Made up of the coastal waters of three continents encircling many exotic islands, the Indian Ocean has an incredible variety of marine wildlife.
Hugging the coastline of Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique are some of the planet’s most stunning coral reefs, combining to create one of Earth’s largest fringing reefs that nourish huge populations of tropical fish, dugongs, sea turtles and sharks.
Tropical fish such as butterfly fish, angel fish and squirrel fish amongst others are found in the reefs of the inner islands of the Seychelles as well as invertebrates such as octopus and spiny lobster and nudibranchs like Spanish dancer. The outer islands of the Seychelles are a haven for larger specimens with stingrays, giant grouper and reef sharks, and even hammerhead sharks have been spotted.
The thousand of tropical islands that make up the Maldives form an archipelago of atolls, made up of live coral reefs and sandbars sat upon a sharp underwater ridge. Each atoll consists of a coral reef that surrounds a lagoon, with deep channels separating the reef ring. The reefs of the islands, brimming with marine life and colourful corals, protect the islands from wind and wave action of the encompassing oceans. The waters themselves are habitat for a number of small marine animals and microscopic plant cells, present as a result of the monsoon tides, which in turn attracts larger species that come to feast on the plenitude of food. Tiny shrimps, tropical fish, sharks and manta rays all glide through the warm island waters.
Five of the seven species of turtle on earth are found in the Maldives; the islands are the ultimate snorkelling and diving paradise. On Cousine Island, find Giant tortoises roam free from September to March and November to January, hawksbill turtles nest along the sandy coastline. 2,200 giant Aldabra tortoises roam freely through the forest of Fregate Island, and hawksbill and green turtles can be seen as they come to nest on the shores from October to January. The Aladabra is home to the heaviest land tortoise in the world, which can live to 200 years old and weighs a massive 300kg.
On this incredible journey through both Madagascar and Mauritius there is a brilliant balance between the active and relaxed, and between the natural world (lemurs, chameleons and giant tortoises) and the marine world (dolphins, whales and snorkelling) .
The Maldives are made up of 1,000 or more tropical islands, which form an archipelago of 26 atolls stretching across 90,000 square kilometres of azure waters of the Indian Ocean. The atolls are formed of live coral reefs and sand bars, sat upon a sharp underwater ridge that rises from the depths creating this unique and special natural phenomenon. Each atoll consists of a coral reef that surrounds a lagoon, with deep channels separating the reef ring. The reefs of the islands, brimming with marine life and colourful corals, protect the islands from wind and wave action of the encompassing oceans. The waters themselves are habitat for a number of small marine animals and microscopic plant cells, present as a result of the monsoon tides, which in turn attracts larger species that come to feast on the plenitude of food. Tiny shrimps, tropical fish, sharks and manta rays all glide through the warm island waters. Five of the seven species of turtle on earth are found in the Maldives; the islands are the ultimate snorkelling and diving paradise.
Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 granite and coral islands spanning miles across the Indian Ocean. The innermost islands are granite outcrops that pierce turquoise waters forming rugged peaks covered in dense rainforests. A beautiful pristine environment, these alluring islands are also home to an abundance of rare indigenous animals, plants and birds, and conservation is a top priority. Almost 50% of its landmass is devoted to national parks and reserves. Seychelles is the proud owner of two magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the infamous Valleé de Mai on Praslin where the interestingly shaped and endemic coco-de-mer nut is found growing on ancient palms; and the fabled Aldabra, the biggest raised atoll in the world. The Aladabra is home to the heaviest land tortoise in the world, which can live to 200 years old and weighs a massive 300kg. Other endemic species include possibly the smallest frog in the world, Gardiner’s tree frog, and the only flightless bird of the Indian Ocean, the white throated rail. The underwater world of the Seychelles is equally if not more prolific. Tropical fish such as butterfly fish, angel fish and squirrel fish amongst others are found in the reefs of the inner islands as well as invertebrates such as octopus and spiny lobster and nudibranchs like Spanish dancer. The outer islands are a haven for larger specimens with stingrays, giant grouper and reef sharks, and even hammerhead sharks have been spotted.
Mauritius, a rocky volcanic protrusion, sits in the pristine turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. Like other islands in the Indian Ocean, there are many endemic species, of which some have come very close to extinction. The pink pigeon, the echo parakeet, the world’s rarest pigeon and parrot respectively, and the Mauritius kestrel, once the world’s rarest bird, are just some examples of the endangered species on the island. Conservation efforts have increased in recent years and the introduction of National Parks has proved vital to their survival. Mauritius boasts 110 square kilometres of national park with the greater part of this occupied by the Black River Gorges. Mammals are rare on the island, with the Mauritius flying fox, and the Rodrigues flying fox, two distinct species of fruit bat being the only notable mammals.
There are many small native reptiles found on the island, including skink lizards and various types of gecko. The once present domed and saddle-backed giant tortoises are now extinct but the Aldabra giant tortoise, a native of the Seychelles, can be found in captivity in the nature reserves. Mauritius is almost completely surrounded by an incredible coral reef providing a habitat for a great variety of brightly coloured fish including trumpet fish, boxfish as well as the playful clownfish.
