Aldabra Atoll

We visited Aldabra for two days at the end of February with a ship going from Tanzania (Zanzibar) to the Seychelles, making several stops along the way (the other way around is also possible, we crossed our ship’s sister ship near Assumption island). Aldabra is the world's second largest coral atoll (after Kwajalein, part of the Marshall Islands we were told) and the largest raised atoll.

There doesn’t seem to be a standard plan or schedule to land on Aldabra since the expedition team had to negotiate with the Seychelles Islands Foundation (or SIF, which manages a.o. Aldabra) before we could set foot on the atoll. The SIF also visited our ship first and did a ‘bio security check’ whereby all items which would be brought on land (shoes, backpacks, …) were checked for e.g. seeds. In addition, also the weather should be ok to be able to make a visit (calm sea, …). But we were lucky and all worked out well.

The actual visit consisted of two parts: on day one our ship anchored before Picard island (one of the four main islands which form the atoll) and from here we could make a 1.5 hour zodiac tour in the lagoon by entering through the west channels. The timing depends on the tide since the lagoon is emptied in six hours turning most of the lagoon into dry land and consequently not suitable for a zodiac. During this tour, we mainly spotted birds and fish, but …

I was not there at Aldabra but having done family history research I discovered that my Uncle George Ronald Lush and his wife were there when the research station was built. George had built a station in Halley Bay Antarctica, Therefor I guess he was a suitable candidate for building a research station on Aldabra having had the experience. He had an adopted daughter I believe but it was not known whether she went with them. He was also called as magistrate for the Atoll. There are pictures of him throughout news cuttings and brief references to the family in the Mary Gillham's archives. Anyone having information no matter how small I would appreciate contact via Facebook under Ron Lush 

Yes I was the radio operator seconded from the RAF to the BBC for their Expedition Turtle to Aldabra Atoll c. 1966. The purpose of the BBC Expedition was to assess the possibility for siting radio radio rebroadcast facilities. It was very much dependent upon continued military interest, since that would entailed an airfield being built. There was some MoD input into the Expedition mainly in the form of surveyors. More interesting was that there were also two USAF colonels. At that time America was heavily into Vietnam and they wanted an Eastabout route as well as their existing Westabout one. In particular they wanted transit facilities for the F111, which needed to island hop to get to Vietnam. A deal would be made for landing rights in exchange for development dollars ! The BBC had hired the MV Southern Skies, out of Mombassa, for the Expedition. It was really a 600 ton coastal waters , general purpose vessel . The expedition was to have lasted 6 weeks, but towards the end tropical depression 'Angela' started to head our way . A 600 ton vessel is not the best of craft to ride out a hurricane, so the Expedition was curtailed and we hightailed it for Mombassa

I first visited the atoll in 1993 and this resulted in me doing the marine biology chapter of the book 'Aldabra: World Heritage Site' published in 1995. We visited again for a few weeks in 1997 aboard Fantasea II. I'm just putting together an 'Aldabra Diary' on both these trips (this is turning into a 280-page book!). If anyone wants to share this I can send you the link to it - available on-line to other Aldabra addicts with my compliments i.e. for free! Email me at Wolfgang@FutureWorld.org.

I was Expedition Leader on the MS Caledonian Star in the mid 90's and visited the atoll on no fwere than 17 occasions. Having travelled all over the world, Aldabra is right at the top of my list for its awesome remoteness and fantastic wildlife experiences.

I now run a company that organises itineraries for the worlds largest privately owned yachts and we are trying to get them to visit Aldabra to see if we can get them to take up the finacing of this fairytale place.

A truly amazing place for a naturalist.

I was fortunate to work there for several months on the botany of the atoll and assist in tagging turtles, tortoises and the like.

amazing marine life and great for diving...masses of sharks!!

Would like to return one day to see how things have evolved!

I WAS ON ALDABRA ATOLL IN EARLY 1969 FOR FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS AS PART OF PHASE VII OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY'S FLAURA AND FAUNA EXPEDITION. I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN CONTACTING ANYONE WHO WAS THERE WITH ME. I was 19 yrs old at the time and was actually paid Five pounds a month to run the synoptic weather station, run the stores and tend to the pastoral needs of the workers and their families. Needless to say it was a life changing experience. Never been back but would love to go again. Jonty Grinter

Aldabra is perhaps THE “iconic” coral atoll - even though many who “know” of it couldn’t begin to place it on a map. Its overall fragility and the vulnerability of its unique flora and fauna have been made famous by the numerous and ongoing fights to prevent it from development and worse – including plans for a large military base (ultimately developed not that far away at Diego Garcia). Despite having had 7 reviews already on this site (mainly by people working/studying there), it is rather difficult to reach. Read on to decide if it is worth the cost and effort!

We were told (Feb 2008) that it receives around 1000+ visitors pa and that the majority arrive (as did we) on Indian Ocean “Cruise Ships” for but a brief stay (It appears that Aldabra’s inadequate income is largely derived from the entrance fees of the far greater number of tourists who visit Vallée de Mai which cross-subsidises it, as both are run by the Seychelles Islands Foundation - SIF). Private yachts can also make the visit but otherwise you would need to make the 2.5 hour 1150km flight in a chartered small plane from Mahé to the nearest airstrip on nearby Assumption Island. Its landscape has been devastated by guano mining and it is currently uninhabited – a graphic illustration of what could have happened to Aldabra if persons as august as Charles Darwin himself (though he never actually visited the atoll) hadn’t made efforts to preserve it from …

Worked on Aldabra as Warden for a total of over two years in 1983-84 and again in 1987. Spent considerable time travelling over the atoll carrying out ongoing monitoring especially hawksbill and green turtles.

The Research Station has now been completely revamped and is once again providing excellent accomodation.

There are plans to develop limited tourism with up to 10 bungalows being tendered out.

A magical place and a magical experience.

hello my name is boaz and i have worked on board the indian ocean explorer, the only liveaboard diving boat that goes to aldabra as a divemaster for two seasons in 2001 and again in 2003 .there's one experience i would like to share and that's diving with the current into the lagoon of aldabra with the ingoing high-tide .the aldabra atol is made by 4 islands that circles the biggest lagoon in the world .it's 35km from side to side .the water comes in and out of the lagoon 4 times a day with the different tides through 4 different channels, the biggest one called the main channel .our boat was running a drift dive through this main channel on the biggest difference of tides that happens normally on a new moon or a full moon, and get reach a difference of 3 or 4 meters .that fenomenal makes aldabra seems to me like a living creature .one has to see it to believe but all the life in the water around this island depends on this changes of the tides .we would drop down at the entrance of the lagoon at would drift into the lagoon in speed of more than 6 knots!!! one time we past 12km in only 28 minutes all the way underwater!!!on the way we have seen hammerhead sharks huge stingrays ,loads of turtles ,huge school of fishes trying to get through all of the predatores and many more .the scenery under the water …

I visted Aldabra in 1997 onboard the Fantasea II a live aboard dive vessel. We flew from Mahe to Assumption on light aircraft. It was more like an expedition than a vacation. As we flew over the main channel leading into the lagoon I was immediatley under the spell of Aldabra. Spell being the write word as the main channel branches out like two arms and then like a hand with long witch like fingers. After our pass over Aldabra we made are approach to the runway on Assumption a short distance by plane. Assumption was sureal as all the vegatation has been long since stripped away when mindless greed sought the fertile droppings of centuries of sea bird habitation.

I was one of only 36 people that year to have the grand pleasure of diving and walking on these timeless treasures of Aldabra, Assumption, Astove and Cosmaldo. I've dove in some world class locations in the world but nothing can compare to the adventure that is felt in such a remote and untouched place as is offered by these islands. Every kind of dive experience can be had at Aldabra. Drift dives at break neck speed through the channel to wall dives and cave exploration. Fish of gigantic porpotions, manta rays, dolphins, sharks , and more turtles than I have ever seen in one place. The lagoon is like swimming in an aquirium and the channels are like riding a roller coaster on the currents. All the time turtles …

I was fortunate enough to visit Aldabra on numerous occasions over a period of year whilst working as a naturalist and boat driver on the MS Caledonian Star, now the Endeavour, and I even got engaged to my wife, Karen, on the beach.

What a fantastical place and one which we plan to revisit with our children one day

I was station engineer on Aldabra 1973-1976. I was also on the construction team in the late sixties when the station was first built. Aldabra was, (and I'm sure still is) a fascinating place. We used to take great care during the turtle breeding season to keep lighting on the station to a minimum so as not to confuse the hatchlings when they left the nest. They had enough predators to contend with without us adding to their problems. Crows, crabs, rails, all knew when the nests were ready to erupt; all this before they even reached the sea.

I am very pleased to see that the station is now a World Heritage Site