About Aldabra

Located over 1,000 kilometers from Mahé, the capital of the Seychelles, Aldabra is part of the Outer Islands, an archipelago of atolls and islets still largely unexplored. Comprising four large islands surrounding one of the world’s largest lagoons, Aldabra is renowned for its turquoise waters and exceptional biodiversity.

An Isolated Natural Sancturay

Living Ark of The Indian Ocean

The atoll is home to unique marine and terrestrial ecosystems: coral reefs, mangrove wetlands and a remarkable fauna, including:

  • Aldabra giant tortoise
  • Aldabra rail
  • Green turtle
  • Dugong
  • Frigatebirds
  • Phaetons
  • Blacktip reef shark
  • Coconut crab
  • Red-footed booby
  • Aldabra striped snail
  • Crab Plover and Aldabra Drongo

More than 270 plant species, many of them endemic, as well as a high concentration of nesting seabirds.

Aldabra’s Fragile Balance

Plastic pollution

The Indian Ocean accumulates a large quantity of plastic waste, with an estimated 513 tonnes on Aldabra (Koldewey et al., (2020)). Cosmoledo, exposed to the same currents, could also be heavily impacted, although no systematic study has yet been carried out.

Microplastics and pathogenic bacteria

Microplastics, present everywhere, carry toxins and pathogenic micro-organisms, forming a potentially harmful “plastisphere” that threatens local ecosystems.

Other major threats

  • Invasive species (rats, feral cats, exotic plants).
  • Climate change (rising sea levels, ocean warming, rainfall disruption).
  • Risk of oil spills due to proximity to major shipping lanes.

70 years of Scientific Heritage

From Cousteau to Monaco

  • 1955 – Jacques-Yves Cousteau expedition: Exploration and filming of the documentary “The Silent World” and writing of the book “Aldabra, Coral Sanctuary”.
  • 1960 – David Stoddart expedition: study of giant tortoise populations on Aldabra Island.
  • 1970 – Creation of a research station: Established by the Royal Society of London on Picard Island for in-depth studies.
  • 2019 – Aldabra Clean-Up Project expedition: 25 tonnes of plastic waste collected in collaboration with Queen’s College Oxford.
  • 2022 – Monaco Explorations: Study on the resilience of coral reefs with the participation of Prince Albert II.

Despite these expeditions, scientific data on anthropogenic impacts on Aldabra remains limited, as does media content highlighting the beauty and fragility of this World Heritage site. This situation limits global awareness of the atoll’s major ecological challenges.