The Outer Islands of the Seychelles are sandy coral cays boasting miles of pristine white seashores, which function essential nesting websites for Inexperienced and Hawksbill Turtles within the Indian Ocean. The Alphonse Group is not any exception. Since 2007, the Islands Conservation Society (ICS) of Blue Safari Seychelles has been monitoring the nesting success of those species, creating one of many longest-running databases within the Seychelles.
This invaluable useful resource gives a complete overview of the well being of those critically endangered species across the islands. When nesting females are encountered, the conservation crew attaches a flipper tag with a serial quantity. This enables for monitoring nesting frequency and website constancy when the feminine is seen once more.
Because the 1994 ban on harvesting sea turtles for meat in Seychelles, the variety of nesting turtles throughout the atolls has elevated. On account of turtles being long-lived, slow-reproducing animals, the optimistic results of this ban have taken years to manifest, underscoring the significance of long-term databases like these maintained by ICS.
At the moment, 130 Inexperienced Turtles nest across the Alphonse Group. These turtles nest solely at night time when it’s cooler, with peak nesting exercise from June to September. In distinction, 76 Hawksbills nest in the course of the day from October to March, with eggs of each species taking round 60 days to hatch. Though females lay three to 4 clutches of 120-150 eggs every nesting season, juvenile survival charges are extremely low, with just one in 500 reaching maturity. The dearth of fishing strain across the Alphonse Group has led to a excessive variety of predators, together with Herons, Crabs, and Frigatebirds on the seaside, and Large Trevally, Moray Eels, and Sharks within the shallows.
Given the challenges child turtles face, Blue Safari Seychelles ensures their resorts are as ‘turtle-friendly’ as potential by adhering to regional skilled recommendation. Their safety strategies embrace:
- Utilizing crimson or inexperienced lighting on beach-side visitor rooms to keep away from impacting turtle eyesight, stopping hatchling disorientation.
- Sustaining beach-crest vegetation and setting rooms again at the least 25 meters from the seaside crest to reduce mild air pollution and disturbance to nesting females.
- Putting in blackout curtains on ocean-facing home windows, utilizing photo voltaic lanterns and clip-on LED menu lights in beachside eating areas, and using low-lumen, hooded roadside lighting to forestall hatchling disorientation.
- Prohibiting heavy equipment on seashores and avoiding seaside alterations, besides in areas the place erosion threatens important infrastructure.
- Encouraging visitors to affix the conservation crew on day by day turtle patrols.
Defending turtles throughout important life phases like nesting and hatching is crucial, however so is knowing their migrations and incorporating foraging grounds into protected areas. In 2017/2018, ten post-nesting feminine turtles have been fitted with satellite tv for pc tags for monitoring. Two Inexperienced Turtles traveled to Boudeuse, one stayed south of St Francois, and 4 traveled to East Africa. One made a formidable journey of over 3,984 km to Northern Kenya, the place she stayed for 119 days till her gadget stopped transmitting. The 2 tagged Hawksbills traveled northwards to the Seychelles financial institution and Ile Platte. This challenge was carried out by ICS in collaboration with the Alphonse Basis and Luth Affiliation.
Blue Safari Seychelles combines sustainable journey with luxurious lodging, providing visitors unforgettable experiences and the best stage of attentive service.
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