ALDABRA AND THE ALDABRA TORTOISE

The Seychelles is home to Aldabra, the largest coral atoll in the world, and an endangered species in itself. The atoll is virtually untouched by humans - leaving it with some incredible Seychelles wildlife and fauna, where in particular reptiles thrive as the dominant species.  Among these reptiles is the grand old Aldabra Tortoise (above), which can weigh up to 135kg and recorded at up to 150 years old has outlived any human alive these days.

TURTLES

The Seychelles are nesting grounds for both Green and Hawksbill turtles that lay their eggs on the Seychelles beaches.  Green turtles lay all year round whereas Hawksbill turtles lay from August to February.  The eggs hatch at night and make their way to the ocean, but sadly only one in a thousand make it to adulthood.

COCO DE MER

The coco de mer (above, the largest in the coconut family) is a double coconut that can only be found on Praslin Island and Curieuse Island in the Seychelles. Its parent palm can be as old as 400 years, taking 40 years to produce its first coco de mer that according to explorers closely resembles a 'female's rump.' The coconut holds the record for the largest fruit recorded at 42kg and the mature seeds can weigh up to 17.6kg and are the world's heaviest.

DUGONG

There have also been very rare sightings of the Dugong (left), a large sea mammal similar to the manatee. The Dugong is the only strictly marine herbivorous mammal, giving it the nick name of the Sea Cow. According to folklore the Dugong is also responsible for tales of mermaids. Hundreds of years ago, sea tired sailors would notice the form of the Dugong from above the water and mistake its curves for those of a woman. The Dugong is actually a great grey bulbous mammal with a flat tail that's used to stand on when breathing.

Unfortunately, if you have any chance of spotting the Dugong, as with the Aldabra Tortoise, you should search the Aldabra Atoll, a huge trek from Mahé airport at 1,150km.  Some people charter yachts down to the islands and if you would like to find out more on how to reach the islands after your stay at South Point Villas please do get in touch!

GAME FISH

Game fish are plentiful - marlin, sailfish, kingfish, tuna, dorado, and barracuda among them; making the Seychelles a fantastic location for fishing too (something else we can organise for you!)

SEYCHELLES BIRDS

There are also plenty of fantastic opportunities for bird watching here in the Seychelles, with many endemic species such as the Aldabra Drongo and the Aldabra Rail. The Fatbirder website is a great resource with further information on bird watching in the Seychelles.

SEYCHELLES WILDLIFE

There is plenty of Seychelles wildlife to be seen across the archipelago with the likes of the Seychelles Flying Fox (a large fruit bat) and some 30 endemic species of reptiles, amphibians and birds.  Plus there is an enormous array of marine wildlife to see when snorkelling or scuba diving including manta rays, the occasional hammerhead shark, and the incredible and variable Nudibranch, a range of beautiful corals.

SOUTH POINT VILLAS

If you are a wildlife enthusiast and would like to come and see some beautiful Seychelles wildlife for yourself, South Point Villas have four totally private villas on Cerf Island in a fantastic secluded location.  Please do get in touch with us as we will be happy to accommodate you and help you wherever we can. We are happy to help organise your trip, and have links with trusted suppliers allowing us to put together the perfect Seychelles wildlife package for you.