Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa unveils coral nursery |01 June 2018

Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa, the stunning five-star boutique resort on Mahé Island, has announced the opening of a coral nursery nearby Beau Vallon bay.

This new project will help protect and preserve the marine and reef life along the island’s north-west coast.

Guests of Northolme Resort & Spa will be able to take part in the project by adopting coral, along with having the chance to snorkel along a coral trail and visit the coral nursey with a marine conservation specialist.

The long-term goal of the programme is to help the coral reef recover from previous major eco-disasters, along with building the reef’s resilience in preparation for any future incidents.

Guests are invited to take part in the project and have a positive impact on the coral reef. By adopting fragments of coral, guests will help ensure the upkeep of the coral reef, as well as helping support future projects to expand the restoration efforts across the Seychelles’ reefs.

Guests have a choice of coral to adopt, including Acropora and Pocillopora, both of which have been negatively affected by the rising sea temperatures due to global warming.

Those who want to see the positive impact of the conservation project with their own eyes can enjoy a 650-metre snorkelling trail created by Hilton’s Marine Conservation Society Seychelles (MSCC) team. The trail takes guests to five different buoys, each of which highlight the beauty of the reef. Snorkellers will find corals, sponges and urchins growing on top of a large rock at Buoy One, where sergeant damselfish take advantage of the natural cover and can be seen darting around. On Buoy Three, guests will be overwhelmed by the large number of fish congregating around the exposed rock in this aptly named “fish city”, from blue and yellow striped surgeon fish, to parrot fish who feed off turf algae.

Daniele Fabbri, general manager of Northolme Resort & Spa, said of the coral nursery: “I am really proud of this project. I believe that it is our role as a major actor of tourism in the Seychelles to take care of the environment for the future generation. Coral bleaching in the Seychelles has become a real problem in recent years and I hope that we can soon see the result of this project, where we can see a variety of colourful coral species underwater.”

Both tourists and locals are invited to get involved with the project as Hilton Seychelles is eager to raise awareness of the challenges facing Mahé island’s marine and reef life and its surrounding areas. Guests staying at Northolme Resort & Spa can upgrade their beach holiday by giving something back to the environment, and leave feeling not only relaxed and revitalised, but also accomplished.