The Outer Islands of the Seychelles are sandy coral cays with kilometers of pure white beaches that serve as vital nesting places for Green and Hawksbill Turtles in the Indian Ocean. The Alphonse Group is no exception. Blue Safari Since the conservation centre opened in 2007, the Seychelles Islands Conservation Society (ICS) has been monitoring the nesting success of both species, creating one of the Seychelles’ most extensive databases.

This critical resource gives an outstanding picture of how well these two Critically Endangered species are doing on the islands. When females are seen nesting, the conservation team adds a flipper tag with a serial number so that if the female is sighted again, the nesting frequency and site fidelity may be documented.

Since 2007, the number of nesting turtles has increased across the atolls, most likely due to Seychelles’ 1994 prohibition on sea turtle meat harvesting. Because turtles are long-lived, slow-reproducing creatures, the positive benefits of this prohibition would take years to demonstrate an increase in turtle population, which is why long-term databases, such as those maintained by the ICS in the Outer Islands, are critical.

Currently, 130 Green Turtles nest near the Alphonse Group. This species nests only at night when temperatures are cooler, as the nesting process can take up to 4 hours, with peak nesting activity occurring between June and September. Between October and March, 76 Hawksbills nest during the day, with both species’ eggs hatching in +/-60 days. Although females lay three to four clutches of 120-150 eggs per nesting season, juvenile survival rates are extremely low, with as few as one in 500 reaching adulthood. Because of the low fishing pressure in the Alphonse Group, the number of predators is considerable, with Herons, Crabs, and Frigatebirds hunting the hatchlings on the beach while Giant Trevally, Moray Eels, and Sharks lurk in the shallows.

Baby turtles need all the aid they can get to reach adulthood in the great blue, therefore Blue Safari Seychelles makes their resorts as ‘turtle-friendly’ as possible by consulting with relevant experts. They use the following measures for protection:

All veranda lighting on beach-side guest rooms is red or green, which are thought to be wavelengths that do not affect turtles’ eyesight. This keeps hatchlings from becoming confused while navigating their way to the ocean.

All beach-crest vegetation is left alone, and rooms are situated back at least 25m from the beach crest to reduce light pollution and disturbance to nesting females.

Housekeeping closes the blackout drapes on all ocean-facing windows in the evening. The seashore eating area solely employs solar lanterns and clip-on LED menu lights, while highway illumination is all low-lumen, hooded, and low to the ground. All steps are intended to keep hatchlings from being disoriented.

No heavy machinery is permitted on the beaches, and they are not raked or altered in any way, except in locations where erosion threatens important infrastructure.

Guests are urged to join the conservation team for daily turtle patrols.

While it is imperative to safeguard sea turtles during critical life stages like as nesting and hatching, they are also known for their remarkable migrations, so understanding where they go and incorporating foraging areas into protected area design is essential. In 2017/2018, ten female post-nesting turtles were fitted with satellite tags for tracking; two Green Turtles traveled to Boudeuse, one remained in the south of St Francois, and four proceeded to East Africa. One traveled over 3,984 kilometers to her hunting grounds in Northern Kenya, where she remained 119 days before her gadget stopped transmitting. The two tagged Hawksbills traveled north to the Seychelles bank, while the other went to Ile Platte. ICS implemented the project in partnership with the Alphonse Foundation and the Luth Association.

Blue Safari Seychelles’ ideology combines sustainable travel with luxury lodging, ensuring that customers have amazing experiences while receiving the best possible service.

For information on Blue Safari Seychelles, please visit www.bluesafari.com.