Aldabra Atoll - Seychelles Review And Info

Aldabra Atoll - Seychelles Review And Info

Aldabra, the second largest coral atoll in the world, located in the Aldabra Group of islands in the Indian Ocean that forms part of the Seychelles. Uninhabited and very isolated, Aldabra almost untouched by humans, have a distinctive fauna of the island including the Aldabra Giant Tortoise, and designated a World Heritage Site.





Aldabra was visited by Portuguese navigators in 1511. The islands are well known by the Arabs, from whom they get their name. In the mid-18th century, they became dependencies of the French colony of Réunion, from where the expedition was made to capture a giant tortoise.

In 1810 with Mauritius, Réunion, Seychelles and other islands, Aldabra passed into UK property. Réunion returned to France, and Mauritius to obtain ownership of Aldabra and the rest of the Seychelles. Previous inhabitants of the Seychelles emigrants. Sailors landed on the atoll in the 19th century and attempted to attack the island of turtles as food, in 1842, two ships reported to have taken 1200 of them. In 1900, the turtle is almost extinct, and the crew often had to hunt for three days to find one.


Aldabra Atoll, along with Des Roches and Farquhar, was part of the British Indian Ocean Territory from 1965 until the independence of Seychelles in 1976. In 1960, the UK considered allowing the United States to use this island as home to a military air base. After international protests with ecology, however, abandoned military plans and wildlife habitat in return receive full protection. Aldabra designated as a World Heritage Site on 19 November 1982, and managed from Mahé Seychelles Island Foundation.
The Picard settlements left on the southwestern tip of West Island is now home to the Research Officer, Manager of Island and carers and staff. No other permanent residents.