Nature Seychelles

The weekend was also Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) weekend! A nest hatched on Sunday, with the hatchlings making it safely to the ocean. On the same day, a female Green turtle came ashore to nest. One nest hatched as new eggs were laid; talk about the cycle of life!

The nesting female was untagged, so our Science Officer tagged her.

The hatchlings, meanwhile, came from a translocated nest. They took longer to emerge than previous monitored Green turtle nests, but the hatch confirms the translocation was a success.

Unlike Hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), which nest during the day throughout Seychelles, Green turtles nest at night, and red light is used for data collection so that we do not disrupt the process.

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The first Hawksbill turtle of 2026-2027 nesting season has been recorded by our science officer on the island today. The Special Reserve is a critical site for nesting Hawksbill Turtle on the western Indian Ocean, with a monitoring programme dating back to the 1970s. Hawksbills nest during the day in Seychelles from October to March, but the season can start early. The critically endangered turtle - and other sea turtles - is protected under Seychelles law.

Perfect symmetry.
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
📍Sanctuary at Roche Caiman

We went out to check on Cousin Island's long-lived residents after the rains. The agenda appeared to be: Eat, relax, wander, eat again, soak in water, and just look fabulous while doing it. This is the Aldabra giant tortoise life at Cousin Island Special Reserve! These tortoises can live for more than a hundred years, so when you encounter one, you might just be meeting a centenarian. Each plays an important role shaping the island as they browse, trample vegetation, and disperse seeds. We recently fitted eight of them with GPS trackers that send location updates and syncs directly with our App for Reserve Management (ARM) to observe their movement patterns, habitat use, and behaviour in real time. This will enhance monitoring and research for more effective conservation efforts, and island management and is part of our Tech4Nature and Smart Islands Initiative.

📷 Chris Tagg

Coral reefs may only cover about 1% of the ocean floor, but they support a quarter of all marine species. They’re vital for local fisheries and tourism, and they act as a natural barrier against storms and erosion. For island nations like Seychelles, thriving reefs are essential - they are the backbone of food security, livelihoods, and resilience to climate change. However, coral bleaching is increasingly threatening these delicate ecosystems. This September, join us and create awareness on the challenges our reefs are facing and what we need to do to help them bounce back: https://go.coral.org/coral-bleaching Coral Reef Alliance

Learn what Nature Seychelles is doing to save corals: https://natureseychelles.org/what-we-do/reef-rescuers/

📷 Reef Rescuers, Hugo Bret, Mehdi Boudault