Mason’s Travel staff shine at ocean race to mark 45th anniversary of Seychelles’ first marine park

Staff from Mason’s Travel had an excellent showing at the annual kayak race to commemorate the Ste Anne Marine Park, now celebrating its 45th year of existence.

About 35 participants took part in the race, ten of which were from Mason’s Travel. Participants started from Ste Anne Island, winding past the islands of Moyenne and Round before returning to the finish line.

Mason’s Travel sales representative Lester Underwood placed second, finishing in approximately 16 minutes. Other Mason’s team members paired up to finish fourth (Isabelle Antoine and Francis Aglae) and fifth (Herve and Nellea Anacoura), respectively.

Mason’s staff brought out their family, many of whom were children, to cheer on their colleagues aboard the company’s catamaran Indiana, where they enjoyed a Creole BBQ buffet.

The day out was not only important for Mason’s in recognising the marine park’s value to its business and Seychelles’ tourism industry at large, but also for its employees to re-connect with what makes the destination unique, said Mason’s PR, Branding and Communications Manager Nicole Saint Ange.

“This is a fantastic way for our staff to appreciate the surrounds that we so often sell, but can easily lose sight of from behind a desk,” Saint Ange said. “The aquatic side of our business remains just as important, if not more so, as when Mason’s Travel started its first Reef Safari in 1972.”

The Ste Anne Marine Park lies just a few kilometres from the main island of Mahé, a cluster of small granite islands connected by a network of reefs and some of the largest seagrass beds in Seychelles, providing vitally important habitats for a wide variety of marine species.

The area was designated as a marine park in 1973, and today no fishing is allowed within the park’s boundaries to ensure as little interference with its eco-system as possible.

The race winners will soon return back to the marine park, as Mason’s sponsored two tickets on its Reef Safari excursion as prizes.