Our unforgettable trip to Aldabra |14 October 2017

This article presents the experience of a group of students and teachers from the most outstanding Eco-Schools in Seychelles during their trip on Aldabra at the beginning of the year. The trip was fully funded by the Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF), as part of its annual commitment to the Seychelles Eco-Schools award.

Day 1 - Terry Mousbe (team leader)

After a sleepless night, daytime finally came. My dream of going to Aldabra finally came to reality. Gathered at the IDC airport terminal were students, parents, teachers, SIF representatives and others. After a short briefing and goodbyes we boarded the IDC plane to Assumption Island. Before landing the captain gave us an overhead view of Aldabra by flying over the atoll. We were very excited, all cameras were out and everyone was so amazed by the sheer size and beauty of the atoll.

Upon our arrival on Assumption, we were greeted by the island manager and the crew that were going to take us to Aldabra by boat. After having had some snacks and drinks to rehydrate ourselves, the rangers checked under our shoes for seeds. This is a normal biosecurity procedure preventing the introduction of invasive plants on the Aldabra atoll. Usual checks were over and off we headed to Aldabra. The sea was calm but one could notice fatigue on the faces of the student as we had to get to the airport a bit early. The trip was a long one but worth it.

When we arrived on Aldabra this time we were welcomed by turtles, ray fish and black tip sharks before we got to the beach. Coconut and hermit crabs were crawling all over. Birds of different kinds were flying by. We were thrilled with the beautiful scenery of the atoll and I could notice the students’ faces lighting up with excitement and the enthusiasm of visiting the island.

After a late lunch upon our arrival, we were given our rooms and briefing was done in the library where we learned more about the island. A small tour round the station gave us a small glimpse of what we will be expecting during our stay. We were fortunate to find baby turtles that had just been hatched from their nest and were looking for their way to the beach among the sharp edges of raised coral.

Our day ended up with a dinner nicely cooked by the chef and small briefing for the following day’s activity.

Day 2 – Wahida Gobin

Waking to the amazing sight of the ocean in the morning was breathtaking. Although most of us were strangers, the air was clear enough and the warm feeling of friendship and understanding filled us. As we all finished prepping for the day at the early hour, we headed for breakfast prepared by our amazing chef. Later on, our swimming suits on and swim gear in hand, we headed to the mangroves on the small boats in different groups. Thanks to the amazing team (skipper and Adam) we got a detailed tour and explanation of our surroundings in that amazing ecosystem. We saw quite a few of birds, fishes, even a few turtles on our way.  Once done we plunged in the waters of La Gigi with our snorkelling masks on. We swam and admired the amazing water kingdom as the current pulled us to the base slowly. On our journey there we had the amazing chance to swim among the friendly black tip sharks, schools of fishes and so on. Although it was a new experience, fear never overtook us. Once our journey ended and we were on shore, a group of students and teachers remained in the calm water while the rest of us bonded in the meeting room and had friendly games.  At dinner time like a big family, we gathered around the table, said grace and ate in peace and harmony

Day 3 – Nathalia Lawen and Cheyenne Noddyn Bristol

Just like every other normal day on the atoll it dawned at approximately 7am. And on that particular day I (Nathalia Lawen) was greeted by our chef Jean-Yves and one of the many dedicated rangers Ronny. Yes! It was my special day! What better gift than having to spend your sweet sixteen on Aldabra, hey?

Moving on to our shenanigans of the day now. We began our day patrolling the indeed very pristine coasts of Aldabra accompanied of course by a ranger/field researcher Mr Reza who guided us through the four zones on Picard. We were amazed to see dozens and dozens of turtle tracks which indicated pits at the top on the beach. And pits we did see!! We were privileged to witness the ranger taking the GPS point of emergence and also digitally recording the data on the GPS machine. What was even more intriguing was that we spotted a momma Green turtle who got stuck (because of the low tide) in the corals along the shore while making her way back to the blue waters. Our ranger checked if the turtle had been tagged, but surprise, surprise she wasn’t! And in a matter of seconds all geared up Mr Reza chipped her and she was all good to go. He later explained that they use this information to know the whereabouts of the turtle and to keep track of other important data.

While collecting the debris (probably from east Africa) along the shore, Miss Nadege (one of the teachers) adopted a pair a flip flops from the debris for two days, upcycle, up your style! Upon arriving at the station we had our breakfast, sang happy birthday and resumed our journey where we ventured into the main channel straight to the frigate colony. Everything felt surreal! To be able to observe gigantic frigates in their natural habitat was beyond imagining! After this trip we were all able to differentiate a lesser male from its female and a greater male from its female. Furthermore, we were able to identify red footed boobies and some of their characteristics.

Next on our schedule was lunch and after lunch we just could not resist the inviting waters of Aldabra! So we strapped on our goggles, tightened our snorkels and satisfied our eyes.

Not all marine creatures creep under water, on our way back to the station we were lucky enough to see a dolphin from the group opposing our direction do a backflip! This will certainly be a memory we will not forget. And as dusk began to set in, we once again gathered up and thanked our father for the food we had yet to receive. But to my surprise the special dinner wasn’t the only thing the Aldabrarians had in store for me! After dinner my eco-school and Aldabra family surprised me with a birthday cake! Yes! You read it right! A cake. And with that the day ended and with enthusiasm we prepped ourselves for what was in store for us the following day.

Day 4- Liam Barbe

In the morning before breakfast we uprooted the ‘zepible’ at the solar panel station. Then after breakfast we went with Sir Adam, a ranger on Aldabra, to visit the ‘Basen Kabri’ and ‘Basen Morel’ which are two big holes on the coralline island. Then we went in the boat to the lagoon to a place called Pte Tangen. Once there we had the chance to snorkel and thereafter had our lunch on the beach. On our way back it started to rain. The skipper's hat fell in the water, so our boat had to go back to pick it up. It was then that we had the chance to see some dolphins. Once on the beach it kept raining so we had the opportunity to play in the sea and swim with the black tip reef sharks. We finished our day with a lovely dinner courtesy of Chef Jean-Yves. We had a very adventurous day 4 on Aldabra.

Day 5 - Jean Yves Mancienne and Beryl Serret

It was fun on our beautiful atoll Aldabra but our last day (day 5) was met with a mixed feeling of sadness and happiness. We had to leave. It was time to go back home to Mahé. Back to a noisy place and totally different from where I was. The night before we packed our bags, exchanged contacts and talked with our friends on our visit on the island. Before we left, we took a group photo with the rangers and skippers and our famous chef who cooked delicious meals. After that, we sadly said goodbye to everyone on the atoll. Everybody felt so emotional. We boarded the boat and waved goodbye until we could hardly see them on the shore. It seems our adventure did not end here. As we reached Assumption, we were offered a tour of the island on tractor. We saw beaches, coconut trees and many creature. Some rangers who joined us on our trip to Assumption also toured the island with us. After our trip on Assumption, we thanked everyone and said goodbye to them and we flew back to Mahé.

What each participant had to say about their trip to Aldabra:

Vanerick Esparon (Baie Lazare primary): “My best spot is the lagoon because there are many fish, sharks, turtles and rails. I also noticed lots of boobies in the lagoon.”

Nathalia Lawen (Anse Boileau secondary): “Aldabra was nothing like I expected. I was impressed by the vast atoll and the colour of the clouds which reflect the green lagoon. The boat trip was quite long but really exciting. The workers are all so friendly and interactive. I am grateful to have been able to visit Aldabra.”

Lynden Gomme (Plaisance secondary): “I had the chance to touch a green sea turtle. She was very big and in its natural habitat.”

Jean Yves Mancienne (Anse Royale primary): La Gigi was my best spot because I went snorkeling and saw turtles, sharks and rays. I love Aldabra. I wish I could stay.”

Cheyenne Noddyn-Bristol (Anse Royale primary): “Aldabra is where the endemic plants and animals are found. Sun shines bright over Aldabra. The sea is blue and there is fine white sand along the beach. It’s paradise!”

Shazelle Julie (Beau Vallon secondary): “The trip to Aldabra was very exhausting and yet exciting. The journey by plane was very interesting, the pilot flew over Aldabra before we landed on Assumption island. Aldabra was not what I expected, the staff were really friendly and welcoming.”

Liam Barbe (Anse Etoile primary): “We went snorkeling in the lagoon and I saw many sharks.”

Manuel Joubert (Anse Etoile primary): “My best spot was where the ranger allowed us to go snorkelling. While I was swimming I saw a little island shaped like a mushroom. Around the island were many fish, sharks and rays. On top it provided a perfect spot for birds to also build their nests.”

Wahida Gobin (English River secondary school): “Upon the sea of different shades of blue we arrived onshore. We came across black tip sharks that followed us till we walked towards the shore. The birds sang a symphony that is unique to Aldabra. Aldabra feels like home but filled with a lot of history. I will never forget the sea, the calmness and its beauty. I will never forget the hope, as the act of life was bestowed ashore among the turtles. I will never forget Aldabra.”

The Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development would like to extend its sincere gratitude to the Seychelles Islands Foundation for committing itself to this annual trip. Special gratitude also goes to the staff of the Islands Development Company who ensured the students travelled safely to and from Assumption island. This trip has once again given the opportunity for students and teachers to learn more about one of Seychelles’ outer islands.

Contributed by the Environmental Education Unit