The return of nesting Hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) is once again keeping conservation teams busy on Ile Plate, as the island’s shores welcome back the critically endangered species to lay their eggs this nesting season.

Since 20 August, the ICS conservation team on Ile Plate have recorded five successful Hawksbill sea turtle nests, marking an encouraging start to the current nesting season.

As turtle activity continues, monitoring efforts on the island have increased, with conservation teams now conducting up to two patrols per day along the shoreline. These patrols allow the team to record turtle emergences, monitor nesting activity, and keep track of nests throughout the season.

One of the season's most memorable encounters came on 18 September, when the team found an untagged female Hawksbill turtle attempting to nest.

Her efforts began before 7 a.m., but finding the right spot proved difficult. Over the next few hours, she excavated several potential egg chambers, abandoning each one before trying again. By around 10 a.m., she finally found a suitable location and completed her nest.

The lengthy encounter gave the ICS team an opportunity to observe the nesting process closely and successfully tag the female. While she had no tags when encountered, this does not necessarily mean that it was her first nesting season, as she may have nested previously without being tagged.

Tagging allows individual turtles to be identified during future encounters, providing valuable information on repeat nesting, movements between nesting sites, and long-term nesting patterns.

For the conservation team, the encounter was also an important opportunity to identify and tag an individual turtle. Tagging allows the same female to be recognised if she returns to Ile Plate in the future and contributes to longer-term monitoring of the island as a nesting site.

For Maria Daniella Aza, Assistant Conservation Officer for ICS on Ile Plate, the encounter also marked an important personal milestone — the first sea turtle she had ever tagged.

“After receiving training on both Ile Plate and Aride Island, being able to put that training into practice was an amazing experience,” she said. “Every turtle we record contributes to something much bigger, helping us better understand Hawksbill populations and their nesting activity over time.”

The five successful Hawksbill nests recorded since August represent only the beginning of the nesting season. As the season progresses, continued monitoring will help build a clearer picture of turtle activity on Ile Plate and provide valuable information for the long-term conservation of this critically endangered species.
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For the conservation team, the work continues with each patrol – following tracks in the sand, documenting turtle activity, and following the return of these remarkable marine reptiles to Ile Plate.

Ever heard of KBAs? KBAs stand for Key Biodiversity Areas—a global approach for identifying places that are particularly important for biodiversity. These areas are identified because they support species, ecosystems or ecological processes of significant conservation importance. In Seychelles, KBA assessments received significant attention through a major national project carried out between 2011 and 2013, involving local NGOs, government officers, taxonomic specialists and regional and international researchers. The Government of Seychelles–UNDP–GEF programme funded the project. The objective was to identify areas of exceptional biodiversity and conservation importance across the main granitic islands, including Mahé, Praslin, Silhouette and La Digue.

Field teams conducted extensive surveys across different habitats, often reaching remote and difficult-to-access locations at higher elevations or in areas that had received little previous scientific attention. These surveys assessed species composition, diversity and levels of endemism to determine which areas held particularly high conservation value. The findings provided an important scientific basis for conservation planning and policy and contributed to recommendations for extending terrestrial protected areas to encompass areas of particular conservation importance.

The KBA assessments also highlighted something that remains particularly important today: With more than 93% of its landmass protected within Silhouette National Park, Silhouette remains one of Seychelles’ most important biodiversity strongholds. The island supports extensive areas of relatively pristine habitat, including lowland palm forests and submontane mist forests, habitats that have been substantially reduced and altered on other granitic islands such as Mahé and Praslin. 

KBA exploration on Silhouette continued to produce significant discoveries after the initial national assessment. During a 2016 survey, researchers recorded the native fern Asplenium petiolatum on Silhouette and added it to the island’s plant inventory. At the time, the species had reportedly been recorded only three times previously, from restricted locations on Mahé. The following year brought an even more remarkable discovery. In 2017, an expedition led by KBA specialist Bruno Senterre rediscovered Bouskiya (Trilepisium gymnandrum) on Silhouette. The plant had been considered extinct in the Seychelles, making its rediscovery an important event for the country’s botanical heritage. These discoveries reinforced Silhouette’s importance as a refuge for species that had disappeared or become exceptionally rare elsewhere.

​More than a decade after the original KBA assessments, KBA explorations on Silhouette are still ongoing, with staff from the Island Conservation Society (ICS) incorporating searches into fieldwork and conservation monitoring. The aim is not simply to repeat the previous work, but to build on it. Today's KBA searches combine targeted searches for rare species with broader exploration of poorly documented habitats. The surveys provide opportunities to record species distributions, assess habitat condition and identify areas that may warrant additional conservation attention.

One recent search focused on Zakobe Marron, a vulnerable endemic shrub associated with exposed glacis habitats. The species was once known to occur relatively abundantly around La Passe but has since disappeared from these areas. The objective was to locate remaining populations that could potentially contribute to future conservation and restoration efforts around La Passe and other suitable habitats. Although the team could not locate the historical population of Zakobe Marron, the search led them to an exposed glacis habitat supporting a remarkable collection of native and endemic plants, including Orkid Payak, Bwa Ponm, Bwa Gayak, Bwa Zoliker, and Bwa Sandal.
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But the survey's most significant observation was still to come: the ICS team encountered a large Bouskiya (Trilepisium gymnandrum) tree. But something about this individual was particularly special. It was flowering and fruiting. For someone encountering Bouskiya for the first time, the tree may not immediately reveal just how significant the observation is. Only when you consider its history and rarity does the importance of seeing a mature tree flowering and fruiting at the same time become apparent.

Another recent KBA search took the team into the north-east of Silhouette to explore the upper reaches of Rivière Patates, a seasonal river system that feeds into Anse Patates. The river extends approximately 1.3 km, with its source beginning around 300 m elevation near Mont Laurant. For much of its course, the river flows underground, becoming visible above ground for approximately the final 60 m. The upper sections of the river and surrounding forest had received little exploration, providing an opportunity to investigate a poorly documented area. The team encountered dense forest dominated by Bwa Fourmi (Wielandia elegans). Although this species remains relatively abundant on Silhouette, it has become increasingly rare on Mahé and Praslin. Finding strong populations of species that have become rare elsewhere highlights another important role of KBA surveys. A conservation discovery does not necessarily have to be a new species. Documenting healthy populations of declining species can provide valuable evidence of Silhouette’s role as a refuge for Seychelles’ native biodiversity.

The previous KBA assessments provided an important foundation for identifying areas of high biodiversity and conservation value across Seychelles. However, much of the survey effort focused on vascular plants. Ferns, insects, fungi, and other less-studied groups are important components of forest ecosystems and can provide additional information about a habitat's ecological value and health. Fungi, for example, play an essential role in decomposing organic material and returning nutrients to the ecosystem, supporting plant growth. Insects can have equally complex relationships with native vegetation, ranging from herbivory to pollination and highly specialised plant–insect interactions. A particularly interesting example being explored on Silhouette involves the endemic tiger moth Chiromachla seychellensis and Zakobe Marron. The moth's early life stages depend closely on this plant species, creating a strong ecological link between the plant's survival and the moth's survival. If Zakobe Marron populations decline, the consequences may therefore extend beyond the plant itself.

Continued KBA exploration allows ICS to revisit these questions and improve our understanding of the island over time. Some species' populations and distributions remain poorly understood. Insects, fungi, ferns, and other organisms still have ecological relationships waiting to be documented. And somewhere within those forests may be another Bouskiya (Trilepisium gymnandrum) waiting to be found—or perhaps something that no one has documented before.
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Recently, ICS Silhouette staff, together with staff from other conservation centres, participated in a focused KBA training session conducted by botanist Bruno Senterre. The aim was to give the team valuable insight into effective KBA field survey methods, data collection, and using the Bio_Occurrence database, which Senterre, a KBA expert, has developed and used since his early work in Seychelles.
Senterre shared his extensive knowledge and experience in biodiversity surveys, helping the team strengthen their approach to documenting Silhouette’s unique biodiversity and identifying areas of particular conservation importance. This training is an important step towards strengthening KBA monitoring on Silhouette and creating opportunities for future collaboration, field training, and biodiversity data sharing across ICS.

Joseph “Joe” Lidgett
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As part of my placement on Aride Island, Seychelles, I had the opportunity to live and work for ten weeks on one of the region's most important nature reserves, contributing to conservation efforts while experiencing island life first-hand.

Aride Island, renowned for its rich biodiversity and thousands of seabirds surrounded by turquoise waters and dramatic granite cliffs, is a place where conservation takes centre stage. The island is managed by the Island Conservation Society (ICS), a local NGO that has run Aride as a nature reserve since 2003.  For ten weeks, this remarkable island became my home.

My research focused on the island's population of Aldabra giant tortoises, specifically a group of recently reintroduced captive-bred juveniles. These young tortoises are part of ongoing conservation initiatives, therefore understanding how they adapt to their new environment is essential for the success of the programme.

Fieldwork on Aride was rarely straightforward, locating tortoises often meant hiking through dense vegetation, navigating steep trails and carrying research equipment across the island. However, these challenges were more than compensated for by the incredible wildlife encounters that became part of daily life, from tropic birds and terns to seeing lemon sharks in the surrounding shallow waters, all part of the wider ecosystem that ICS works to protect in the reserve.

The placement provided invaluable experience in ecological research and conservation, but its greatest impact was personal, as it offered a unique insight into the dedication required to protect vulnerable ecosystems and highlighted the importance of science in guiding conservation decisions.

As my time on Aride came to an end, I left with far more than research data. I gained practical skills, unforgettable memories and a renewed appreciation for the extraordinary wildlife that makes the Seychelles such an incredible place.

From tracking giant tortoises to waking each morning to the sound of thousands of seabirds, it was an experience I will never forget.

Lucinda Pope

​​I recently had the privilege of spending the past three months studying and mapping the habitats and ecosystems of the beautiful island that is Aride, with the ICS team. This has been an amazing experience and taught me many lessons that I will carry throughout my career.  

Mornings often began early, when the island was still relatively calm and cool. Heading out into the field, the sound of half a million seabirds was constant, rising and falling as you moved between different parts of the island. In some places it felt almost overwhelming, with birds occupying the canopy, the ground, and the air all at once.

Having now hiked most of the island for my work, one of the most remarkable aspects was how quickly the environment changed. A short walk could take you from dense, shaded woodland into open, exposed rock with very different vegetation and atmosphere. And let’s not forget the humid hill hiking! It made fieldwork feel dynamic in a way that is hard to replicate elsewhere.

Of course, this whole experience would not be the same without the brilliant and enthusiastic ICS conservation team, who form the beating heart of Aride. There was a strong sense of purpose in everything being done on the island, from monitoring and restoration work to day-to-day management tasks, and it was rewarding to get stuck in wherever possible. It was also interesting to see how much behind-the-scenes effort and coordination is required to maintain and protect such a site.

There were also the moments in between the formal fieldwork that stood out most. Helping with the tourists, sitting at the beach, snorkelling with lemon sharks, watching the Aldabra tortoises, spotting the new-born White-Tail Tropic bird chicks in the undergrowth, or a Saturday evening barbeque with the team. These are the memories I will cherish most.

However, it wasn’t always easy-going. Numerous mosquito bites, almost always dirty laundry and a lack of signal are just a few of the challenges we had to face on Aride. However, I think this allows you to appreciate the wildlife and nature more. You are not observing it from a distance; you are living within it, and it becomes something you experience directly rather than just study.

Leaving Aride, I was left with a strong appreciation for how complex, layered, and interconnected small island ecosystems are. I believe this experience has helped shape me into a stronger, more independent, and better organised person, and I have learnt a lot from my time here. I will greatly miss this island and its people. If the opportunity arises for anyone to come and visit or volunteer on Aride I would recommend it wholeheartedly. It’s an experience you won’t regret!

Seychellois conservationist and international environmental policy advisor Jeremy Raguain has joined the Board of Trustees of the Island Conservation Society (ICS).

Dedicated to strengthening the resilience of island communities and ecosystems, Raguain currently serves as the Director of the Italy–Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Fellowship Programme. In this role, he trains and mentors emerging leaders from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in multilateral environmental negotiations, ocean diplomacy, and climate policy. His leadership of the programme follows his own completion of the fellowship in 2022, which came on the heels of five years of working with the Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF). It was during his time with SIF—including hands-on field conservation work on Aldabra Atoll that his commitment to protecting Seychelles’ natural heritage was anchored.

Beyond his multilateral diplomatic work, Raguain maintains deep ties to on-the-ground conservation initiatives. He serves as the Fundraising and Partnership Specialist for the Marine Conservation Society Seychelles (MCSS) and operates his own consultancy, Out of the Shell Solutions Seychelles, which advises clients such as the Government of Seychelles and the Blue Marine Foundation. His career also includes key roles with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Seychelles Permanent Mission to the United Nations.

Speaking on his appointment to the board, Raguain emphasized the vital link between high-level diplomacy and practical island conservation:

"Working in international negotiations, guiding the next generation of leaders from SIDS, and contributing to the global fight for climate action and ocean protection with AOSIS doesn't separate me from the fact that my home’s resilience ultimately depends on local action. I am stepping into this role to lend my time, mind and network, to the teams doing the vital work on the ground and in the water. It is an absolute privilege to be entrusted with this responsibility for Seychelles’ outer islands."

Raguain’s blend of grassroots field experience, multilateral negotiation expertise, and regional policy leadership brings a valuable global perspective to ICS by strengthening the organisation's ability to connect its field conservation work with international environmental policy, climate finance and ocean diplomacy.

The chairman of ICS, Mr. Adrian Skerrett has welcomed Raguain’s appointment as a Trustee on the board.

“We are delighted to welcome Jeremy to the ICS Board. His combination of hands-on conservation experience in Seychelles and international expertise in climate, oceans and environmental diplomacy is particularly valuable to ICS. He understands both the importance of protecting our outer islands and the international context in which conservation now takes place. We look forward to Jeremy bringing his knowledge, energy and extensive network to the Board as we continue our work to ensure that Seychelles remains a guardian of its unique natural heritage.”
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Raguain holds a Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Social Science in International Relations and Environmental Geographical Sciences from the University of Cape Town.

A young Seychellois scientist is helping to shine new light on one of the Indian Ocean’s most remarkable botanical treasures.
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Wendy Buquet, born to Seychellois parents and raised in France, has dedicated her postgraduate scientific career to uncovering the hidden diversity of orchids across the Indian Ocean. After completing a Bachelor of Science and two Master’s degrees, she moved to La Réunion to pursue a PhD at the Université de la Réunion. Her research focuses on collecting and analysing rare and exotic orchids using molecular tools that may confirm, or even reveal, species previously unknown to science.
Working under the supervision of botanist Professor Thierry Pailler, Buquet has already collected specimens from La Réunion and Madagascar. Her early results have been impressive, with analyses leading to the discovery of five new orchid species from La Réunion.  

The Seychelles orchids
Seychelles is home to several species of orchids – most of which have been introduced for their vibrant and ornamental values. There are at least 10 endemic and native orchids spread out across the archipelago, with Silhouette being one of the hotspots for these rare and fragile species. With the support of several partners, including the Islands Development Company (IDC) and the Island Conservation Society (ICS), Buquet recently visited the Seychelles, and her itinerary included a visit to Silhouette to find more orchids. On this three-day expedition, which included visits to areas of known high endemism, such as Anse Mondon and Mont Dauban, she was guided by Dr. Bruno Senterre, a Botanist and Lecturer at the University of Seychelles, and Jean-Pierre Barrallon, the Assistant Conservation Officer with ICS.

On the quest for orchids
On the first day of the expedition, the team set off from La Passe into the dense forests of Jardin Marron, where they encountered their first orchid: ‘Orkid lerb koko’ (Agrostophyllum occidentale), an indigenous species with distinct, flattened, grass-like leaves.
The following morning, the group prepared for a strenuous ascent toward Mont Dauban, carrying camping gear for a night on steep, rocky ground. The trail, long closed and reclaimed by vegetation, offered little mercy. Slippery slopes, thick vines, and constant scrambling made for a gruelling climb in which falling was almost routine.

“The fieldwork on Silhouette was both demanding and incredibly enriching. The terrain was steep, muddy, slippery, and clearly plotting against us, but it brought us constant laughter and memorable moments,” says Buquet.
Reaching Mont Plaisir, the lookout before Mont Dauban, the team recorded their second specimen: ‘Orkid kolibri’ (Phaius tetragonus), a tall ground orchid with brownish flowers, believed to be native to the Comoros and the Mascarenes. 
Pressing onward, the team finally entered the upper montane forest, one of Seychelles’ last largely untouched habitats. Endemic trees of ‘Bwa rouz’ (Dillenia ferruginea) dominated the misty heights, draped in mosses, pitcher plants, and orchids perched high on their branches. The forest occasionally opened to reveal sweeping views of Grande Barbe far below.

As evening settled over the ridge and after nearly ten hours of climbing, the exhausted group pitched camp beneath the dense canopy. The forest of Mont Dauban soon came alive with the calls of hundreds of sooglossid frogs, the chirping of crickets, and the soft rustle of branches overhead — an otherworldly soundtrack as the temperature dropped sharply despite the tropical setting. By 5:30 a.m., the first light filtering through the trees signalled the continuation of the search for orchids.
Upon reaching the slopes and rocky outcrops of Anse Mondon Valley, the group was welcomed by dense clusters of orchids in full bloom. These included the Seychelles national flower, ‘Orkid payanke’ (Angraecum eburneum), the vibrantly purple ‘Orkid fler de kouler’ (Polystachya rosea), and the delicate endemic ‘Orkid leo’ (Goodyera sechellarum). By the end of the expedition, the team had gathered a total of eleven orchid specimens.
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Growing up, Barallon remembers that introduced orchids were common in local gardens, but that the expedition to look for the rare and wild ones was “completely different and an eye-opening experience”.
“Orchids that are endemic to Seychelles are rarely seen, and encountering them in their natural habitat left me genuinely amazed,” he said. Adding that “their elegance and subtle beauty are remarkable- true hidden gems of our islands.”

In the Seychelles outer islands, a small island is quietly becoming the stage for something remarkable. On Île Plate, two adult Red-billed Tropicbirds (Phaethon aethereus), a seabird species rarely confirmed as breeding in this region, have successfully nested and raised a chick, marking what appears to be the first documented nesting of this species not only on Île Plate, but in Seychelles. 

A small island with big ambition

Île Plate lies about 130 km south of Mahé in the Southern Coral Group of the Outer Islands of Seychelles. It covers approximately 0.578 km², measuring roughly 1.3 km in length and 0.55 km at its widest point.  A tiny stretch of land you could explore end-to-end in under 20 minutes.

Île Plate has a long and complex history of human use. In 1828, it was first proposed as an isolation site for people with leprosy. A decade later, in 1838, the British administration took over the island as a quarantine station for visiting ships. However, its distance from Mahé soon made Long Island a more practical location. By the 1840s, Île Plate held enough guano to justify excavation, an activity that continued into the early 20th century. In the decades that followed, the island also suffered severe turtle poaching to the point that one part of the island became known as the “turtle graveyard”. These pressures, combined with the introduction of invasive alien species such as cats, rats, and castor oil plants, left the island’s ecosystems heavily degraded.
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In 2024, the Island Conservation Society (ICS) officially opened a Conservation Centre on the island to promote the conservation, protection, and restoration of its ecosystems. Since then, alongside the long-term monitoring programs for species and ecosystems, ICS has been leading an island restoration program with support from its partners, the Island Development Company (IDC) and Waldorf Astoria Hotel. 

The birds arrive and nest.
The Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaeton aethereus), or ‘Payanke Labek Rouz’ in Creole, is one of three tropicbird species found across tropical oceans, alongside the White-tailed (‘Payanke Lake Blan’) and Red-tailed Tropicbirds (‘Payanke Lake Rouz’). Unlike the White-tailed Tropicbird, which inhabits both inner and outer islands, and the Red-tailed Tropicbird, which is most common in the Aldabra group, the Red-billed Tropicbird is a rare sight in Seychelles. Historically, only about 20 sightings of the Red-billed Tropicbird have been recorded in Seychelles, with individuals sometimes lingering for months on Bird Island. However, breeding had never before been confirmed —until now!
Globally, the species is listed on the IUCN Red List as Least Concern, with an estimated population of 16,000-30,000 mature individuals. However, the population trend is declining due to invasive alien species, habitat loss, and the effects of climate change. Their nesting habits—often in ground scrapes or cliff cavities—make them especially vulnerable to rats and feral cats.
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Restoration, refuge, and renewal
Why does this nest matter? Because it speaks of hope.
The confirmed nesting of Red-billed Tropicbird on Île Plate is a significant sign of recovery. Restoration efforts on Île Plate involve removing invasive plants and re-establishing native vegetation to stabilise sand, create habitat, and safeguard the shoreline. Predator control has been a priority, reducing threats to ground-nesting birds like tropicbirds. The ICS conservation centre now allows year-round monitoring of marine and terrestrial ecosystems and species, ensuring data-driven management rather than reactive responses.
The restoration actions on Île Plate are steadily transforming the island into a haven for wildlife. The successful nesting of the Red-billed Tropicbird joins other recent successes, including confirmed breeding of Red-tailed Tropicbirds and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters (‘Fouke-de-Zil’).

A milestone for Seychelles' biodiversity
“This breeding record is more than just a milestone,” said Emma Mederic, Senior Science and Conservation Officer at ICS. “It’s proof that sustained island restoration, invasive species control, and careful management are making a tangible difference, not just that, but through collaboration as well.”
For Île Plate, this first recorded nesting is significant. It shows that island-restoration efforts can produce substantial ecological benefits, encouraging species that previously visited only occasionally to establish breeding populations.
In the broader context of global biodiversity goals- Target 2 (ecosystem restoration), Target 6 (invasive species control), and Target 3 (conservation of land, waters and seas), Île Plate provides a living example of what dedicated action can achieve.
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Looking ahead: vigilance and promise
Despite this success, Île Plate’s future is shaped by climate challenges. With an elevation of just three metres above sea level, the island remains vulnerable to sea-level rise, storm surges, and reef degradation.
The presence of a sensitive breeding seabird heightens the urgency. Conservation and restoration must remain consistent: predator control, potential invasive species eradication, and adaptive management guided by continuous data collection.

The Hawksbill season has already begun on a positive note for the ICS team on Desroches Island. This week, they observed a female Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) successfully nesting in the bushes in front of a villa at the Four Seasons Hotel. After she laid her eggs, the team took the opportunity to check her tag, which, to their surprise, showed she had visited Desroches 15 years earlier! What’s more is that it laid eggs just a few meters away from its first nest location.

‘Once we realized it was a returning female turtle, we checked the GPS (Global Positioning System) data from our archives dating back to 2009, when ICS first arrived on the island, and were able to determine that it’s not just a returning turtle - it’s a turtle that had a special spot on the island where she wanted to lay eggs again!” said James Wareing, Assistant Conservation Officer of ICS on Desroches Island.
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Wareing stated that this is not just one of the oldest tagged turtles ICS has recorded on the island, but also for Seychelles. Since turtles lay clutches of eggs more than once, Wareing is confident that the female will return during this nesting season, which will end around March. He also noted that the nesting season has started fairly late on Desroches – around the middle of October, compared to August and September in previous years.
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“From our data, a late start in the season usually means that we will see fewer hawksbill turtles this year compared to other years. This highlights the need to continue conservation efforts,” added Wareing.  
On average, Desroches welcomes over 30 Hawksbills annually, with more than 100 nests recorded per year. This is significantly fewer than Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas), which lay eggs all year-round. Over 70 female Green Turtles nest on Desroches each year, totaling around 400 nests. Listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the number of Green Turtles on Desroches has nearly doubled since ICS began collecting data in 2009. In contrast, Hawksbill turtles remain Critically Endangered, making the return of another individual to a Seychelles island an event worth celebrating.

​The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a seabird that was once common on many islands of Seychelles. Like many species, it was wiped out following the arrival of humans, who hunted them for food. With Booby translating to ‘foolish’, its Creole name, ‘fou bet’, refers to how easy it was to catch these duck-sized birds. Today, several colonies still exist across various islands in Seychelles, with the primary breeding colony established on Farquhar Atoll.
 
In the Alphonse Group of Islands, Red-footed Boobies frequently visit St François Atoll, which spans approximately 5,400 hectares and includes both lagoon and reef flats. The Island Conservation Society (ICS) has been monitoring this species on Alphonse since 2007, and its population has consistently grown over that period.
Although Red-footed Boobies have been roosting on St Francois in the tens of thousands for many years, the first breeding attempt of this species within the Alphonse Group was recorded in 2019 on St François. By 2023, this number had grown to 15 pairs. This season, the conservation team has recorded an astounding 213 nests. With regular fledgling and failures, it is difficult to determine the exact breeding population, but this gives a valuable insight into the minimum number of breeding pairs.
 
Following the increase of nesting pairs, the team on Alphonse conducted a census of roosting individuals in September. Although a good number are present during the day, a majority return to the island in the late evening. Therefore, the team camped overnight on St François, conducting bird counts between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. at 63 plots across the island. All birds within each plot were counted, and numbers were then calculated across suitable habitat, resulting in an estimated total of 82,794 roosting individuals. With sea conditions causing a delay in the timing of the census, it did not coincide with the peak roosting season, which data suggests to be July/August.  This is thought to be the reason numbers were significantly lower compared to the last census conducted in July 2016, where over 250,000 roosting birds were estimated. The team plans to test this theory in the coming season if conditions allow.
 
Although the Red-footed Booby is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, several initiatives have been launched to monitor its movements. Research has explored its foraging behavior to guide marine protected area planning and conservation strategies across different sub-colonies in Seychelles. For ICS on Alphonse, monitoring the Red-footed Booby is essential for assessing population health, tracking trends, and evaluating the condition of marine ecosystems. These efforts also help protect the island, ensuring it remains a haven for these birds. By fostering awareness and appreciation for Seychelles’ biodiversity, this information will contribute significantly to the protection of the species, with the hope that St François will one day become another key breeding ground for the red-footed boobies.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 17, 2025

Island Conservation Society (ICS), author of the Environment Impact Assessment (ESIA) for Assomption, welcomes the decision of the present Government and the Ministry of Environment to issue a prohibition order to the developers in view of non-compliance and breaches of the several conditions of the ESIA. Whilst irreversible harm has already occurred due to the non-compliance with the conditions and mitigation measures set forth in the ESIA and the Notice of Acceptance (NOA), ICS is hopeful that measures can be implemented swiftly to begin assessment and rehabilitation of the ecosystems on the island. 

The completion of biodiversity assessments to fully document the flora and fauna of the island remains one of the most important aspects highlighted by the ESIA. Until a comprehensive assessment of the whole island covering the different seasons on the island has been completed it will be impossible to ensure that operational activities on the island do not pose additional dangers than those already impacted by the construction activities. 

ICS is confident that if the proper measures highlighted in the ESIA and supporting documents are implemented during both construction and operational phases of the development, both development and nature can coexist on the island and ICS is keen to support Government and the developers in their efforts to ensure that all the measures set forth in the ESIA and NOA are fully adhered to and completed to the highest level.

ICS which had previously been excluded from oversight over the biodiversity assessment and implementation of the biosecurity management plan, now looks forward to being actively engaged in the processes and the way forward with all other relevant stakeholders.

...............ENDS............

Born in a family of seven, Christopher (or Topher as he is affectionately called) spent most of his youth on Praslin Island, where he attended school. After two years at the Maritime Academy, he went to Alphonse and worked as a divemaster for 2years, then returned home and occasionally worked in construction with his dad. But the ocean continued to call.

“Every so often, I will spend a stint at sea with some company or other, but I was still unsure what I wanted to do,” said Christopher. At the maritime academy, he had spent his attachment onboard Lady Esme and Lady Genevieve, two cargo ships of the Islands Development Company (IDC), and to this day, he felt that it was this experience that truly made him fall in love with the Outer Islands of Seychelles.
Behind his sunglasses, it is not clear where his mind goes as he stands on the beach on the main island of the Alphonse Group. This tanned, dreadlocked young man is now in his forties and himself a father to a son. Christopher first arrived on Alphonse in 2002, where he worked as a dive master for two years. He did not stay for long, but who would have thought that Alphonse would have a hold on his heart?
After two years on Alphonse, like many young Seychellois yearning for a career at sea, Christopher joined the Indian Ocean Explorer for a diving trip in the outer islands. After that, he did some other odd jobs. And then destiny called.  

“In 2014, my mom told me that there was a position for a Ranger being advertised for Alphonse and Aride by the Islands Conservation Society (ICS). I did not have any preference for either island, but during the interview, I told them I had been to Alphonse already, and that made me successful for the post.”
Conservation was nothing new for Christopher. His mother is a well-known tour guide with expertise in the flora and fauna of Seychelles. His older brother had also worked on Aldabra atoll and D’Arros, so he was keen to expand his knowledge further.

This year, it would be 11 years since Christopher joined ICS, and during all this time, he has stayed permanently on Alphonse, climbing the ranks to Senior Conservation Ranger. 
As he navigates the mini-mahé through the “kannal lanmor” in a bid to reach the St Francois Atoll in time before the tide changes, Christopher shows a mastery of the current in the area that takes years to understand.

“I did not expect to stay this long, but compared to other islands, I found that there is more to learn here, especially in marine-related projects, and continuity is important for such projects, such as satellite tracking of Hawksbill & Green turtles, Red-footed boobies and Frigate, the BRUVs, etc.”

In the vast lagoon of St Francois, the shallow water teeming with large porcupine rays and juvenile sharks, Christopher guides his team to shore. Over 110 bird species have been recorded in the Alphonse Group, making it one of the richest birding sites in the Seychelles outside of Aldabra. Alphonse is also an important nesting and foraging ground for hawksbill and Green turtles, but the marine life is equally impressive, with sharks, rays, dolphins, and other megafauna such as whale sharks regularly spotted.

“I have snorkeled with humpback whales once and dived with bull sharks too!’ he added enthusiastically. “I am not scared of them. If you remain calm, they will come to check you out and leave.”  
Christopher has also had the chance to work on other expeditions, such as Pangea, which explored Cosmoledo, Astove, Providence, St. Pierre, and Farquhar.

After exchanging a few stories about his adventures, Christopher recounts that his best memories have been with the Ocean X, where he went on a submarine dive 1,000 meters below the sea. “I spent around 8 hours in that submarine, and the creatures we saw, including the Dumbo octopus, I have never seen in my life. It was simply amazing!”

Christopher is also grateful to all the Conservation Officers and Assistants, who have helped mold him into who he is. “I have been privileged to work with people who were selfless and ready to share their knowledge with me. In return, I have done the same to all who came to work with me.”
In his easy, polite, and wide-laugh manner, perhaps that comes with island life, Christopher says he might have to move closer to home and family soon.

With a tinge of sadness, he added. “I have no regrets. I have done so many things here, and I have enjoyed Alphonse. The island has become a second home to me.” But the regrets are there, for Christopher says he will be happy to come and help if needed. 

“When I started working on the Outer Islands, it was not easy, but I got used to missing birthdays and so many other things,” Christopher says. “I will not change anything if I could redo it all again. Working on the Outer Islands is a lifetime opportunity to visit and discover what many people will never get to see. It’s not easy, but it's not easy anywhere.”
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With a few wise words, Christopher enthusiastically starts the engine again. It’s time to go back. The ocean has been good to us. We have seen dolphins today. The ocean gives to those who love it back.