In a remote part of the Seychelles you will find an island so untouched by human influence that it seems like a garden of eden. Aldabra is an atoll  located in the Outer Islands of the Seychelles. Aldarbra is a raised coral atoll sitting 265 miles northwest of the northern point of Madagascar and 1150 km southwest of Mahé, the principal island of the Seychelles archipelago. Click below to read more about this fascinating island and its unique life forms.

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The atoll is the second largest in the world after Kiritimati. It is 34 km long, 14.5 km wide, up to 8 meters above sea level, and has a land area of 155.4 km². The lagoon measures 224 km² in area, of which roughly two thirds full dry during low tide.

Aldabra has been described as “one of the wonders of the world” by Sir David Attenborough as its isolation in a remote area of the Indian Ocean, combined with an inhospitable terrestrial environment, has helped preserve it in a relatively natural state. As a result, the island is virtually untouched by humans. In addition while coral reefs in most areas of the world are suffering, the reef surrounding this atoll remains unscathed.

The islands isolation combined has resulted in the protection of distinct animal life. The atoll is home to the world’s largest population of giant Aldabra tortoises, numbering some 100,000. The atoll is also known for its green turtles, hawksbill turtles, and birds, including the Aldabra rail, the last surviving flightless bird of the Indian Ocean region.

Aldabra Tortoise

Aldabra was visited by Portuguese navigators in 1511. The islands were already known to the Arabs, from whom they get their name. In the middle of the 18th century, they became dependencies of the French colony of Réunion, from where expeditions were made for the capture of the giant tortoises. In 1810 with Mauritius, Réunion, the Seychelles and other islands, Aldabra passed into the possession of Great Britain. Réunion was returned to France, and Mauritius gained possession of Aldabra as well as the rest of the Seychelles. The previous inhabitants were emigrants from the Seychelles. Today the island is now part of the Seychelles.

The abandoned settlement of Picard on the southwestern tip of West Island is now home to the Research Officer, Island Manager and their rangers and staff. There is no other permanent population. The islands are managed by the Seychelles Island Foundation.

Today the island is dedicated as a world heritage site.

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