Seychelles -11

Ever since I was a young boy and looked in the travel agent brochures, I ´ve wanted to visit the Seychelles. It´s told to very expensive and in one way it is. Low budget/ standard accommodation is available but it´s not cheap. For quite simple lodging you have to pay the rates you normally pay for much better standard. However, if you choose the cheapest alternatives with kitchens, go by bus and rent your own car at Mahé you can survive without getting broke. If you want to do island jumping you need to buy tickets for that as well. Honestly, don´t go there if you are not prepared to see several islands. Mahé is nice but the others are better and also differ in habitats. The island are stunning but not well developed for tourists. If you are staying at a resort you will get everything there. If you travel by yourself, you will find poorly lighted streets and sometimes restaurants far away from each other. Don´t expect to find a "beach walk" full of souvenir shops. No, it´s you and the nature. Also take your time to decide where to stay depending on time of the year. Currents make some beaches waters not so clear and sometimes brings in weed and other stuff. If you know where to go you will find very nice places. Below you can see the most famous beach, Anse Sourse d´Argent. It was nice to have been here and it´s very beautiful. Our absolute favorite was the Anse Lazio at Praslin. Awesome waves to play in, only pure white sand and crystal clear water for snorkeling at the rocky edges, just paradise.

Going to the Seychelles means you can see some of the rarest birds on earth. They will not be very hard to see if you go to the right spot but their world population is very small so they are endangered. When you stay at Praslin you can make a day trip to Cousin, which is a protected reserve where you not can spend the night unless you are doing science research. Here you will see Seychelles Magpie Robin, Seychelles Warbler (in the hand of a bander) among the big amounts of sea birds. 

Some of my most wanted birds ever are easily seen here at their nesting areas. The absolute pure beauty of the White (Fairy) tern is just as close to perfectionism as you can come. The blue bill shows it´s an adult.

The amount of species is not so great but the splendor of them just makes the difference. Here a juvenile (lying in the nest) and flying adult of White-tailed Tropicbird. Lower down you see the beauty of the Lesser Noddy, which breeds in many hundreds on the island.

Here you see this awesome island and beach with many nodes and tropicbirds flying around.

I felt a little bit unsure whether I should be lucky enough to see the fantastic, rare and very local Seychelles Black Paradise-flycatcher and I felt big relief when I saw 2 individuals directly when I arrived to the spot. I also saw the more common Seychelles Bulbul.

A reason for going here is of course to do some snorkeling. At some places the water was not very clear but at some good and you will see many different fishes and even sting-rays.

If you don´t like to swim in open water you can still see some fish, here at the barbecue.

At our home at La Digue we had this cute Sechelles Flying Fox and on one beach we found this Aldabra Giant Turtle (easily seen at both Praslin and La Digue.

Birds on the Seychelles. Mahé=M, Praslin=P, La Digue=LD, Cousin=C and widespread=W.

1. Wedge-tailed Shearwater. 1 close enough to tell.
2. Tropical Shearwater. +10 close enough. +100 shearwater sp. far out.
3. Cattle Egret. 3 (M)
4. Grey Heron 2 (M)
5. White-tailed Tropicbird. Quite common (W).
6. Greater Frigatebird. 1(M) and 1 (LD)
7. Seychelles Kestrel. One bird nicely perched in a tree. (M)
8. Common Moorhen. 4 birds (P)
9. Great Crested Tern. A few single birds on several days.
10. Bridled Tern. About 20 nesting birds. (C)
11. Brown Noddy. 4 pairs on Cousin.
12. Lesser Noddy. +1000 birds on Cousin. Several during boat trips.
13. Fairy Tern. A few throughout. Common on Cousin.
14. Madagascar Turtle Dove. Common, uncertain *****
15. Barred Ground Dove. Common (W)
16. Seychelles Blue Pigeon. A few pairs on each island.
17. Seychelles Black Parrot. 2 birds eventually perched in Valleé de Mai.
18. Seychelles Swiftlet. About 10 birds in Valleé de Mai look-out point.
19. Seychelles Bulbul. Quite common. (W)
20. Seychelles Warbler. About 10 birds at Cousin. One in hand which was banded.
21. Common Myna. Common (W)
22. Seychelles Magpie Robin. A pair at Cousin.
23. Seychelles Sunbird. Quite common. (W)
24. Madagaskar Fody. Quite common (W)
25. Seychelles Fody. + 50 at Cousin.
26. Seychelles Turtle Dove. 3 birds on Cousin that ,were explained as “pure” birds.

Others.

1. Hawksbill Turtle. 2 up close ebcounters while snorkeling at La Digue.
2. Seychelles Fruit Bat. Several flying at dusk at La Digue. A few seen nicely perched at our lodging at La Digue