We traveled up the coast to
head out to the southern tip to a green sea turtle rescue aquarium. The area
was once rich with turtles but sadly they have been captured over the year for
food as well as their shells. Various groups have worked together to create
sanctuaries for the animals. They monitor the nesting grounds and when the
babies hatch, they bring the tiny turtles to the sanctuary where they stay for
approximately their first
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| Baby green sea turtle in "rest" position |
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| Looking for food! |
year of life. This allows them to be large enough to not be food for too many predators and gives them a good start in life. The aquarium monitors them for any ailments (there’s a fungus that seems to plague the animals) and isolates and treats any turtle that is afflicted. Once released, they will eventually return to the island where they were born to lay their own eggs in the future.
We did get a chance to feed
some of the larger turtles that for various reasons could not be released. They
certainly do clamor for attention, with the larger ones, of course, wanting the
majority of the food and attention!
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| Tortoise |
Prisoner Island seemed to
have been misnamed. The prison built on it was supposed to hold rebellious
slaves but it actually was never used for that. It did function as a quarantine
station for yellow fever and also saw use as a quarantine location for people
migrating to the islands. This place also included a tortoise sanctuary for the
Aldabra giant tortoises. These are not native to the area but were actually a
gift from the governor of the Seychelles. Sadly, once again, these animals were
hunted for their meat and shells! They are protected now, although they still
have to guard against poachers that regularly try to steal the animals. Babies
are always kept in a locked cage to protect them through their early life.
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