The 140km2 Lagoon is realy just spectacular... (but no Blue Lagoon though...)
Rare birds and bats galore...
this is the only place in the world you will find Aldabra fruit bat (Pteopus seychellensis aldabrensis)... We caught this juvenile as part of a genetics study, and released it. CUUUTTE!!!!!
The Lagoon
Here helping a french film crew in the lagoon. Aldabra's natural beuty is so highly regarded, it costs 2500EURO for visiting photographers/journalasits!
Indian Ocean Explorer
From Assumption, pictured here, we took the IOE boat (famous for flyfishing) to Aldabra, about 4 hours.
Tortoise
The landscape can be really diverse – and kind of reminds me of the South African bushveld. (except that there are no lions and HUGE tortoises everwhere…). Here is one on a saltpan...
The base
This is the view of some accommodation and the research block. The Base was built in the 60s, is very well equipped with satellite internet, generators, aircon, even a little shop, small vegetable garden, desalinizer (although we mostly drink rainwater) etc etc. very comfortable. We are about 16 personnel now, which includes a chef!
Dogtooth Tuna
Yea! I caught a 32kg, 119cm dogtooth tuna on a handline and have the blisters to prove it. We fish sustainably for food around the island, and it’s the only fishing allowed here and is closely monitored. Fish is eaten daily, so with my allergies it’s a bit of struggle sometimes!
Seabird
Base regulations state that a staff member needs to accompany visiting vessels, so I had to accompany the SeaBird, a large luxury schooner, for 3 days. I had to dive and snorkel and cruise and eat great food daily – it was terrible.
Green turtle
Here we are about to drag a mammoth Green turtle to the safety of the water, after she go stranded on some rocks while trying to lay eggs. This place is a turtle mecca, they are everywhere! I also did some turtle rodeo-ing, which is exactly as it sounds. You chase one down with a boat, jump on it and grab it, and thow it on the boat for measurements and tagging… Its crazy!
‘Upside Down’ Jellyfish
These guys photosynthesise in brackish pools inland, and have lost the ability to sting (similar to those found in Palau…). Very cool!
My porch
This was the view from my Porch, before I had to move, now Im a terrible 10m from the beach. (new digs are better, kitchen etc.) Note the blacktip sharks in the water!
Blacktip reef sharks
These guys are not really dangerous (one had a nip at me) and always hang around the base. I see them daily. Still, we don’t swim often…
Gato
‘Gato’ means ‘Cake’ and he is a habituated and friendly 150kg giant tortoise, likes to have his neck scratched. He often muscles himself into the little shop on the island, and has to be removed by something sweet, like a fruit some cake, hence the name!
Map
Aldabra is in the bottom left. Please note im about 1100km from the Seychelles most South Africans now (with hotels!).
Specifics on the Island
Aldabra Atoll is one of the outer lying islands in the Seychelles group. It is approximately 1150km southwest from the Seychelles capitol city, Mahé. It is 650km east of Africa, and 420km north of the northern tip of Madagascar. So yes, im in the middle of nowhere.
Aldabra is the largest raised coral atoll in the world. Its roughly oval shaped and consists of four main islands bordered by four main channels, surrounding a 140km2 lagoon. An estimated 1 million cubic metres of water drain in and out of the lagoon with each change of the tide. This creates a unique mixture of different wetland types…
Aldabra is unsurprisingly called a wonder of nature. It has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1982, and is managed a strict nature reserve with limited access to visitors. A research station established in 1971 still conducts long term monitoring on Aldabra. Its scientific importance can not be overstated - it provides a pristine baseline as to what an intact tropical island system can and should look like. Aldabra is a terrestrial endemic species hotspot, with 3 bats, 2 reptiles, 12 birds, an estimated 380 insects, and 13 plants endemic to Aldabra.
It has the largest population of giant tortoises in the world, the second largest colony of frigate birds in the world, the largest breeding population of green turtles in the Indian Ocean, and regular holds thousands of seabirds and wader species, both breeding individuals and migratory species. The intactness and sheer abundance of species in its coral reefs is simply without parallel in similar ecosystems.
Aldabra is designated as an Endemic Bird Area by BirdLife International, a Conservation Hotspot by Conservation International, a Global 200 marine and terrestrial eco-region by WWF and is an Alliance for Zero Extinction site. Google each term for more info….
Aldabra is the largest raised coral atoll in the world. Its roughly oval shaped and consists of four main islands bordered by four main channels, surrounding a 140km2 lagoon. An estimated 1 million cubic metres of water drain in and out of the lagoon with each change of the tide. This creates a unique mixture of different wetland types…
Aldabra is unsurprisingly called a wonder of nature. It has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1982, and is managed a strict nature reserve with limited access to visitors. A research station established in 1971 still conducts long term monitoring on Aldabra. Its scientific importance can not be overstated - it provides a pristine baseline as to what an intact tropical island system can and should look like. Aldabra is a terrestrial endemic species hotspot, with 3 bats, 2 reptiles, 12 birds, an estimated 380 insects, and 13 plants endemic to Aldabra.
It has the largest population of giant tortoises in the world, the second largest colony of frigate birds in the world, the largest breeding population of green turtles in the Indian Ocean, and regular holds thousands of seabirds and wader species, both breeding individuals and migratory species. The intactness and sheer abundance of species in its coral reefs is simply without parallel in similar ecosystems.
Aldabra is designated as an Endemic Bird Area by BirdLife International, a Conservation Hotspot by Conservation International, a Global 200 marine and terrestrial eco-region by WWF and is an Alliance for Zero Extinction site. Google each term for more info….
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