
guest speakers at SUBIOS III were PIERRE COTON - one of the
organisers of the Festival Mondial de de l'image Sous-Marine
in Antibes - who presented the Indian Ocean Premiere of Luc
Besson's new film "Atlantis"; David Doubilet, a
National Geographic magazine underwater photographer, who
gave illustrated lectures on his travels; Mark Shelley, who's
video company excels in the underwater world; Lawson Wood,
who presented four audio-visuals on the Red Sea, Bermuda,
and the St. Abbe and Eyemouth Marine Reserve; Norbert Wu,
who has filmed with Howard Hall, gave a glimpse of the fantastic
creatures which inhabit the abyss; and Piet & Karen Van
ZyI from South Africa, who presented the underwater wonders
of Fiji.All
of the guest speakers also held continuous afternoon seminars
on various aspects of underwater photography for basic beginners
all the way through to using models, advanced techniques and
"pro tips". All lectures and presentations were
held to enable as much diving as
possible so that all participants could make the most of the
idyllic setting of the Seychelles.
The Coral Strand Hotel
provided an excellent backdrop for the staging of many of
the film presentations and also hosted the opening ceremony,
The Seychelles Underwater Centre is adjacent to the Coral
Strand, where most of the diving trips were coordinated.The
seminars and lectures were held in the Coral Strand Hotel
and Beu Vallon Bay Hotel, as well as the island of Pralin.
The premiere of Luc Besson's "Atlantis" was presented
in the newly opened Maison du Peuple, in the capital of Victoria.
This new conference centre hosts simultaneous translations
to all individual seats, 35 mm projection facilities and surround
sound PA system.As
well as the various presentations there was also an underwater
photography competition and with the top prize of a return
trip, all expenses paid, to SUBIOS W. It was keenly contested.Photographs
were shot on Fujichrome 100 ASA over a three day period and
each contestant was allowed two rolls of film from which to
choose five entries. There was also a video shootout competition.
Apart from the "splash-in" type of competition there
was also the chance to enter slides and video taken in the
Seychelles and these were judged separately.A
full programme of dives was organised by the Seychelles Underwater
Centre, so that all contestants would all be on the same dives
at some time during the festival, and to allow for a as varied
a selection of sites and photographs as possible.
The
open video competition was won by Karl-Heinz Sittlinger; second
was Werner Schutz; third was Leo Howers; and a special prize
went to Ray Gates.The
open pre-shoot 35 mm slide contest was won by BSoUP member
Pam Kemp. BSoUP members ANTHONY HOLLEY and JANET RIDDLESTONE
came second and third respectively.The
Festival shoot-out 35 mm slide contest had fourteen entrants
and was won by Anthony Holley. Anthony also took second place
and was a particularly popular winner. Anthony won a round
trip, all expenses paid, to SUBIOS IV. Third place went to
Dianne Beveridge of Canada and fourth place to Stephen Smithson
from the U.K.The
next SUBIOS Festival is scheduled for 28 - 30 April 1993.
Once again the Festival will feature the works of many of
the world's leading underwater film makers and hosts of special
seminars and workshops for those interested in the marine
environment. Special guests will include Kurt Amsler, called
the "Grand Master" of underwater photography.
For
details of tour packages, programmes and any other enquiries
regarding the festival, please contact:- SUBIOS IV, Ministry
of Tourism and Transport, P.O. Box 92, Victoria, Mahe, Republic
of Seychelles.
Reproduced from in
focus 45 August,
1992 |
