At long last we had arrived. The plane banked low over the island for the final approach into the wind, providing our first view of a place we had dreamed of for 25 years. We were tired after 8,000 miles of travel but excited to finally experience the beauty, the wildlife and the welcoming people of this remote archipelago that stretches for 700 miles in the Indian Ocean.
The place was Mahe, largest of 115 islands in the Seychelles, 1,000 miles east of Kenya. We also visited Praslin and tiny La Digue, blessed with stunning granite rock formations and brilliant beaches surrounded by an azure sea. To fully experience the Seychelles would require months of travel, but what an experience it would be! Separation from major population centers helps protect a pristine yet fragile environment.
The Seychelles are renowned for world-class fishing, and I thrilled to land my first bonefish, wahoo, sailfish and other species. But the real challenge was to identify unique species of this biodiversity hot spot, often found in limited locations and in dwindling numbers. Scientists use the term “endemic” to describe species found only in specific locations and not occurring naturally elsewhere. Endemics typically are found in isolated spots where geography, climate or other ecological factors prevent their dispersal.
There are more than 80 endemic species among the islands, 12 of them birds. The tiny Seychelles seahorse is adapted to the warm, shallow reefs and lives nowhere else. The dwarf latan palm and the jellyfish trees are found exclusively in the forests of Mahe. The Aldabra giant tortoise was present only on the Aldabra atoll, where it outnumbers humans, but it has been introduced to other islands to prevent extinction.
The most famous endemic is a giant palm tree. The tree is impressive, rising over 100 feet. But its seed is the largest of the plant kingdom worldwide, reaching 55 pounds. When seeds were first found on the shores of distant lands, people thought they came from a tree living in the ocean, thus the plant’s name, coco de mer or “coconut of the sea.”
When sailors carried them to India or England, the seeds were ascribed medicinal or magical powers. They were traded for many thousands of dollars in gold, leading to overharvesting. Today the tree survives in small preserves on Mahe and Praslin, but I admit the seed looks like nothing more than a pair of giant buttocks!
Because we had a long list of activities for the trip, I couldn’t concentrate on birding, but I still managed to spot some beauties. On La Digue, I spent one morning walking quietly along the beach and into the forest, finding the diminutive paradise flycatcher and, right in front of my nose, a glittering Seychelles sunbird. Praslin yielded the lovely blue pigeon and the Seychelles bulbul. Others, like the kestrel, scops owl and black parrot, eluded me, while still others would involve long trips to distant islands to have any chance of success.
If time allowed, and curiosity overwhelmed your budget, there are other species worth the hunt. The Sooglossus family consists of several petite, brightly colored frogs found in moist wooded areas. The sheath-tailed bat is a critically endangered mammal that lives primarily on insects. Botanists would be excited to spot unique orchids, and there are several varieties of bougainvillea in the Seychelles. With luck, a fisherman might land the colorful reef fish known as the Seychelles wrasse.
The 120,000 people of the Seychelles are quite diverse, speaking a mix of Creole, English and French. Credit the leaders of the country for recognizing the traditional fishing and trading economy would be inadequate for the survival of the nation in the face of major environmental challenges like rising seas and coral reef losses. Now, 30% of its waters have been protected, along with 50% of its lands. The Nature Conservancy stepped up with a $20 million deal to purchase government debt if the new funds were used for conservation.
Next year I plan to visit another island with many endemic species, Madagascar. Eons ago, the 1,600-mile-long island drifted away from the Indian subcontinent and Africa, leaving its species to evolve with few outside influences. Today the island contains thousands of endemics, including more than 90% of its plants, mammals, amphibians and reptiles, and roughly 120 bird species. I cannot wait to visit one of the most uniquely biodiverse places on our planet.
