The Seychelles Minister for Tourism & Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sylvestre Radegonde, has announced the resumption of cruise ship activities in the country commencing August 2021.

The announcement was front page news in th Seychelles Nation. To read the full story click here.

The Greenpeace International vessel Arctic Sunrise has arrived at Port Victoria. After a crew change, the research ship will depart to conduct scientific research at the Saya de Malha Bank between Seychelles and Mauritius, before returning to Mahe at the end of March 2021. Mahe Shipping are serving the vessel as local shipping agent.

The purpose of this expedition is to collect information about the biological diversity present at the Saya de Malha Bank and to contribute to knowledge of the value of such sites for conservation. This will include mapping marine diversity of the region including sharks and whales by means of environmental DNA sampling. Seagrass meadows and coral reefs will also be studied.

The vessel M.V. Fugro Gauss has arrived in Seychelles to perform a survey prior to the laying of a new cable in north Mahe at a site yet to be selected. M.V. Fugro Gauss is a purpose-built hydrographic and cable route survey vessel, fitted with a bespoke infrastructure for both geophysical and geotechnical survey work. In addition to deep tow side scan sonar, magnetometer and high precision surface positioning equipment, the Fugro Gauss is the only commercial survey vessel with a hull-mounted  Innomar Deep 2000 system covering depths up to 6000 metres.

Pictured above, upon arrival Lynze Marimba, Head of The Agency Department of Mahe Shipping presented to Captain Andrej Kovaliov and Party Chief Mr Lennart of MV Fugro Gauss a copy of the book Seychelles, Ships and the Sea, a maritime history of Seychelles published in 2019 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Mahe Shipping Company.
 Full vessel particulars may be seen here.
A complete overview of the project is available here.
Pictured below is the survey area from Machabee (left) to Carana (right).

Mahe Shipping have donated one million rupees to the Seychelles Covid-19 Relief Fund Foundation.  The donation was made on behalf of the company on 21 January 2021 by Managing Director Joe Morin and Finance Director Caroline Cetoupe. The directors of the company were unanimous in their support for the government in tackling the current unprecendented crisis .

H Savy Insurance Co Ltd, in which Mahe Shipping holds 11.25% of the equity donated a further SR1,000,000.

As we enter the New Year, construction of new office and warehouse facilities which will house Mahe Shipping's operations is taking shape. The site is owned by subsidiary company Liquid Air and is conveniently located close to the New Port. Completion is scheduled for mid-2021.

Mahe Shipping staff celebrated Christmas Eve with awards to long serving staff handed out by Chairman Gerry Adam, Managing Director Joe Morin and HR Manager Bernadette Denis.

Pictured above recieivng their awards from top left to bottom right are Sandra Maria (5 years), Rebecca Tirant (5 years), Lynze Marimba (5 years), Rolly Caffrine (10 years), Vincent Remie (5 years) and Adrian Skerrett (40 years).

A special award also went to Gitanne Gendron, Mahe Shipping's longest serving member of staff. Mrs Gendron  joined the comapny in its infancy in on 1st September 1972.

Despite the restrictions and conditions imposed by the current Covid-19 crisis, Mahe Shipping continues to maintain the highest possible level of service in meeting the requirements of our clients. This is illustrated  by this series of photographs during the handling of this export to Durban.
Photos: Andy Gobine

The world may be gripped by pandemic. There may have been no cruiseship calls at Seychelles for more than 6 months. Indeed there may be virtually no cruiseships sailing anywhere on the high seas right now. However, this has not prevented Seychelles from being named the best cruise destination in the Indian Ocean for the umpteenth time. Perhaps it has been that way since the first cruise passengers passed through the islands more than 500 years ago? Of course, Vasco da Gama never landed.  But then, there were no shipping agents in those days.
For more details see Seychelles Nation 12 November 2020