Aldabra Atoll, World Heritage Site in the Seychelles

The Seychelles is a country located on an isolated island about 640 km from the African continent.It is home to the Aldabra Atoll, which consists of four large atoll islands. Because it is located on an isolated island in an endless sea, many creatures have evolved on their own, and it is famous as the world’s largest habitat for the giant tortoise.

Here, a World Heritage enthusiast explains why Aldabra Atoll is a World Heritage Site in an easy-to-understand manner. Read this and you will definitely learn more about Aldabra Atoll!

What is Aldabra Atoll?

The Seychelles is an island nation consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Among them, Aldabra Atoll is the largest atoll, 350 km long, located in the Aldabra Archipelago in the northwestern part of the country.It is 640 km away from the African continent and has remained untouched since it was first inhabited in the 18th century.

Aldabra Atoll is known as the second largest atoll in the world and is a valuable spot for tracing the evolution of animals. The atoll consists of four islands totaling 350 square kilometers, or seven times the size of Tokyo Dome.

The atoll is home to the world’s largest population of giant tortoises, but it is also home to many endangered species, including green turtles and hawksbill turtles of the turtle family. When it was once a British territory, Darwin visited here and saw the diversity of flora and fauna, and even recommended its protection to the government.

Aldabra giant tortoise

Aldabra Atoll is home to the world’s largest elephant tortoise.These giant turtles, which measure up to 138 cm in length, live in grasslands and mangrove swamps.Perhaps because of their unusual appearance, overhunting led to the extinction of the elephant tortoise outside of Aldabra Atoll in the early 20th century. Therefore, they are properly protected by law in the Seychelles, and it is estimated that there are 152,000 elephant turtles living in Aldabra Atoll.

For what reason is Aldabra Atoll on the World Heritage List?

Aldabra Atoll was evaluated for the following

Registration Criteria (vii)
The point is that the beautiful atolls, consisting of four large atoll islands, are home to endemic species that have evolved on their own.

Registration Criteria (ix)
The fact that Aldabra Atoll is home to many uniquely evolved species and is also home to the world’s largest population of giant tortoises.

Registration Criteria (x)
The atoll is a breeding ground for the endangered green turtle and is also home to the endangered hawksbill turtle.

World Heritage Mania Conclusions and Comments

The atoll itself, consisting of four coral islands, is beautiful, but the most important point is that valuable animals, such as the giant tortoise, are protected here.Another point is that endangered species such as green turtles breed here.

Incidentally, elephant turtles are known to be very long-lived, and there is a record that they lived for 255 years! However, this is only a record and has no scientific basis. However, it is a fact that many individuals live for more than 100 years, and there is an image that they live longer than humans.

*The contents here are considerations derived from research conducted by World Heritage enthusiasts. As for the data, interpretation differs depending on the media.