Turtles of the Seychelles

Christophe Mason-Parker · Issue 79, Jul/Aug 2014 · pp. 86–90

Products mentioned: Canon 7D, Canon 550D, Sigma 10-20mm, Tokina 10-17mm, Canon 55-250mm, Ikelite housing, Ikelite DS160 strobe

The Seychelles is made up 115 islands dotted across the western Indian Ocean. They are split between the mainly uninhabited outer islands, and the inner islands, which are home to the majority of the population of 89 thousand people. Most of the inhabitants live on one of the three main granitic islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue. The inner islands sit on the Mahé plateau, a raised area of seabed with shallow waters and ideal conditions for the growth of coral reefs and seagrass beds. The warm, clear waters surrounding the islands white sandy beaches are home to a huge diversity of marine life including marine turtles. Although there are five species of turtle found in Seychelles waters, it is only the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) that nest on the islands shores. Globally both species have seen their numbers decline with the hawksbill…