O
ne hundred and
fifteen pristine,
exotic and luxurious
islands scattered
across 1 , 4 00,000km^2 of ocean
boast incredible flora and
fauna, including the coco-de-
mer (legendary double-lobed
coconut unique to Seychelles);
one of the planet’s smallest
frogs; an array of super-
rare birdlife and so much
more. Isolated for millennia,
this beautiful Indian Ocean
archipelago harbours some of
the rarest species on the planet.Seychelles boasts two UNESCO
World Heritage sites, one of
which is the extraordinaryprehistoric valley known as the
Vallée de Mai, which cultivates
the coco-de-mer. With tales
told as tall as its endangered
palm, the famous nut is truly
the pride of Seychelles with
islanders going to great lengths
to conserve it from poachers.
The magnificent Aldabra, one
of the largest coral atolls in
the world, with a population
of approximately 1 50,000
giant tortoises and many
other wildlife treasures, is the
Seychelles’ other UNESCO
World Heritage Site.With around 1 5 trails on Mahé,
Praslin, La Digue and Silhouette
islands to choose from,Hawksbill turtles
can be seen in the
turquoise waters.82 BBC WILDLIFE December 2021