During my stay on Silhouette Island I experienced many amazing dawns and dusks, with dramatic cloudscapes and beautiful colors. But just days before, the island had experienced weeks of heavy rain and grey skies! The day I arrived seemed to be the last of it, as it poured down during my check-in. As the days […]
More than 90% of this island is protected, and only a small slice of land on the eastern shores is developed. Walk the trails or alongside the shores and you will be completely alone and in a truly amazing setting. The foreground in this image is a reminder of what is the very foundation of […]
This was my second day by this nest, and I was able to get even closer without disturbing her. This female Seychelles paradise flycatcher was in the final stages of nest building whilst the male was fending off competitors. In a few days she will be nest-locked with her precious eggs. A brief time of […]
This female Seychelles paradise flycatcher is making certain the nest is top notch, with the best possible materials, so that her clutch of eggs will result in a new and healthy generation! She was oblivious to the fact that she was one of just 200-250 individuals alive of the entire species! It was a critically […]
This threatened and endemic male of the Seychelles paradise flycatcher is found on La Digue and a very few other islands in Seychelles, is naturally unaware of its status, and was living a busy life during my visit as it was breeding time! Even though this male is dark and has a long tail, it […]
The majority of the Seychelles islands are made of hard granite that has been shaped by the elements for aeons, and are still being changed before our very eyes. Except that our eyes and or perception of time is based on the heartbeat of our bodies that makes us think of a lifetime of 80 […]
Constance Lemuria is one of many hotels in Seychelles that follow conservation best-practices, and what follow is a unique experience with nature and creature comforts. For one you will experience wildlife much closer than normally, as wildlife is not intimidated, but wildlife will also find some of the amenities attractive, just like this moorhen that […]
Every moment is unique. Every sunset is unique. My moment on this beach right outside my room in Praslin was that of “I’m so tired I simply have no energy to carry my gear to a sunset location with awesome granite boulders, only to take a quick look right outside my room. Just me and […]
The Seychelles parrot is as its name implies endemic to the archipelago, which means it’s a vulnerable species. In fact it’s only found on one island, Praslin. It’s an unusual species both in its rather bland appearance, with a plumage bland as a dry coconut, and vocalizations far from what you expect from a parrot. […]
This is the male inflorescence of the endemic sea coconut, or coco de mer. It is endemic to Praslin and its neighbouring island Curieuse, which means it is an endangered species. The incredibly large and unusually shaped seed makes it and extraordinarily popular item to humans, making it harder for the species to successfully reproduce […]
A very different experience when all colors are removed. Once upon a time Seychelles was part of the Gondwana supercontinent but now the granite islands are resting on the isolated North Seychelles Bank. All around is an abyss thousands of meters deep. Indeed Seychelles is an island domain above as well as below the ocean […]
Once upon a time Seychelles was part of the Gondwana supercontinent but now the granite islands are resting on the isolated North Seychelles Bank. All around is an abyss thousands of meters deep. Indeed Seychelles is an island domain above as well as below the ocean surface. The granite boulders look smooth and inviting from […]
The Seychelles blue pigeon is beautiful and common species throughout the Seychelles islands, but on Bird Island where this was shot I encountered only two. It is after all a small island, so perhaps they find more of what they need on the bigger islands. Even though you might see it more often on other […]
Another hawksbill sea turtle female on the way back to sea after successfully delivering a clutch of eggs in a safe spot in the sand of Bird Island. this female has timed it well, as it’s just 08:39 in the morning. The previous day another female finished her ordeal past 14:00 hrs, and as such […]
A hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) struggling to push through the entangled vines of the laurel dodder. This is a parasitic species getting all it needs from other plants, just like all the other members of the genus cassytha of the laurel family. These thin vines will not be able to withstand the power of […]
A common resident throughout the Seychelles archipelago you likely will see for the first time around the airport. On Bird Island, where this was shot, I did not see it very frequently as it appeared to be only two of them there during my visit. This individual is perched in one of several large beach […]
The red fody is very common on many of the Seychelles islands, and here on Bird Island I was enjoying a group of them roosting in a bush right outside my room every evening.⠀ The males are impossible to ignore as their bright color is visible even through dense thickets. After every meal both males […]
Brown noddy and lesser noddy live side-by-side on Bird island, and can be hard to distinguish from one another, but when you look for these two distinct differences it should be a breeze: Lesser noddy has more grey on head and in particular between the eye and nostrils/beak (the lore). Brown noddy has distinctly darker, […]
As the name implies this is a species endemic to Seychelles, but fortunately it is so common it is not threatened. You will see it on many of the larger islands, and on Bird Island where I shot this picture. On Bird Island you get much closer to them than on Praslin and Mahe, where […]
This white tern is completely lethargic as it has been immobilized by the seeds of the Grand Devil’s-Claws (Pisonia grandis). The tree produces inconspicuous but sweet scented flowers and during the flowering one cannot see the sinister side to this species, as it is the seed that kills. As the seed develops you’ll see spikes […]
Such a precious event – a female hawksbill sea turtle, a critically endangered species, covering her precious eggs laid in the sand. She is one of a dwindling number of individuals of this critically endangered species. She must be so hot as this is during the hottest part of the day, yet she endured. Most […]
This amazing looking bird is one of many breeding on the small island named Bird Island – the northernmost of the Seychelles islands. It is a privately owned island and how amazing that is for the birds! Before the current owners purchased it, it was mismanaged to the max by people utilizing it as a […]
The female red fody is nothing like its male counterpart and blends in well with its surroundings. The red fody is very common on many of the Seychelles islands, and here on Bird Island I was enjoying a group of them roosting in a bush right outside my room.⠀ ⠀ Every evening, in good time […]
The red fody is very common on many of the Seychelles islands, and here on Bird Island I was enjoying a group of them roosting in a bush right outside my room.⠀ ⠀ Every evening, in good time before sunset, they would come one by one and start preening or simply communicating amongst themselves.⠀ ⠀ […]
The red fody is very common on many of the Seychelles islands, and here on Bird Island I was enjoying a group of them roosting in a bush right outside my room.⠀ ⠀ Every evening, in good time before sunset, they would come one by one and start preening or simply communicating amongst themselves.⠀ ⠀ […]
This is a terribly lonely tortoise. It was removed from its homeland of Madagascar decades ago to this island (Bird Island) when the island was a coconut and papaya plantation, likely as a pet. Without a female companion it has not had the opportunity to reproduce and as such helped a critically endangered species hold […]
This amazing looking bird is one of many breeding on the small island named Bird Island – the northernmost of the Seychelles islands. It is a privately owned island and how amazing that is for the birds! Before the current owners purchased it, it was mismanaged to the max by people utilizing it as a […]
This is an amazingly elegant and beautiful species! Whether you see them fly together or individually between the trees or above you against the blue sky, their elegance and beauty makes you stop and simply observe their behaviour and in amazement! On Bird Island, Seychelles, you can get very close and intimate with these beauties, […]
As the name implies this is a species endemic to Seychelles, but fortunately it is so common it is not threatened. You will see it on many of the larger islands, and on Bird Island where I shot this picture. On Bird Island you get much closer to them than on Praslin and Mahe, where […]
Brown noddy and lesser noddy live side-by-side on Bird island, and can be hard to distinguish from one another, but when you look for these two distinct differences it should be a breeze: Lesser noddy has more grey on head and in particular between the eye and nostrils/beak (the lore). Brown noddy has distinctly darker, […]
This amazing looking bird is one of many breeding on the small island named Bird Island – the northernmost of the Seychelles islands. It is a privately owned island and how amazing that is for the birds! Before the current owners purchased it, it was mismanaged to the max by people utilizing it as a […]
The female of this species is nothing like its male counterpart and blends in well with its surroundings. The red fody is very common on many of the Seychelles islands, and here on Bird Island I was enjoying a group of them roosting in a bush right outside my room.⠀ ⠀ Every evening, in good […]
This giant tortoise species is named after one of the largest atolls in the world, Aldabra, which is also its last stronghold after centuries of human exploitation. The Aldabra atoll is part of the Seychelles archipelago, but is far very south (more 1100 km southwest of Mahe) and difficult to get to for those very […]