Aldabra
Aldabra is the world's second-largest raised coral atoll — a 34 km ring of razor-sharp fossil limestone and mangrove lagoon 1,150 km southwest of Mahé, so hostile to landing that it survived the age of sail nearly intact. It is the last refuge of the Indian Ocean's giant tortoises, some 100,000 of them, alongside the region's last flightless bird and the largest frigatebird colony in the Indian Ocean. Twice it has been saved by people who spoke up — by Darwin's petition in 1874 and by the scientists who stopped a military airfield in 1967 — and this archive follows that story to the third fight, the one @friendsofaldabra is running right now against a luxury resort on the island next door.
A chronological documentary of 1,033 moments spanning 123,000 BC–10,000 BC on Loreline.
last updated 2026-07-31
Eras
- The Lore of Aldabra — How a drowned limestone platform in the western Indian Ocean became the last place on Earth where Indian Ocean giant tortoises still walk free. Arab navigators, a Darwin petition, a military airfield that was almost built, and a World Heritage listing.
- The Wild Atoll — What the campaign is actually defending: the species profiles, the tortoises and rails and frigatebirds, the reef and the mangroves, and the photography that makes the case without an argument.
- The Development — The six-star resort rising on Assomption Island, 27 km from Aldabra — its Qatari backers, the dredging and bulldozing, the pipe across the turtle beach, and the sustainability language wrapped around all of it.
- Government & Politics — Seychelles politics as the fight ran through it: the Planning Authority, two presidents, the stop notice and the variation notice that quietly undid it, and the 2025 election that turned on this island.
- The Legal Fight — The fight through institutions — the constitutional petition filed under Article 38, the failed impact-assessment process, the permits, and the Public Commission of Inquiry that put it all on the record.
- UNESCO & the World — Aldabra is a World Heritage Site, and the campaign spent two years asking the body that listed it to say something. Also the IUCN congress, UNOC, COP and the international coalitions that did answer.
- Voices of Seychelles — Seychellois people speaking for themselves — scientists, seafarers, fishers, students and campaigners, in interview series and unscripted clips.
- Media Coverage — When the story broke out of Instagram: the BBC, Today in Seychelles, SBC, newsletters, podcasts and the year-in-headlines recaps.
- Take Action — The asks and the machinery behind them — petitions and signature milestones, consultation deadlines, letter templates, memes made for sharing, and thank-yous to the people who showed up.
- — The Atoll Drowns. During the Last Interglacial high stand the whole of Aldabra went under, wiping out every land animal on it — a total ecological reset that later made the atoll a natural laboratory for watching recolonisation happen from scratch. The Aldabra Limestone that forms the land surface today has been radiometrically dated to roughly 118,000–136,000 years old.
- — The Limestone Comes Back Up. As glacial sea levels fell the platform emerged again and rainwater began dissolving it into the two terrain types that define Aldabra: "champignon", a pitted mushroom-rock surface so sharp it shreds boots, and flatter "platin" cut with pools. That terrain is the single biggest reason the atoll was never farmed, settled or built on.
- — A Rail Loses Flight, and the Sea Takes It. Fossils from before the inundation show a Dryolimnas rail had already lost the power of flight on Aldabra once, and was annihilated when the atoll submerged. The same lineage later flew back in from Madagascar and lost flight a second time — the clearest case of iterative evolution known in birds.
- — Tortoises Drift In and Restock an Empty Atoll. Once emergent again, Aldabra was restocked by giant tortoises drifting in from Madagascar and by rails, ibises and drongos flying the gap. The Aldabrachelys lineage had split from the extinct Madagascan A. abrupta some 4.5 million years earlier — but nothing living on the atoll today is older than this recolonisation.
- — Arab Traders Reach the Aldabra Group. The Seychelles Islands Foundation dates the first reported human contact with Aldabra to Arab traders in 916 AD, working the routes between the Swahili coast and the Indies. The attribution is traditional — no primary Arab document naming the atoll in that year has been traced — but the name they left behind stuck.
- — The Name Enters the Charts. Aldabra is an Arabic name carried into European use by Portuguese navigators, though the sources disagree on which word: SIF gives Al-Khadra, "the green", while others derive it from the harsh, sun-baked character of the place. Both readings survive; the atoll is green and it is merciless, so neither is obviously wrong.
- — Portuguese Ships Sight the Atoll. Portuguese vessels working the Mozambique Channel route recorded Aldabra in 1511, and it appears on Portuguese maps through the sixteenth century. The year is the conventional figure rather than a documented landfall — no named Portuguese chart pins it — and nobody stayed, because there is no anchorage and almost no fresh water.
- — Lazare Picault Makes the First French Visit. The French captain Lazare Picault, sent from Mauritius to reconnoitre the islands that would become the Seychelles, made what SIF records as the earliest documented visit to Aldabra. The largest island of the atoll still carries his name — Picard — and so does the settlement on it.
- — The Charles and the Elizabeth Chart the Islands. A running survey made from the boat Charles and the tartan Elizabeth produced the first detailed plan of the Aldabra islands, later engraved and published by the East India Company hydrographer Alexander Dalrymple. It is the oldest genuinely usable picture of the atoll that exists.
- — Aldabra Passes to Britain. After the capture of Mauritius and Mahé in the Napoleonic Wars, Aldabra passed with the rest of the Seychelles into British hands. Every later concession, lease and protection order over the atoll runs through the colonial government at Port Louis — including the one Darwin would petition sixty years later.
- — Schweigger Names the Giant Tortoise. August Friedrich Schweigger formally described the animal as Testudo gigantea — the name that, after a bruising nomenclature fight, the ICZN finally conserved in 2013 as the basis of Aldabrachelys gigantea. Naming it mattered: it made the tortoise a scientific object at the exact moment sailors were eating the last of its relatives.
- — Every Other Indian Ocean Giant Tortoise Is Gone. The giant tortoises of Mauritius, Rodrigues, Réunion and the granitic Seychelles were eaten out by passing crews who stacked them alive in the hold as fresh meat that kept for months without food or water. By about 1840 all of them were extinct except the Aldabra population, which survived for one reason: the atoll was murderously hard to land on.
- — Two Ships Take Twelve Hundred Tortoises. In a single reported season two vessels removed 1,200 giant tortoises from Aldabra. The atoll had become the last larder in the ocean, and the harvest was running at a rate the population could not absorb.
- — Darwin Signs the Petition to Save the Tortoises. When Mauritius announced a mangrove-timber industry on Aldabra, Charles Darwin, Joseph Hooker, Richard Owen and other naturalists petitioned Governor Arthur Hamilton Gordon, arguing the tortoises were "a contemporary of the Dodo and Solitaire" and of great scientific interest as survivors of a past geological age. The timber scheme was dropped, and logging rights were later granted only on condition the tortoises were left unharmed. No day is recorded for the petition — only the month.
- — Günther Publishes on the Mascarene Giants. Albert Günther of the British Museum, the scientific engine behind the Darwin petition, published in Nature on the Mascarene and Galápagos giant tortoises, documenting how close the Indian Ocean animals had come to disappearing. His 1877 monograph on the museum's giant land-tortoises fixed the whole group in the scientific record.
- — Wharton Charts Aldabra for the Admiralty. W. J. L. Wharton, later Hydrographer of the Navy, carried out survey work that fixed the atoll's shape, passes and anchorages for the next century. The Admiralty sheet covering Aldabra, Cosmoledo and Farquhar dates from the following year and was still the working chart when the airfield surveyors arrived in the 1960s.
- — Forty Norwegians Try to Settle the Atoll. A party of 27 adults and 13 children sailed from Bergen to colonise Aldabra. The settlement failed quickly — there is essentially no soil, no reliable fresh water, and the limestone will not take a plough. No picture of the expedition itself survives; this is Vågen, the Bergen harbour they sailed from, crowded with the same class of small two-masted vessel.
- — The First Permanent Settlement. Jules Cauvin established the first lasting settlement on Aldabra under concession, working mangrove timber, turtles and fish with imported labour. Continuous human occupation of the atoll dates from here, and the camp on Picard is still called Settlement.
- — The Lessee Bans Tortoise Killing. The concessionaire James Spurs prohibited killing the tortoises on the atoll he leased — an extraordinary act for a commercial operator in 1891, and by most accounts the single intervention that saved the population. Conservation on Aldabra began as a lessee's house rule, not as government policy.
- — W. L. Abbott Collects on Aldabra. The American naturalist William Louis Abbott made the first of the four great collecting expeditions to the atoll, gathering the flora and fauna material that put Aldabra on the scientific map. The endemic sacred ibis of the atoll, Threskiornis bernieri abbotti, carries his name.
- — Voeltzkow Spends a Month on the Atoll. The German zoologist Alfred Voeltzkow worked on Aldabra for just over a month, making the first known collection of Entomostraca from the atoll and adding to the reef-geology picture. His Indian Ocean work fed straight into the long argument over how atolls form. The chart he published from that visit keys three symbols: Mr Spurs’ settlement, where he found the tortoises, and the anchorage of his own ship.
- — Three Days of Searching for One Tortoise. By the turn of the century the population had been pushed so low that a visiting crew could hunt for three days before finding a single animal. Everything the atoll holds today — around 100,000 tortoises — is a recovery from that floor.
- — Keller Publishes His Map of the Islands. The Swiss zoologist Conrad Keller published a detailed map of the Aldabra group in his work on the East African islands — the clearest cartographic picture of the atoll before aerial survey, showing the four main islands and the channels between them essentially as they are today.
- — The Dupont Expedition. The third of the four foundational collecting trips added further flora and fauna material from the atoll. Together with Abbott, Voeltzkow and Fryer, these four expeditions supplied nearly everything science knew about Aldabra before the 1960s.
- — The Percy Sladen Trust Expedition Reaches Aldabra. J. C. F. Fryer worked the atoll as part of J. Stanley Gardiner's Percy Sladen Trust Expedition, which used HMS Sealark and produced decades of published monographs on the region. Fieldwork closed when Fryer and Hugh Scott sailed home on 29 March, Scott carrying more than 40,000 insects.
- — The Birds Start Going Too. By 1928 the small labour force working the atoll was taking sea and land birds at a rate that put several species at risk of local extinction, on top of decades of turtle and sea-cucumber extraction. A tiny resident workforce quietly stripping a huge unwatched atoll is a pattern that persisted into the 1960s.
- — Aldabra Is Cut Out of the Seychelles. Britain detached Aldabra, Farquhar and Desroches from the Seychelles, and the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius, to create the British Indian Ocean Territory — a colony assembled specifically to host Anglo-American military facilities east of Suez. Aldabra's near-destruction begins with this administrative act.
- — Two Scientists Fly In With the Military Survey. The Royal Society arranged for David Stoddart of Cambridge and Chris Wright of the Natural History Museum to accompany the military and BBC survey teams to Aldabra and report on its ecology. Their preliminary report became the evidence base for everything that followed.
- — The Royal Society Memorandum Against the Airfield. The Council of the Royal Society told the Ministry of Defence in a twenty-three-page memorandum that Aldabra was "one of the last elevated reef islands remaining essentially unaltered by man", and that an airfield would cause considerable changes to its animal and plant life. It was an unusually direct intervention by the Society in a live defence procurement decision.
- — The Americans Join the Fight. Opposition crossed the Atlantic: the Smithsonian Institution came out against the scheme, and the US National Academy of Sciences said it had persuaded the Defense Department to press London for an alternative staging post. It is an early case of a transnational scientific lobby beating a defence ministry.
- — The Commons Debates the Staging Post. The airfield reached the floor of the House of Commons under the heading "Island of Aldabra (Staging Post)" — the moment a scientific argument about a coral atoll turned into a parliamentary fight over defence spending east of Suez.
- — Sterling Is Devalued and the Budget Cracks. The devaluation of the pound forced an emergency review of public expenditure, and the Aldabra airfield — already under sustained scientific attack, with costs rising as survey work deepened — became an obvious casualty. The atoll was saved by an argument about ecology and a run on the currency at the same time.
- — Wilson Tells the Commons Aldabra Will Not Proceed. In the Economic Situation statement Harold Wilson said: "In overseas terms, we have decided not to proceed with the Aldabra project — the establishment of a staging post in the British Indian Ocean territory." Earlier that same day Denis Healey had refused to answer written questions about frigatebird strikes and airfield walls, telling members to wait for the Prime Minister.
- — The Royal Society Expedition Documents the Atoll. With Stoddart in charge, the Royal Society mounted the full expedition the campaign had promised, producing the body of work later published as a dedicated Philosophical Transactions volume and an Atoll Research Bulletin series. Aldabra went from barely known to one of the best-described tropical islands on Earth in about five years.
- — The Royal Society Buys the Lease. Rather than leave the atoll open to the next commercial or military proposal, the Royal Society acquired the lease outright — an extraordinary move for a learned society, and the mechanism that turned a protest victory into permanent protection.
- — The Research Station Opens on Picard. Construction begun in 1969 finished with a permanent station at Settlement, giving scientists year-round presence on an atoll that had been visited perhaps four times in a century. Continuous occupation by researchers is what makes Aldabra's long-run monitoring datasets possible at all.
- — Aldabra Returns to the Seychelles. With Seychelles independence, Aldabra, Farquhar and Desroches were detached from the British Indian Ocean Territory and handed back, leaving BIOT as the Chagos Archipelago alone. Aldabra escaped the fate of Diego Garcia by a margin of about nine years.
- — The Seychelles Islands Foundation Is Created. SIF was established by presidential decree as a public trust to manage Aldabra on behalf of the nation, taking over from the Royal Society. It remains the atoll's sole manager, running the station, the rangers and every monitoring programme on it.
- — The Royal Society Hands Over the Station. The Royal Society transferred the Picard research station to SIF, completing the move from British scientific custody to Seychellois national management. It is the reason Aldabra is not a foreign-run reserve inside an independent country.
- — Aldabra Is Gazetted a Special Reserve. Under the Seychelles National Parks and Nature Conservancy legislation the atoll became a Special Reserve — the country's strictest protected-area category, banning extraction and requiring a permit for any landing. This is the domestic legal spine that World Heritage status was later layered on top of.
- — UNESCO Inscribes Aldabra as a World Heritage Site. Aldabra was listed under natural criteria (vii), (ix) and (x) as an outstanding raised coral atoll and a natural laboratory for evolutionary and ecological processes, covering 35,000 hectares. It was one of the earliest natural sites inscribed anywhere in Africa — and the designation the campaign of the 2020s keeps holding up.
- — BirdLife Names Aldabra an Important Bird Area. The designation recognised the largest frigatebird breeding colony in the Indian Ocean — second largest in the world — alongside red-footed boobies, the endemic drongo, the endemic rail and the Aldabra sacred ibis. Long-term tortoise monitoring also began this year and has run continuously since.
- — The 1998 Bleaching Kills Two-Thirds of the Shallow Coral. The 1997–98 El Niño, the strongest since 1950, drove mass bleaching across the Western Indian Ocean; at Aldabra coral mortality reached about 66% at 10 m depth and 38% at 20 m. Five years later, despite high recruitment, hard-coral cover still had not meaningfully recovered.
- — Eighteen Flightless Rails Are Carried Back to Picard. The Aldabra rail had been wiped off Picard by introduced cats; eighteen birds were carried over from Malabar to re-found the population. By 2013 a survey counted 2,765 rails on Picard alone, with the atoll-wide population estimated at around 10,000 breeding pairs.
- — The Aldabra Banded Snail Is Declared Extinct. Rhachistia aldabrae, endemic to the atoll, was pronounced extinct and widely cited as one of the first molluscs lost to climate-driven drying — a claim that carried a lot of weight in the conservation literature, and one the atoll would complicate seven years later.
- — Aldabra Becomes a Ramsar Wetland. The atoll's roughly 2,000 hectares of mangrove and its 200 km² shallow lagoon were listed under the Ramsar Convention, adding a wetland-specific protection layer on top of the Special Reserve and World Heritage designations. Aldabra now carries about as many protective labels as any place on Earth.
- — Forty Years of Data Show the Green Turtles Coming Back. Analysis of nesting records from 1968 to 2008 documented a 500–800% increase in nesting green turtles at Aldabra, to roughly 3,100–5,225 females a year — the second-largest nesting population in the Western Indian Ocean, and one of the clearest demonstrations anywhere that simply stopping the harvest works.
- — Solar Power Replaces the Station's Diesel. A 25 kWp hybrid photovoltaic-diesel system was installed at the research station; in its first year it supplied 94% of the station's electricity and cut diesel demand by 97%. Every drum of fuel had to be shipped 1,150 km, so this was as much a logistics fix as an environmental one.
- — The Last Feral Goats Are Removed. A programme running roughly 25 years finally eradicated the goats that had been browsing the atoll's vegetation since the settlement era — one of the largest goat eradications attempted on any tropical island. Native vegetation recovery on Malabar and Grande Terre follows from this.
- — The Red-Whiskered Bulbul Is Eradicated. SIF removed the introduced red-whiskered bulbul from Aldabra, and from neighbouring Assumption the following year, closing off a seed-dispersal route for invasive plants. The same year SIF launched a standing marine monitoring programme for coral and reef fish.
- — The Extinct Snail Is Found Alive on Malabar. Seven years after being declared extinct, Rhachistia aldabrae was rediscovered on Malabar Island — a rare and widely reported reversal that also complicated the climate-extinction claim built on it. Aldabra was designated an IOSEA marine turtle site the same year.
- — India and Seychelles Sign the Assumption Island Deal. An agreement to build Indian military facilities, including an airstrip, on Assumption Island — 27 km from Aldabra — was signed during Narendra Modi's visit to Seychelles. Conservationists immediately warned about biosecurity and disturbance risk to the World Heritage site next door. It is the first time Assumption becomes the fight.
- — The 2016 Bleaching Strips Half the Reef Again. The global 2015–16 bleaching event killed roughly 35% of lagoon coral at 2 m and 54–55% on the seaward reef. Aldabra's isolation then showed in the recovery: by 2019 lagoon hard-coral cover was back to 93% of pre-bleaching levels, against 54% at eastern seaward sites.
- — Parliament Blocks the Assumption Island Base. A revised India–Seychelles agreement signed in January 2018 collapsed when the opposition-controlled National Assembly said it would not ratify it, with proximity to the Aldabra World Heritage site among the stated objections. In 2020 the then opposition leader Wavel Ramkalawan declared the agreement dead — the second time public pressure stopped a project on Assumption.
- — Seychelles Issues the World's First Sovereign Blue Bond. Building on a 2016 debt-for-nature swap brokered by The Nature Conservancy, Seychelles launched the first sovereign blue bond with the World Bank — the financing structure that became the largest national-level funder of Aldabra's management. Conservation money for the atoll now comes out of restructured national debt.
- — The Clean-Up Project Lifts Twenty-Five Tonnes of Plastic. SIF, The Queen's College Oxford and young Seychellois volunteers ran a five-week expedition that removed roughly 25 tonnes of plastic from the atoll's shores — flip-flops, fishing gear and bottles washed in from thousands of kilometres away. Their own estimate was that over 500 tonnes remained.
- — The Rail That Evolved Flightlessness Twice. Julian Hume and David Martill published fossil evidence that a flightless Dryolimnas existed on Aldabra before the atoll's inundation, and that the recolonising birds independently lost flight again afterwards. It is the first documented case of iterative evolution in rails and one of the strongest in the entire bird record.
- — Seychelles Protects Thirty Percent of Its Ocean. Seychelles announced the final marine protected area designations that took its protected share of the exclusive economic zone from 0.04% to 30%, delivering on the debt-swap commitment. The waters around Aldabra fall in the strictest tier, with all extractive use — fishing and petroleum exploration alike — banned.
- — The Research Station Turns Fifty. SIF marked half a century of continuous research presence at Settlement with a time-capsule ceremony, closing a fifty-year arc from the airfield fight to permanent Seychellois-run science on the atoll.
- — SIF Sets Out to Remove the Rats and Cats. SIF announced its intention to eradicate rats and cats from Aldabra — an operation that would be the largest rodent eradication ever attempted in mangrove forest and among the largest on any tropical island. Rats and cats are the last major reason parts of the atoll cannot hold rails, seabirds or hatchling tortoises.
- — The Plastic Is Coming From Somewhere Else. A drift-modelling study concluded that most plastic debris landing on Seychelles beaches, Aldabra included, originates from distant sources rather than local ones. The atoll cannot clean its way out of the problem: the 25 tonnes lifted in 2019 will keep being replaced.
- — The RaCE Feasibility Team Deploys. SIF began recruiting crew leads and technicians for the Aldabra Rat and Cat Eradication project, embedding a team on the atoll for two years inside a three-year study to determine whether eradication is achievable across that terrain at all. It is a rare conservation project that budgets years just to decide whether the operation is possible.
- — Fifty-One Years of Shoreline Data. Comparing imagery across 51 years, researchers found a low average rate of shoreline change on the raised atoll — evidence that Aldabra's limestone rim is far more stable against sea-level rise than the low sand cays around it. The geology that kept the settlers out is now what makes it durable.
- — Friends of Aldabra Starts Posting. A youth-led coalition of Seychellois and international campaigners begins publishing on Instagram against a Qatari-funded luxury resort under construction on Assomption Island, 27 km from Aldabra. The first post goes up on 20 October 2024; everything in the segments that follow is their own archive of the third fight over these islands.
- — There is a lot of contradictions to the environmental practices, policies and agenda…. here in Seychelles. Sophie dives into this and how it has and will continue to impact so many aspects of our community. Check out the full video on 👉🏽 our Youtube channel, this topic effects us all! : : : #Seychelles #SeychellesIslands #EnvironmentalConcern #SeychellesEnvironment
- — Wake-Up Call for Seychelles!. ! 🌍 Watch now, full video on YouTube! The Cheval Blanc Hill View Resort claims to be sustainable, but our latest investigation reveals a shocking reality that endangers our precious ecosystems. 🌊🐢 From wetland destruction to threats against endangered turtles, the evidence is undeniable. This isn’t just about one resort; it’s a wake-up call for all of us to demand accountability and protect our natural heritage. 🔥 Watch the full video on YouTube to discover the urgent issues at stake and find out how you can take action! Together, we can make a difference and ensure that our beautiful Seychelles is preserved for future generations. Every voice counts! 💚 🔗 Link in bio #Seychelles #EnvironmentalJustice #ChevalBlanc #ActNow #MarineConservation #SustainableFuture
- — Aldabra is an isolated and protected sanctuary —a UNESCO World Heritage Site, standing…. as one of the rarest examples of a thriving coral atoll ecosystem. Construction on nearby Assomption Island is set to begin, threatening Aldabra’s delicate ecosystem and endangering one of Earth’s last nearly untouched marine treasures. Losing Aldabra would be devastating not just for the Seychelles, but for us all. I urge you to share this, talk about this and SIGN THE PETITION: http://bit.ly/savealdabra We must act now to protect this global treasure, before it’s too late. 🌍🌊 #SaveAldabra #ProtectOurOceans #GlobalHeritage #AldabraAtRisk Credits: This video includes footage from the following sources: * “One of the Most Isolated Ecoregions in the World, ALDABRA: Seychelles: Amazing Planet (4K) 2023” posted by Amazing Planet / Filip Kulisev on YouTube * “SBC GRAN REPORTAZ ASSOMPTION LOTEL SIS ZETWAL 17-10-2024” posted by SBC on YouTube * Frances A Benstrong * Esthel Didon
- — From pristine beaches to lush ecosystems, Seychelles’ beauty is breathtaking—but…. it’s also vulnerable. With the constant threat of destructive developments to pollution, Seychelles’ natural treasures face mounting pressures. 🌴💧 But hope isn’t lost! 🇸🇨✨ ➡️ Check out the full video on our YouTube channel as Jeremy dives into this topic, and how the threats & damages facing the outer islands is something we all need to fight and advocate against! : : : #Seychelles #SeychellesIslands #FightForSeychelles #ProtectSeychelles
- — The Aldabra Islands, one of Earth’s last untouched ecosystems, face a new threat from… · Nov 2024. 🌍🐢 The Aldabra Islands, one of Earth’s last untouched ecosystems, face a new threat from a luxury development.🚨 We’re calling on the Seychelles government to STOP the construction and protect this natural treasure once and for all. Twice before, public pressure has successfully saved these islands, proving that when people speak up and act, conservation can win. Join us – be the generation that protects the Aldabra Islands forever. Sign the petition in bio! ✍️ #FriendsOfAldabra
- — Help us stop the construction and protect the Aldabra Islands once and for all! (1/9). Help us stop the construction and protect the Aldabra Islands once and for all! Add your voice to the petition in our bio! ✍️ #FriendsOfAldabra #UNESCO
- — Help us stop the construction and protect the Aldabra Islands once and for all! (2/9). Help us stop the construction and protect the Aldabra Islands once and for all! Add your voice to the petition in our bio! ✍️ #FriendsOfAldabra #UNESCO
- — Help us stop the construction and protect the Aldabra Islands once and for all! (3/9). Help us stop the construction and protect the Aldabra Islands once and for all! Add your voice to the petition in our bio! ✍️ #FriendsOfAldabra #UNESCO
- — Help us stop the construction and protect the Aldabra Islands once and for all! (4/9). Help us stop the construction and protect the Aldabra Islands once and for all! Add your voice to the petition in our bio! ✍️ #FriendsOfAldabra #UNESCO
- — Help us stop the construction and protect the Aldabra Islands once and for all! (5/9). Help us stop the construction and protect the Aldabra Islands once and for all! Add your voice to the petition in our bio! ✍️ #FriendsOfAldabra #UNESCO
- — Help us stop the construction and protect the Aldabra Islands once and for all! (7/9). Help us stop the construction and protect the Aldabra Islands once and for all! Add your voice to the petition in our bio! ✍️ #FriendsOfAldabra #UNESCO
- — Help us stop the construction and protect the Aldabra Islands once and for all! (6/9). Help us stop the construction and protect the Aldabra Islands once and for all! Add your voice to the petition in our bio! ✍️ #FriendsOfAldabra #UNESCO
- — Help us stop the construction and protect the Aldabra Islands once and for all! (8/9). Help us stop the construction and protect the Aldabra Islands once and for all! Add your voice to the petition in our bio! ✍️ #FriendsOfAldabra #UNESCO
- — Help us stop the construction and protect the Aldabra Islands once and for all! (9/9). Help us stop the construction and protect the Aldabra Islands once and for all! Add your voice to the petition in our bio! ✍️ #FriendsOfAldabra #UNESCO
- — Full English version.. It wasn’t easy to speak up, but my community freed me to. You too can speak up & ask questions, #Seychellois this is your heritage. We must exercise our rights: Articles 22 (Freedom of expression) & 38 (Right to a safe #environment) & fundamental duty: (e) to protect, preserve & improve the environment. When I was home, I was asked a tough & valid question: “Is it worth fighting for #Seychelles' environment abroad when projects like those on #Assomption disregard rules & destroy our environment?" I did everything I could not to shed a tear. It’s the right question & one I have spent many sleepless nights over. As someone representing Seychelles, I cannot stay silent on such #environmentalinjustice. It's like fighting a fire abroad while my home burns. I must fight for both, but home comes first. If I didn’t, I would be hollow & not live up to what has been entrusted to me. Seeing others defend #Asssomption & understanding this development’s implications for #Aldabra & #Seychelles, reminds me of my duty. I owe much to #Aldabra & speaking truth to power. I hope my voice lends itself to the voiceless & those in government, & civil society who know there are serious issues here. People have spoken out. But speaking out has a price. Some face bans, others fear for their jobs. I fear there is intimidation & silencing taking place. Like many, I submitted my concerns to the @m_a_c_c_e on the Proposed Tourism Development on Assomption Island. Chief among my concerns was biosecurity whereby although there are procedures since 2015, I have not seen them implemented, this was a grave threat to Assomption & Aldabra. This & other aspects of the project, especially speed, well documented by @sbc.sc Gran Reportaz should make us all pause. But is this happening? I am not against development, we need it (it could even allow restoration). But we need good development, which benefits our people & heritage d. Bad development leaves people behind, creates problems, & erodes trust.
- — Join us and be a friend of Aldabra!. ! Add your voice to our petition and help us protect this treasure — link in bio! ✍️🐢 #UNESCO #FriendsofAldabra
- — Aldabra needs you This isn’t just about the Seychelles-It’s about protecting one of…. the last truly wild places on Earth. Aldabra is a rare sanctuary, preserved by it’s isolation, and it’s protection is a responsibility we all share. But with construction on nearby Assomption Island moving forward, that isolation - and everything it protects - is at risk. Once Aldabra is gone, it’s gone forever. We need to act now. Your voice truly matters, now more than ever. Links to the petition in our bios 🩵 #savealdabra #globalheritage #aldabrapetition #aldabra #aldabratortoise #aldabragianttortoise #aldabraatoll
- — The real question is.... Should any business be allowed to privatize the ocean? 🌊 Keith dives into this pressing issue, highlighting the complex intersection of commerce, conservation, and our responsibility to the environment. 🌍 He raises thought-provoking points about the consequences of treating the ocean as a private resource rather than a shared global commons. Watch the full video 👀 on our YouTube to explore the deeper realities of business practices affecting the oceans that surround us, and what we can do to protect these vital ecosystems. 🌱💙 : : : #OceanConservation #MarineProtection #SustainableBusiness #EnvironmentalJustice #SaveOurOceans #OceanRights #EcoAwareness #Seychelles #MarineLife #BusinessEthics
- — Protect the Aldabra Giant Tortoise! (1/3). 🌍 Protect the Aldabra Giant Tortoise!🐢 Assomption Island is a vital haven for over 1,000 Aldabra tortoises, but this incredible ecosystem faces multiple threats if a luxury hotel moves forward. Construction will fragment their habitat, leading to the loss of vital foraging areas and nesting sites. The risk of injury from collisions with construction vehicles and planes landing on the airstrip further endangers this already vulnerable population. And it’s not just tortoises at risk; insufficient and unenforceable biosecurity measures make the introduction of invasive species to the nearby Aldabra Atoll almost impossible to avoid, threatening endemic and still-undescribed species on one of the most pristine islands left in the world. 📢 It’s time to take action! Together, we can preserve the unique biodiversity of Assomption Island and Aldabra Atoll by signing the petition (🔗link in bio) and becoming a #FriendOfAldabra @friendsofaldabra @seychellesatheart ✍️ infographic by youth council members @_daniellea_ & @ellaholbrookk #FriendsOfAldabra #UNESCO #tortoisesofinstagram
- — Protect the Aldabra Giant Tortoise! (2/3). 🌍 Protect the Aldabra Giant Tortoise!🐢 Assomption Island is a vital haven for over 1,000 Aldabra tortoises, but this incredible ecosystem faces multiple threats if a luxury hotel moves forward. Construction will fragment their habitat, leading to the loss of vital foraging areas and nesting sites. The risk of injury from collisions with construction vehicles and planes landing on the airstrip further endangers this already vulnerable population. And it’s not just tortoises at risk; insufficient and unenforceable biosecurity measures make the introduction of invasive species to the nearby Aldabra Atoll almost impossible to avoid, threatening endemic and still-undescribed species on one of the most pristine islands left in the world. 📢 It’s time to take action! Together, we can preserve the unique biodiversity of Assomption Island and Aldabra Atoll by signing the petition (🔗link in bio) and becoming a #FriendOfAldabra @friendsofaldabra @seychellesatheart ✍️ infographic by youth council members @_daniellea_ & @ellaholbrookk #FriendsOfAldabra #UNESCO #tortoisesofinstagram
- — Protect the Aldabra Giant Tortoise! (3/3). 🌍 Protect the Aldabra Giant Tortoise!🐢 Assomption Island is a vital haven for over 1,000 Aldabra tortoises, but this incredible ecosystem faces multiple threats if a luxury hotel moves forward. Construction will fragment their habitat, leading to the loss of vital foraging areas and nesting sites. The risk of injury from collisions with construction vehicles and planes landing on the airstrip further endangers this already vulnerable population. And it’s not just tortoises at risk; insufficient and unenforceable biosecurity measures make the introduction of invasive species to the nearby Aldabra Atoll almost impossible to avoid, threatening endemic and still-undescribed species on one of the most pristine islands left in the world. 📢 It’s time to take action! Together, we can preserve the unique biodiversity of Assomption Island and Aldabra Atoll by signing the petition (🔗link in bio) and becoming a #FriendOfAldabra @friendsofaldabra @seychellesatheart ✍️ infographic by youth council members @_daniellea_ & @ellaholbrookk #FriendsOfAldabra #UNESCO #tortoisesofinstagram
- — Things are moving fast and Aldabra needs your help more than ever.. The Seychelles Planning Authorities have approved of the hotel development on Assomption. Time truly is of the essence now. Your voice may be the one that changes everything. #friendsofaldabra #savealdabra Petition in our captions
- — We need your help to stop construction on the Aldabra Islands. (1/7). We need your help to stop construction on the Aldabra Islands. Together, let’s protect the untouched home of these gentle giants! Add your voice to the petition in our bio ✍️🐢 Image credit: @thomaspeschak
- — We need your help to stop construction on the Aldabra Islands. (2/7). We need your help to stop construction on the Aldabra Islands. Together, let’s protect the untouched home of these gentle giants! Add your voice to the petition in our bio ✍️🐢 Image credit: @thomaspeschak
- — We need your help to stop construction on the Aldabra Islands. (3/7). We need your help to stop construction on the Aldabra Islands. Together, let’s protect the untouched home of these gentle giants! Add your voice to the petition in our bio ✍️🐢 Image credit: @thomaspeschak
- — We need your help to stop construction on the Aldabra Islands. (4/7). We need your help to stop construction on the Aldabra Islands. Together, let’s protect the untouched home of these gentle giants! Add your voice to the petition in our bio ✍️🐢 Image credit: @thomaspeschak
- — We need your help to stop construction on the Aldabra Islands. (5/7). We need your help to stop construction on the Aldabra Islands. Together, let’s protect the untouched home of these gentle giants! Add your voice to the petition in our bio ✍️🐢 Image credit: @thomaspeschak
- — We need your help to stop construction on the Aldabra Islands. (6/7). We need your help to stop construction on the Aldabra Islands. Together, let’s protect the untouched home of these gentle giants! Add your voice to the petition in our bio ✍️🐢 Image credit: @thomaspeschak
- — We need your help to stop construction on the Aldabra Islands. (7/7). We need your help to stop construction on the Aldabra Islands. Together, let’s protect the untouched home of these gentle giants! Add your voice to the petition in our bio ✍️🐢 Image credit: @thomaspeschak
- — The Aldabra Islands, one of Earth’s last untouched ecosystems, face a new threat from… · Dec 2024. 🌍🐢 The Aldabra Islands, one of Earth’s last untouched ecosystems, face a new threat from a luxury development.🚨 We’re calling on the Seychelles government to STOP the construction and protect this natural treasure once and for all. Twice before, public pressure has successfully saved these islands, proving that when people speak up and act, conservation can win. Join us – be the generation that protects the Aldabra Islands forever. Sign the petition in bio! ✍️ #savealdabra #unesco
- — The Aldabra giant tortoise needs your help today!. ! 🏝️ These incredible island giants have roamed the Seychelles for centuries, but now their home is at risk! 🏗️ A luxury resort threatens their precious habitat - but YOU can help! 🐢 These gentle giants deserve to keep their paradise safe. 🌿 They’ve survived for over 100 years, spreading seeds and keeping their ecosystem healthy! 🌳 As ecosystem engineers, these amazing tortoises create pathways through vegetation, disperse seeds, and maintain grasslands that other species depend on for survival! 🤓 Fun fact: These amazing tortoises can weigh as much as 550 pounds - that’s heavier than a grand piano! ✍️ Your voice matters! 💪 Sign the petition (link in stories) to protect these amazing creatures and their irreplaceable island home 💚 #SaveTheTortoises #WildlifeConservation #Seychelles #EndangeredSpecies #NatureMatters #Wildlife #Conservation #Animals #TortoisesOfInstagram #SaveOurPlanet #BiodiversityMatters #NatureProtection
- — Reminding you that Aldabra still needs your help, now more than ever We can’t sit back…. and watch as our global heritage gets destroyed. Let’s make this message so loud that decision makers are forced to listen! #savealdabra #friendsofaldabra #globalheritage #aldabrapetition LINK FOR THE PETITION IN OUR BIOS (and in @leonardodicaprio ‘s) (yup) (go check!) (crazy right?!)
- — At COP29, I had the privilege of working on behalf of and to deliver letters to…. At COP29, I had the privilege of working on behalf of @reservaylt and @overstories.earth to deliver letters to Seychelles Ministers. These letters carried a strong message from youth and environmental advocates urging action to halt a hotel development on Assumption Island, a project that threatens fragile ecosystems and unique species. Alongside this, I mobilized young voices to join the call for safeguarding Assumption Island. The collective power of our voices is vital, and I believe change happens when we act together. Let’s keep this momentum alive and make an impact for Seychelles! Why it matters: 🐟🐢🪼 The Seychelles is a treasure trove of biodiversity, home to countless endemic species such as the Seychelles magpie-robin, Aldabra giant tortoise, and Seychelles sheath-tailed bat, found nowhere else in the world. This island nation harbors delicate ecosystems, including coral reefs, mangroves, and unique terrestrial habitats, which are critical for global biodiversity, climate regulation, and local livelihoods. Unchecked development threatens these ecosystems, endangering species and the ecological balance they support. Protecting the Seychelles is about more than preserving its beauty—it’s about safeguarding an irreplaceable part of Earth’s natural heritage for future generations. Add your voice by sharing this message, supporting conservation initiatives, and urging leaders to prioritize biodiversity over short-term development. Together, we can stand for a future where nature and people thrive side by side.
- — Inching closer to losing this place.. The wildlife here doesn’t have a voice - but YOU do 🧡 Please keep talking about this. PETITION LINK IN OUR BIOS ⭐️ #savealdabra #friendsofaldabra #globalheritage #aldabrapetition
- — Find out more about Aldabra and why it needs your help, KEEP SHARING KEEP TALKING,…. thank you for all your help! #friendsofaldabra#seychelles#
- — This is Aldabra consisting of some of the smallest animals to the biggest ones Here…. are some hermit crabs enjoy a little coconut meal 🥘#seychelles#seychelloise#unesco#aldabra#friendsofaldabra#
- — Who Speaks for Assomption?. ? 🌴 Seychelles is celebrated globally for its conservation efforts, but is that reputation truly deserved? 🤔 The ongoing development on Assomption Island raises serious concerns about broken promises, unchecked exploitation, and the quiet sacrifice of our natural heritage. It’s time to ask the hard questions: 🌱 Are we prioritizing profit over preservation? 🌊 What will be left for future generations? Let’s hold our leaders accountable and fight to protect what makes Seychelles unique. 🇸🇨 Check out the full article up on our site now! 🗣 Share your thoughts below. Together, we can make a difference. 💬 #WhoSpeaksForAssomption #SeychellesConservation #ProtectOurIslands #BlueEconomy #SeychellesHeritage #SustainableDevelopment #IslandVoices #SaveAssomption #MarineConservation #PreserveNature
- — 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐝𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐚 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 • [𝗧𝗬𝗣𝗘: ‘𝐀𝐥𝐝𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐚’ for…. a link to the petition to be sent to you OR see 𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗞 𝗜𝗡 𝗕𝗜𝗢: http://bit.ly/FriendsofAldabra] 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁:@friendsofaldabra www.friendsofaldabra.org for more information. • 🔺✨𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍, 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧! • Join us to help stop the construction on Assomption Island, Seychelles 🇸🇨. As a Seychellois this issue is close to my heart, but regardless of where you are in the world this is OUR common global heritage. Your support WILL make a difference in protecting these unique islands and its biodiversity. It’s not too late to become a guardian of the earth, act now to give the Aldabra islands and its wildlife a chance. Thank you 🙏🏽🩵✨ [𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 ✍️] • 🎥 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: Special thanks to @dan_smith_mtb @julesvdo @janetendo for putting up with my direction 😅💛 • 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗵𝗶𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝘆:@gillieandmarcart • #inline #inlineskating #womenonwheels #bipocwhoskate #rollerskating #bladies #londonskate #rollerblading #freestyleslalom #FriendsOfAldabra #UNESCO #conservationmatters #gillieandmarc
- — Let’s delve into this controversial and deeply contradicting issue.. Seychelles has proudly positioned itself as a leader in global conservation, even swapping debt for nature protection in an internationally celebrated move. This is marketed as a shining example of environmental stewardship. But how do we reconcile this narrative with the reality on the ground? How is it that we’re selling off prime wetlands and vital ecosystems on Mahé, and even entire islands, for profit and luxury developments? 🏝️💰 When leaders champion conservation abroad yet ignore the voices of their own people at home, as seen with developments like Anse La Mouche, Cheval Blanc and now Aldabra and Assomption, how can this be justified? How can we fight to protect our natural heritage while this hypocrisy continues to undermine our efforts? In light of recent scandals and the growing global spotlight on environmental activism, is this truly the legacy we want for Seychelles? Let’s start the conversation. 💬
- — So! Overstories is running a campaign to stop the development of a resort in the…. Seychelles. This project would severely disrupt the habitat of the giant tortoises that live there, putting their entire ecosystem at risk. They’re aiming to gather 200,000 signatures (I’ve already signed!), and I’ll be sharing a link to the petition in my stories. #conservation #tortoiseshell #fashiontrends #dataanalytics
- — NEW YOUTUBE VIDEO: My personal experiences on Aldabra and my thoughts on the…. development. FULL VIDEO LINK FOUND IN MY BIO + PETITON LINK. #friendsofaldabra#aldabratortoise#seychelles#savingaldabra#
- — It truly is NOW! (1/6). It truly is NOW! 👊🏽 Keep those signatures 📝 coming, help us keep the pressure on the leaders and officials, and those trying to push this project forward! Unfortunately this is the work and state of the island already. DONE WITHOUT APPROVAL! Ultimately there is a voice for the people, and we believe so strongly that we can make a change! No matter the outcome of this project, there will be ripple effects for the better, and each voice 📣 that stands up, is only make the positive future changes more likely! Keep it up everyone 🙌🏽 : : #FriendsOfAldabra #SaveAldabra #SaveAssomption #ProtectNature
- — It truly is NOW! (2/6). It truly is NOW! 👊🏽 Keep those signatures 📝 coming, help us keep the pressure on the leaders and officials, and those trying to push this project forward! Unfortunately this is the work and state of the island already. DONE WITHOUT APPROVAL! Ultimately there is a voice for the people, and we believe so strongly that we can make a change! No matter the outcome of this project, there will be ripple effects for the better, and each voice 📣 that stands up, is only make the positive future changes more likely! Keep it up everyone 🙌🏽 : : #FriendsOfAldabra #SaveAldabra #SaveAssomption #ProtectNature
- — It truly is NOW! (3/6). It truly is NOW! 👊🏽 Keep those signatures 📝 coming, help us keep the pressure on the leaders and officials, and those trying to push this project forward! Unfortunately this is the work and state of the island already. DONE WITHOUT APPROVAL! Ultimately there is a voice for the people, and we believe so strongly that we can make a change! No matter the outcome of this project, there will be ripple effects for the better, and each voice 📣 that stands up, is only make the positive future changes more likely! Keep it up everyone 🙌🏽 : : #FriendsOfAldabra #SaveAldabra #SaveAssomption #ProtectNature
…853 further moments continue the chronology here. Full text archive: /loreline-text/aldabra.md
- — It truly is NOW! (4/6). It truly is NOW! 👊🏽 Keep those signatures 📝 coming, help us keep the pressure on the leaders and officials, and those trying to push this project forward! Unfortunately this is the work and state of the island already. DONE WITHOUT APPROVAL! Ultimately there is a voice for the people, and we believe so strongly that we can make a change! No matter the outcome of this project, there will be ripple effects for the better, and each voice 📣 that stands up, is only make the positive future changes more likely! Keep it up everyone 🙌🏽 : : #FriendsOfAldabra #SaveAldabra #SaveAssomption #ProtectNature
- — It truly is NOW! (5/6). It truly is NOW! 👊🏽 Keep those signatures 📝 coming, help us keep the pressure on the leaders and officials, and those trying to push this project forward! Unfortunately this is the work and state of the island already. DONE WITHOUT APPROVAL! Ultimately there is a voice for the people, and we believe so strongly that we can make a change! No matter the outcome of this project, there will be ripple effects for the better, and each voice 📣 that stands up, is only make the positive future changes more likely! Keep it up everyone 🙌🏽 : : #FriendsOfAldabra #SaveAldabra #SaveAssomption #ProtectNature
- — It truly is NOW! (6/6). It truly is NOW! 👊🏽 Keep those signatures 📝 coming, help us keep the pressure on the leaders and officials, and those trying to push this project forward! Unfortunately this is the work and state of the island already. DONE WITHOUT APPROVAL! Ultimately there is a voice for the people, and we believe so strongly that we can make a change! No matter the outcome of this project, there will be ripple effects for the better, and each voice 📣 that stands up, is only make the positive future changes more likely! Keep it up everyone 🙌🏽 : : #FriendsOfAldabra #SaveAldabra #SaveAssomption #ProtectNature
- — With all the heavy conversations recently within the environmental and conservation…. community, you might be asking yourself, how can I get involved...? If thats the case 💬 Let’s stand together for the preservation of Seychelles’ traditions and the empowerment of those who sustain them. 🌴⚓ 🎥 Head over to our YouTube channel for the full story! And contact us today to see how you can get more involved! 🎥 : : : #EmpowerLocalFishermen #SeychellesTradition #OceanConservation #FairRepresentation #SustainableFishing #MarineHeritage #LocalVoicesMatter
- — What species of bird do you think this chick belongs to?. ?🪶 #aldabra#seychelles#seychelles#unesco#savealdabra#education#
- — Handwritten letters of hope, ages 10-26 From our youth council, to the Seychelles…. decision makers, please stop the construction on Assomption Island! As part of our #1MillionLetters campaign, we collected letters from youth around the world, highlighting their love for the incredible wildlife of Aldabra and a sense of urgency to protect the precious biodiversity threatened by planned construction. Sign the petition at bit.ly/friendsofaldabra (in our bio) to add your voice. You(th) matter 🐢 Thank you Otto Whiteman for the amazing footage! #SaveAldabra #UNESCO #ForNature
- — As the year ends, Aldabra’s fight continues.. The hotel development on Assomption Island threatens to destroy one of the world’s last untouched sanctuaries. 🐢 We still have time to make a difference. This is our moment to stand up and protect the wild places that matter most. 💥 End the year with action. Protect Aldabra. 💥 #SaveAldabra #Friendsofaldabra #AldabraPetition #UNESCO #globalheritage 🔗 Link in bio to sign the petition
- — A new year, a new chance to make a difference.. Aldabra is still at risk, but together, we can choose conservation over destruction. Let’s make 2025 the year we fight for what truly matters. 🌍💙 Will we protect Aldabra, or let it slip away forever? The choice is ours. ✨ Start the year with purpose✨ #Aldabra2025 #SaveAldabra #Friendsofaldabra #AldabraPetition #UNESCO #globalheritage 🔗 Link in bio to sign the petition
- — We dream of a world where Aldabra remains untouched, a sanctuary for all life to thrive.. 🐢💚 This world exists, and it needs our help. Don’t let it fade away. 🌿 Please help protect Aldabra. #Aldabra2025 #SaveAldabra #Friendsofaldabra #AldabraPetition #UNESCO #globalheritage 🔗 Link in bio to sign the petition
- — Aldabra: A World Heritage at Risk Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is… (1/10). Aldabra: A World Heritage at Risk 💚🌍 Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of Seychelles' most treasured natural wonders, home to unique biodiversity and pristine ecosystems. But its future hangs in the balance. 📢 The development of Assomption Island—Aldabra's neighbor—poses significant risks, from habitat disruption to marine pollution, threatening the delicate balance of this natural jewel. 🌊 What’s at stake? 🚢 Increased boat traffic affecting coral reefs and marine life. 🌎 Introduction of invasive species threatening native wildlife. 🪸 Sedimentation and water contamination harming fragile ecosystems. 🐢 Impacts on turtle nesting and other species' survival. 📰 The reputation of our nation as we are presented as a Leading Example in Environmentalism Let’s take a stand to preserve Aldabra’s legacy for future generations. Together, we can protect this invaluable natural heritage and ensure development does not come at the cost of Seychelles' environmental and cultural treasures. 📸 Swipe through to learn more about the risks and how you can help. : : : #SeychellesAtHeart #SaveAldabra #ProtectOurHeritage #AldabraLegacy #SeychellesConservation #MarineBiodiversity #SayNoToDestruction #TogetherForAldabra
- — Aldabra: A World Heritage at Risk Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is… (2/10). Aldabra: A World Heritage at Risk 💚🌍 Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of Seychelles' most treasured natural wonders, home to unique biodiversity and pristine ecosystems. But its future hangs in the balance. 📢 The development of Assomption Island—Aldabra's neighbor—poses significant risks, from habitat disruption to marine pollution, threatening the delicate balance of this natural jewel. 🌊 What’s at stake? 🚢 Increased boat traffic affecting coral reefs and marine life. 🌎 Introduction of invasive species threatening native wildlife. 🪸 Sedimentation and water contamination harming fragile ecosystems. 🐢 Impacts on turtle nesting and other species' survival. 📰 The reputation of our nation as we are presented as a Leading Example in Environmentalism Let’s take a stand to preserve Aldabra’s legacy for future generations. Together, we can protect this invaluable natural heritage and ensure development does not come at the cost of Seychelles' environmental and cultural treasures. 📸 Swipe through to learn more about the risks and how you can help. : : : #SeychellesAtHeart #SaveAldabra #ProtectOurHeritage #AldabraLegacy #SeychellesConservation #MarineBiodiversity #SayNoToDestruction #TogetherForAldabra
- — Aldabra: A World Heritage at Risk Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is… (3/10). Aldabra: A World Heritage at Risk 💚🌍 Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of Seychelles' most treasured natural wonders, home to unique biodiversity and pristine ecosystems. But its future hangs in the balance. 📢 The development of Assomption Island—Aldabra's neighbor—poses significant risks, from habitat disruption to marine pollution, threatening the delicate balance of this natural jewel. 🌊 What’s at stake? 🚢 Increased boat traffic affecting coral reefs and marine life. 🌎 Introduction of invasive species threatening native wildlife. 🪸 Sedimentation and water contamination harming fragile ecosystems. 🐢 Impacts on turtle nesting and other species' survival. 📰 The reputation of our nation as we are presented as a Leading Example in Environmentalism Let’s take a stand to preserve Aldabra’s legacy for future generations. Together, we can protect this invaluable natural heritage and ensure development does not come at the cost of Seychelles' environmental and cultural treasures. 📸 Swipe through to learn more about the risks and how you can help. : : : #SeychellesAtHeart #SaveAldabra #ProtectOurHeritage #AldabraLegacy #SeychellesConservation #MarineBiodiversity #SayNoToDestruction #TogetherForAldabra
- — Aldabra: A World Heritage at Risk Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is… (4/10). Aldabra: A World Heritage at Risk 💚🌍 Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of Seychelles' most treasured natural wonders, home to unique biodiversity and pristine ecosystems. But its future hangs in the balance. 📢 The development of Assomption Island—Aldabra's neighbor—poses significant risks, from habitat disruption to marine pollution, threatening the delicate balance of this natural jewel. 🌊 What’s at stake? 🚢 Increased boat traffic affecting coral reefs and marine life. 🌎 Introduction of invasive species threatening native wildlife. 🪸 Sedimentation and water contamination harming fragile ecosystems. 🐢 Impacts on turtle nesting and other species' survival. 📰 The reputation of our nation as we are presented as a Leading Example in Environmentalism Let’s take a stand to preserve Aldabra’s legacy for future generations. Together, we can protect this invaluable natural heritage and ensure development does not come at the cost of Seychelles' environmental and cultural treasures. 📸 Swipe through to learn more about the risks and how you can help. : : : #SeychellesAtHeart #SaveAldabra #ProtectOurHeritage #AldabraLegacy #SeychellesConservation #MarineBiodiversity #SayNoToDestruction #TogetherForAldabra
- — Aldabra: A World Heritage at Risk Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is… (5/10). Aldabra: A World Heritage at Risk 💚🌍 Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of Seychelles' most treasured natural wonders, home to unique biodiversity and pristine ecosystems. But its future hangs in the balance. 📢 The development of Assomption Island—Aldabra's neighbor—poses significant risks, from habitat disruption to marine pollution, threatening the delicate balance of this natural jewel. 🌊 What’s at stake? 🚢 Increased boat traffic affecting coral reefs and marine life. 🌎 Introduction of invasive species threatening native wildlife. 🪸 Sedimentation and water contamination harming fragile ecosystems. 🐢 Impacts on turtle nesting and other species' survival. 📰 The reputation of our nation as we are presented as a Leading Example in Environmentalism Let’s take a stand to preserve Aldabra’s legacy for future generations. Together, we can protect this invaluable natural heritage and ensure development does not come at the cost of Seychelles' environmental and cultural treasures. 📸 Swipe through to learn more about the risks and how you can help. : : : #SeychellesAtHeart #SaveAldabra #ProtectOurHeritage #AldabraLegacy #SeychellesConservation #MarineBiodiversity #SayNoToDestruction #TogetherForAldabra
- — Aldabra: A World Heritage at Risk Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is… (6/10). Aldabra: A World Heritage at Risk 💚🌍 Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of Seychelles' most treasured natural wonders, home to unique biodiversity and pristine ecosystems. But its future hangs in the balance. 📢 The development of Assomption Island—Aldabra's neighbor—poses significant risks, from habitat disruption to marine pollution, threatening the delicate balance of this natural jewel. 🌊 What’s at stake? 🚢 Increased boat traffic affecting coral reefs and marine life. 🌎 Introduction of invasive species threatening native wildlife. 🪸 Sedimentation and water contamination harming fragile ecosystems. 🐢 Impacts on turtle nesting and other species' survival. 📰 The reputation of our nation as we are presented as a Leading Example in Environmentalism Let’s take a stand to preserve Aldabra’s legacy for future generations. Together, we can protect this invaluable natural heritage and ensure development does not come at the cost of Seychelles' environmental and cultural treasures. 📸 Swipe through to learn more about the risks and how you can help. : : : #SeychellesAtHeart #SaveAldabra #ProtectOurHeritage #AldabraLegacy #SeychellesConservation #MarineBiodiversity #SayNoToDestruction #TogetherForAldabra
- — Aldabra: A World Heritage at Risk Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is… (7/10). Aldabra: A World Heritage at Risk 💚🌍 Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of Seychelles' most treasured natural wonders, home to unique biodiversity and pristine ecosystems. But its future hangs in the balance. 📢 The development of Assomption Island—Aldabra's neighbor—poses significant risks, from habitat disruption to marine pollution, threatening the delicate balance of this natural jewel. 🌊 What’s at stake? 🚢 Increased boat traffic affecting coral reefs and marine life. 🌎 Introduction of invasive species threatening native wildlife. 🪸 Sedimentation and water contamination harming fragile ecosystems. 🐢 Impacts on turtle nesting and other species' survival. 📰 The reputation of our nation as we are presented as a Leading Example in Environmentalism Let’s take a stand to preserve Aldabra’s legacy for future generations. Together, we can protect this invaluable natural heritage and ensure development does not come at the cost of Seychelles' environmental and cultural treasures. 📸 Swipe through to learn more about the risks and how you can help. : : : #SeychellesAtHeart #SaveAldabra #ProtectOurHeritage #AldabraLegacy #SeychellesConservation #MarineBiodiversity #SayNoToDestruction #TogetherForAldabra
- — Aldabra: A World Heritage at Risk Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is… (8/10). Aldabra: A World Heritage at Risk 💚🌍 Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of Seychelles' most treasured natural wonders, home to unique biodiversity and pristine ecosystems. But its future hangs in the balance. 📢 The development of Assomption Island—Aldabra's neighbor—poses significant risks, from habitat disruption to marine pollution, threatening the delicate balance of this natural jewel. 🌊 What’s at stake? 🚢 Increased boat traffic affecting coral reefs and marine life. 🌎 Introduction of invasive species threatening native wildlife. 🪸 Sedimentation and water contamination harming fragile ecosystems. 🐢 Impacts on turtle nesting and other species' survival. 📰 The reputation of our nation as we are presented as a Leading Example in Environmentalism Let’s take a stand to preserve Aldabra’s legacy for future generations. Together, we can protect this invaluable natural heritage and ensure development does not come at the cost of Seychelles' environmental and cultural treasures. 📸 Swipe through to learn more about the risks and how you can help. : : : #SeychellesAtHeart #SaveAldabra #ProtectOurHeritage #AldabraLegacy #SeychellesConservation #MarineBiodiversity #SayNoToDestruction #TogetherForAldabra
- — Aldabra: A World Heritage at Risk Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is… (9/10). Aldabra: A World Heritage at Risk 💚🌍 Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of Seychelles' most treasured natural wonders, home to unique biodiversity and pristine ecosystems. But its future hangs in the balance. 📢 The development of Assomption Island—Aldabra's neighbor—poses significant risks, from habitat disruption to marine pollution, threatening the delicate balance of this natural jewel. 🌊 What’s at stake? 🚢 Increased boat traffic affecting coral reefs and marine life. 🌎 Introduction of invasive species threatening native wildlife. 🪸 Sedimentation and water contamination harming fragile ecosystems. 🐢 Impacts on turtle nesting and other species' survival. 📰 The reputation of our nation as we are presented as a Leading Example in Environmentalism Let’s take a stand to preserve Aldabra’s legacy for future generations. Together, we can protect this invaluable natural heritage and ensure development does not come at the cost of Seychelles' environmental and cultural treasures. 📸 Swipe through to learn more about the risks and how you can help. : : : #SeychellesAtHeart #SaveAldabra #ProtectOurHeritage #AldabraLegacy #SeychellesConservation #MarineBiodiversity #SayNoToDestruction #TogetherForAldabra
- — Aldabra: A World Heritage at Risk Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is… (10/10). Aldabra: A World Heritage at Risk 💚🌍 Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of Seychelles' most treasured natural wonders, home to unique biodiversity and pristine ecosystems. But its future hangs in the balance. 📢 The development of Assomption Island—Aldabra's neighbor—poses significant risks, from habitat disruption to marine pollution, threatening the delicate balance of this natural jewel. 🌊 What’s at stake? 🚢 Increased boat traffic affecting coral reefs and marine life. 🌎 Introduction of invasive species threatening native wildlife. 🪸 Sedimentation and water contamination harming fragile ecosystems. 🐢 Impacts on turtle nesting and other species' survival. 📰 The reputation of our nation as we are presented as a Leading Example in Environmentalism Let’s take a stand to preserve Aldabra’s legacy for future generations. Together, we can protect this invaluable natural heritage and ensure development does not come at the cost of Seychelles' environmental and cultural treasures. 📸 Swipe through to learn more about the risks and how you can help. : : : #SeychellesAtHeart #SaveAldabra #ProtectOurHeritage #AldabraLegacy #SeychellesConservation #MarineBiodiversity #SayNoToDestruction #TogetherForAldabra
- — Save the Aldabra Islands!. ! 🐢Link in Bio 🔗🚨Please SHARE to as many of your stories/friends as possible. By joining us you’ll align with global partners like @avaaz_org and @earthalliance founded by @leonardodicaprio. @friendsofaldabra @seychellesatheart #friendsofaldabra #unesco #seychelles #aldabratortoise _____________________________________________________ #fyp #viral #savetheplanet #environment #seychellesisland #milimadnesse #saveourplanet #saveourplanet🌍 #aldabra #aldabragianttortoise #assomption
- — Handing YOU the mic!. ! You’ve all been incredible—thank you for supporting Aldabra and this campaign 💙 Now, it’s your turn to ask! Got questions about the resort project, why it’s such a big deal, or how you can help? 💭 Maybe you’re unsure how this impacts Aldabra’s fragile ecosystem? Let’s talk! 📅 This Friday on @friendsofaldabra, we’ll be answering your questions. Drop them in the comments or DM me, and let’s fight for Aldabra together! 🐢🌍 #Aldabra2025 #friendsofaldabra #SaveAldabra #aldabrapetition #globalheritage #UNESCO
- — Aldabra is one of the last nearly untouched places on Earth, but a luxury resort…. threatens its future 🚫 What kind of world are we leaving behind? Take action: friendsofaldabra.org #Aldabra2025 #friendsofaldabra #SaveAldabra #aldabrapetition #UNESCO #globalheritage
- — Salviamo Aldabra – La Natura ha Bisogno di Noi Ciao, sono Laura, ma ormai tutti mi…. conoscono come Laura Seychelles. Oggi, più che mai, ho bisogno del tuo aiuto. 🌍Da oltre 10 anni aiuto i viaggiatori a organizzare vacanze consapevoli e sostenibili alle Seychelles. La mia missione? Proteggere la popolazione locale e il nostro fragile ambiente naturale. Ma ora c’è una minaccia che potrebbe cambiare tutto. 📢 Parliamo di Aldabra. Aldabra è un luogo unico al mondo: una delle ultime barriere coralline ancora intatte, un ecosistema straordinario, protetto e studiato per anni. È rimasta quasi isolata dall’intervento umano. Ma tutto questo è a rischio. 👉 A 27 km di distanza, su Assumption Island, stanno costruendo un resort. Ti chiedo: ne abbiamo davvero bisogno? Questa costruzione aprirà la strada a un turismo invasivo che minaccia l’isolamento di Aldabra, la sua biodiversità, la ricerca scientifica, e soprattutto, l’ultimo esempio di una barriera corallina sana. 💡Io non sono mai stata ad Aldabra, non sono una subacquea, ma questa non è solo una battaglia locale: è una battaglia per l’umanità intera. Aldabra è un patrimonio di tutti noi, e se lo perdiamo, cosa resterà delle poche meraviglie incontaminate del nostro pianeta? 💔 Siamo davvero disposti a perdere tutto questo? In che mondo vogliamo vivere se distruggiamo ciò che ancora possiamo chiamare “natura incontaminata”? ✍️ Agisci Ora – Firma la Petizione 🫣Non possiamo restare a guardare. Ogni firma conta, ogni voce fa la differenza. Uniamoci per bloccare questo progetto e proteggere Aldabra. 📄 Firma la petizione oggi stesso e aiutami a condividere questo messaggio. Con la nostra forza possiamo svegliarci da questo brutto sogno e salvare Aldabra, prima che sia troppo tardi. 🔗 http://bit.ly/savealdabra 💙Insieme, possiamo fare la differenza! 📸Credit Celina Chien & Joey Latsha . . . #SaveAldabra #Seychelles #NaturaIncontaminata #Conservazione #Ambiente #LauraSeychelles#seychellesexpert
- — Protecting Wildlife: Why Better EIA Regulations Matter Seychelles' wildlife is a…. treasure we must protect—but how effective are our current Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) in safeguarding it? As we scratch the surface of a much larger conversation about the gaps in our systems and how we can do better, what are your thoughts here? 📺 Watch the full video on YouTube to learn why stronger regulations are essential for protecting our unique biodiversity and ensuring a sustainable future. 💬 Your voice matters! Join the discussion and be part of the change. 👉 Click the link in our bio to watch the full video now! : : : #SeychellesAtHeart #ProtectOurWildlife #StrongerEIA #ConservationMatters #SeychellesBiodiversity #SustainableFuture #WatchNow
- — Aldabra is too high a price to pay Let’s stand together to protect it.. ✍️ petition link in our bio. #Aldabra2025 #SaveAldabra #friendsofaldabra #aldabrapetition #unesco #globalheritage
- — Voices of the Next Generation In the face of a proposed development threatening…. Aldabra’s unique biodiversity, young people worldwide are speaking up. These are their letters, written as part of Reserva’s 1 Million Letters campaign. ✉️ At #COP29, these heartfelt appeals were presented to Seychelles’ leaders, including the Minister for Agriculture, Climate Change and the Environment. Aldabra is home to irreplaceable species found nowhere else on Earth. Many of the writers may not yet sit in decision-making seats, but their vision for a thriving future is crystal clear and the power they hold to affect change unmistakeable. That’s why the Reserva Youth Land Trust proudly supports the #FriendsOfAldabra campaign. 💚 Join us in protecting this critical habitat. Become a Friend of Aldabra today: sign the petition, share the campaign, and add your voice to the movement. Together, we can make a difference. 🌿 🔗 link to the petition in our bio!
- — What UNESCO says about Aldabra: “Untouched by humans for most of its existence.” “A…. vital natural habitat for studying evolution and ecology.” ✅ “A near-intact ecosystem, home to countless species.” This isn’t just any island. It’s a living treasure. 🐢💚 Let’s keep it that way. 🚫 Don’t let development destroy Aldabra. 🔗 Sign the petition now. Link in bio! #Aldabra2025 #SaveAldabra #Friendsofaldabra #AldabraPetition #UNESCO #globalheritage
- — The Aldabra Rail isn’t just feisty—it’s a survivor!. ! 🐦✨ From extinction to a second evolution, this flightless bird is a living example of iterative evolution. 🌍 But now, its home, the iconic Aldabra Atoll, is under threat from a hotel development that could devastate this fragile UNESCO World Heritage Site. 🏝️ Let’s protect this one-of-a-kind ecosystem and its incredible wildlife. Sign the petition, share this post, and help us #SaveAldabra! 🌊💙 🎨 White-throated rail illustration by Hilary Burn. #friendsofaldabra #aldabra2025 #aldabrapetition #unesco
- — I am Aldabra. A sanctuary for giants, reefs, and rare species found nowhere else on…. Earth. But today, I am calling out to you humanity. 🚨 I am in danger. A luxury hotel is planned just 27km away, threatening everything I have taken millennia to build. 🌿 You have the power to protect me. Stand against this threat. Act now. Defend me. 🔗 Sign & share the petition in our bio—Aldabra needs you #friendsofaldabra #unesco #savealdabra
- — We’re 4,000 signatures away from hitting 20,000—and we need your help to get there!. ! 💙🐢 If everyone got just 4-5 friends to sign, we’d reach our goal in no time. Share the petition, tag your friends, and help us protect Aldabra before it’s too late! 📢 Sign & share now: petition link in our bio #friendsofaldabra #unesco #savealdabra #aldabrapetition
- — Aldabra Atoll is under threat!. ! 🚨 This UNESCO World Heritage Site—home to giant tortoises, rare coral reefs, and endangered species—could be destroyed by private jet construction. We must act NOW to stop this! 🌊 We need 20,000 signatures by the start of March to protect Aldabra from this environmental disaster. ✍️ Sign the petition & make a difference. 📢 Share this NOW to spread the word! Let’s protect Aldabra before it’s too late. Nature needs us! 🌍💙 #SaveAldabra #ProtectOurOceans #NoJetsOnCoralIslands
- — Aldabra needs YOU!. ! 🌊 This untouched marine paradise is at risk from destructive private jet construction. If we don’t act now, we could lose one of Earth’s last wild places forever. 💥 We need 20,000 signatures by the start of March! 💥 ✍️ Sign the petition now. 🔁 Share this & spread the word! Every voice counts. Let’s stand together to protect Aldabra! 🐢💙 #SaveAldabra #NoJetsOnCoralIslands #ProtectOurOceans
- — One day, we’ll look back and know we did everything to protect Aldabra But that future…. isn’t guaranteed - we have to fight for it NOW. Please share the petition in our bio and keep telling people about what’s at stake 💚🌍 #friendsofaldabra #unesco #savealdabra #coffeewithmyoungerself #youngerself
- — On this let’s speak up for the Aldabra giant tortoise from the Aldabra Atoll in…. On this #WorldWildlifeDay let’s speak up for the Aldabra giant tortoise from the Aldabra Atoll in Seychelles and make sure these wise tortoises are safe from habitat destruction! Conservation efforts are crucial today and everyday to make sure these living dinosaurs can thrive for generations to come. You can take action today to prevent the development of a luxury resort from by signing the petition in the bio. Please speak up the the voiceless, wildlife needs our help more than ever before! #Conservation #Turtles #Petition
- — Meet the Aldabra Giant Tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea), one of the largest tortoises… (1/2). Meet the Aldabra Giant Tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea), one of the largest tortoises on the planet! These giants can grow up to 290 pounds, thanks to a diet rich in grasses, leaves, woody stems, and fruit. They’re incredibly long lived with recorded life spans of over 190 years old! Yet, despite their remarkable longevity and size, these animals are now under serious threat. Assomption Island, one of the Aldabra group, recently approved the construction of an upscale resort. This project puts over 400 endemic species at risk, including a population of Aldabra giant tortoises, sea turtles, dugongs, migratory whales, and coral reefs. The resort will be built just 17 miles away from the pristine Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that stands as one of the world’s last relatively untouched ecosystems. The potential impacts are huge: invasive species could be unintentionally introduced, habitats might be destroyed beyond repair, and pollution could run rampant without regulation. The stakes are incredibly high, but we still have time to act. Let’s rally together to stop this development to protect Aldabra for future generations. Join me and a global community of conservationists by signing the petition now (Link in bio)! To learn more follow: @friendsofaldabra #FriendsOfAldabra #UNESCO
- — Meet the Aldabra Giant Tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea), one of the largest tortoises… (2/2). Meet the Aldabra Giant Tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea), one of the largest tortoises on the planet! These giants can grow up to 290 pounds, thanks to a diet rich in grasses, leaves, woody stems, and fruit. They’re incredibly long lived with recorded life spans of over 190 years old! Yet, despite their remarkable longevity and size, these animals are now under serious threat. Assomption Island, one of the Aldabra group, recently approved the construction of an upscale resort. This project puts over 400 endemic species at risk, including a population of Aldabra giant tortoises, sea turtles, dugongs, migratory whales, and coral reefs. The resort will be built just 17 miles away from the pristine Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that stands as one of the world’s last relatively untouched ecosystems. The potential impacts are huge: invasive species could be unintentionally introduced, habitats might be destroyed beyond repair, and pollution could run rampant without regulation. The stakes are incredibly high, but we still have time to act. Let’s rally together to stop this development to protect Aldabra for future generations. Join me and a global community of conservationists by signing the petition now (Link in bio)! To learn more follow: @friendsofaldabra #FriendsOfAldabra #UNESCO
- — Exciting Announcement!. ! 🚨 The award-winning animator & director behind them,@AaronBlaiseArt, is joining @FriendsOfAldabra for an exclusive LIVE stream this Friday 🎨✨ The Aldabra Islands, one of Earth’s last untouched ecosystems, face a new threat from a luxury development, and we’re joining forces with storyteller Aaron Blaise to rally YOU to help us stop it. Ask all your burning questions and learn more about us! Friday, March 14th at 1PM ET / 5PM GMT / 9PM Seychelles ! For the first time ever, Aaron will be drawing an Aldabra Giant Tortoise, one of the last ancient giants roaming a truly wild paradise. Join us as we explore how storytelling and animation can inspire real change and find out how YOU can help protect Aldabra. Mark your calendars: Friday, March 14th at 1PM ET / 5PM GMT / 9PM Seychelles ! Don’t miss it! 🐢💙 #SaveAldabra #FriendsOfAldabra #AaronBlaise
- — Myth: If it’s labeled ‘eco-tourism,’ it must be sustainable and benefit local…. communities. 🌿💰 🔎 Reality check: In Seychelles, up to 70% of tourism revenue leaks out (Gossling and UNDP) - meaning most of the money tourists spend doesn’t stay in the country. Instead, it flows to imported goods and corporations leading the hotel chains abroad. Many eco-tourism resorts market sustainability to attract more customers while simultaneously relying on business models that exploit local environments and economies. When profits don’t reach local communities, but they bear the costs, such as environmental degradation, rising living costs, and overcrowding, is that really ‘sustainable’? —> True sustainable tourism means local ownership, fair wages, and reinvestment in communities - not just greenwashing with ‘eco’ labels. Do your research before you book! @friendsofaldabra #friendsofaldabra #MythBuster #Ecotourism
- — PARADISE VS PROFIT?. ? WE NEED YOUR HELP 🚨 The sanctuary of the Aldabra Islands, a UNESCO World Heritage site and critical habitat for wildlife, is being sacrificed for a luxury resort. Despite public outcry and scientific warnings, the destruction has begun and land is being cleared on Assomption Island. 💔 Take action at the link in our bio! This is not just about ONE island; this is part of a devastating pattern of land grabs. Time and time again, precious ecosystems and local communities are silenced for profit 💰Aldabra, home to giant tortoises 🐢and 400 species found nowhere else, is now facing the same threat. We CAN’T let history repeat itself ❌ ➡️ It’s time to take DIRECT ACTION: Demand the Seychelles government stop the construction, and urge luxury hotel chains to OPT OUT of this destructive project publicly. It’s easier than ever to take action with @chilli.app - go to FriendsofAldabra.org (link in bio!) now. Our collective action can protect #Aldabra before it’s too late! #FriendsofAldabra #SaveAldabra #ParadiseVsProfit
- — Had a great time on yesterday’s live stream the Aldabra Tortoise and learning about…. 🐢Had a great time on yesterday’s live stream #Drawing the Aldabra Tortoise and learning about their plight with two guests from @friendsofaldabra - 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐍 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐚𝐭 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐎𝐟𝐀𝐥𝐝𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐚.𝐨𝐫𝐠 #artforgood #aldabratortoise #friendsofaldabra #art
- — pov we’re facetiming you because we want you to HELP SAVE THE TORTOISES at The island…. 🐢 pov we’re facetiming you because we want you to HELP SAVE THE TORTOISES at @friendsofaldabra 🫶 The island home of the Giant Aldabra Tortoise is threatened by a luxury hotel development on Assomption island - take action now at the link in our bio ! Get up to some good trouble with us and our partners @chilli.app @greenpeaceafrica @reservaylt @theoxygenproj @seychellesatheart @aaronblaiseart @oriannesociety @overstories.earth Video taken at @iotaseychelles 💙 #FriendsofAldabra #SaveAldabra #GiantTortoise #Activism
- — Myth: Tourism is always necessary for conservation funding.. 🕵️♀️ Reality check: Tourism is not the only option and when it is used as a justification for the destruction of biodiversity, there are alternatives. Debt-for-nature swaps are an example of an alternative source of funding – a financial tool that allows countries to reduce or restructure their national debt in exchange for commitments to invest in environmental conservation. In 2016, the Seychelles used this tool to convert USD 21.6 million to funds dedicated to marine conservation and climate adaptation, a project supported by the Nature Conservancy (UNFCCC). Important to note: Innovative financing is not a silver bullet for our biodiversity and climate crises, but it can significantly contribute to a government’s funds for conservation. There is an alternative to luxury developments that destroy biodiversity and reduce a country’s ability to be resilient to climate change. #Mythbuster #FriendsOfAldabra
- — Take Direct Action for Aldabra in Seconds! (1/4). 🐢 Take Direct Action for Aldabra in Seconds! Protecting one of Earth’s last untouched sanctuaries is easier than ever with @chilli.app 📲 Download the Chilli App and become part of a global movement fighting for climate action. Spend just seconds each day taking meaningful, direct action to save Aldabra. Join thousands of relentless climate defenders who are already making waves. Every second counts for Aldabra’s future. 🌟 #FriendsofAldabra #SaveAldabra
- — Take Direct Action for Aldabra in Seconds! (2/4). 🐢 Take Direct Action for Aldabra in Seconds! Protecting one of Earth’s last untouched sanctuaries is easier than ever with @chilli.app 📲 Download the Chilli App and become part of a global movement fighting for climate action. Spend just seconds each day taking meaningful, direct action to save Aldabra. Join thousands of relentless climate defenders who are already making waves. Every second counts for Aldabra’s future. 🌟 #FriendsofAldabra #SaveAldabra
- — Take Direct Action for Aldabra in Seconds! (3/4). 🐢 Take Direct Action for Aldabra in Seconds! Protecting one of Earth’s last untouched sanctuaries is easier than ever with @chilli.app 📲 Download the Chilli App and become part of a global movement fighting for climate action. Spend just seconds each day taking meaningful, direct action to save Aldabra. Join thousands of relentless climate defenders who are already making waves. Every second counts for Aldabra’s future. 🌟 #FriendsofAldabra #SaveAldabra
- — Take Direct Action for Aldabra in Seconds! (4/4). 🐢 Take Direct Action for Aldabra in Seconds! Protecting one of Earth’s last untouched sanctuaries is easier than ever with @chilli.app 📲 Download the Chilli App and become part of a global movement fighting for climate action. Spend just seconds each day taking meaningful, direct action to save Aldabra. Join thousands of relentless climate defenders who are already making waves. Every second counts for Aldabra’s future. 🌟 #FriendsofAldabra #SaveAldabra
- — Myth: we can solely rely on restoration for conservation Calling all nature-positive…. tourists, what is more sustainable: restoration or protection projects? To help you choose what to contribute your budget to ahead of your next trip, here are some things to consider… 🌎 Comment ‘tourism’ to be sent our sources 🐢 #mythbuster #friendsofaldabra #ecotourism #restoration #protectedarea #wildlife
- — A UNESCO World Heritage site in the Indian Ocean and home to over 400 endemic species,… (1/4). 🎧 A UNESCO World Heritage site in the Indian Ocean and home to over 400 endemic species, the Aldabra Atoll, is on the brink of destruction. A proposed luxury development has threatened its fragile ecosystem, and despite scientific arguments and official interventions, nothing has stopped the Seychelloix government from proceeding with this project. Nothing seemed to get their attention. In the end, it wasn’t data or diplomacy that began turning the tide for Aldabra, it was storytelling. 🎙️ Today’s guests, Celina Chien, conservationist, journalist, and founder of Overstories, and Victoria Duthil, a Seyhelloix scientist-turned-advocate dedicated to protecting her home’s biodiversity have both been instrumental in the Friends of Aldabra movement, which has harnessed the power of narratives to inspire action. 💡 In this new podcast episode, we’re exploring the intersection of storytelling, culture, and conservation. How often have cold facts failed to move you, yet a story changed everything? Why does that happen? How can you use storytelling as a force for change? And how can young, powerful voices shape the future of conservation? 🔗 Link in bio! If you enjoy our podcast Voices of Wilderness, please consider supporting our work at WILD.org, which allows us to dedicate time to creating these conversations for you. And please, leave comments and rate us on your favorite platform. ⭐ #ClimateChange #ProtectBiodiversity #Biodiversity #50by2030 #ConnectToProtect #SixthMassExtinction #KeepItWILD #IndigenousRights #ProtectWilderness #nature #wilderness #wild #nature #50x30 #VoicesofWilderness #VoW
- — A UNESCO World Heritage site in the Indian Ocean and home to over 400 endemic species,… (2/4). 🎧 A UNESCO World Heritage site in the Indian Ocean and home to over 400 endemic species, the Aldabra Atoll, is on the brink of destruction. A proposed luxury development has threatened its fragile ecosystem, and despite scientific arguments and official interventions, nothing has stopped the Seychelloix government from proceeding with this project. Nothing seemed to get their attention. In the end, it wasn’t data or diplomacy that began turning the tide for Aldabra, it was storytelling. 🎙️ Today’s guests, Celina Chien, conservationist, journalist, and founder of Overstories, and Victoria Duthil, a Seyhelloix scientist-turned-advocate dedicated to protecting her home’s biodiversity have both been instrumental in the Friends of Aldabra movement, which has harnessed the power of narratives to inspire action. 💡 In this new podcast episode, we’re exploring the intersection of storytelling, culture, and conservation. How often have cold facts failed to move you, yet a story changed everything? Why does that happen? How can you use storytelling as a force for change? And how can young, powerful voices shape the future of conservation? 🔗 Link in bio! If you enjoy our podcast Voices of Wilderness, please consider supporting our work at WILD.org, which allows us to dedicate time to creating these conversations for you. And please, leave comments and rate us on your favorite platform. ⭐ #ClimateChange #ProtectBiodiversity #Biodiversity #50by2030 #ConnectToProtect #SixthMassExtinction #KeepItWILD #IndigenousRights #ProtectWilderness #nature #wilderness #wild #nature #50x30 #VoicesofWilderness #VoW
- — A UNESCO World Heritage site in the Indian Ocean and home to over 400 endemic species,… (3/4). 🎧 A UNESCO World Heritage site in the Indian Ocean and home to over 400 endemic species, the Aldabra Atoll, is on the brink of destruction. A proposed luxury development has threatened its fragile ecosystem, and despite scientific arguments and official interventions, nothing has stopped the Seychelloix government from proceeding with this project. Nothing seemed to get their attention. In the end, it wasn’t data or diplomacy that began turning the tide for Aldabra, it was storytelling. 🎙️ Today’s guests, Celina Chien, conservationist, journalist, and founder of Overstories, and Victoria Duthil, a Seyhelloix scientist-turned-advocate dedicated to protecting her home’s biodiversity have both been instrumental in the Friends of Aldabra movement, which has harnessed the power of narratives to inspire action. 💡 In this new podcast episode, we’re exploring the intersection of storytelling, culture, and conservation. How often have cold facts failed to move you, yet a story changed everything? Why does that happen? How can you use storytelling as a force for change? And how can young, powerful voices shape the future of conservation? 🔗 Link in bio! If you enjoy our podcast Voices of Wilderness, please consider supporting our work at WILD.org, which allows us to dedicate time to creating these conversations for you. And please, leave comments and rate us on your favorite platform. ⭐ #ClimateChange #ProtectBiodiversity #Biodiversity #50by2030 #ConnectToProtect #SixthMassExtinction #KeepItWILD #IndigenousRights #ProtectWilderness #nature #wilderness #wild #nature #50x30 #VoicesofWilderness #VoW
- — A UNESCO World Heritage site in the Indian Ocean and home to over 400 endemic species,… (4/4). 🎧 A UNESCO World Heritage site in the Indian Ocean and home to over 400 endemic species, the Aldabra Atoll, is on the brink of destruction. A proposed luxury development has threatened its fragile ecosystem, and despite scientific arguments and official interventions, nothing has stopped the Seychelloix government from proceeding with this project. Nothing seemed to get their attention. In the end, it wasn’t data or diplomacy that began turning the tide for Aldabra, it was storytelling. 🎙️ Today’s guests, Celina Chien, conservationist, journalist, and founder of Overstories, and Victoria Duthil, a Seyhelloix scientist-turned-advocate dedicated to protecting her home’s biodiversity have both been instrumental in the Friends of Aldabra movement, which has harnessed the power of narratives to inspire action. 💡 In this new podcast episode, we’re exploring the intersection of storytelling, culture, and conservation. How often have cold facts failed to move you, yet a story changed everything? Why does that happen? How can you use storytelling as a force for change? And how can young, powerful voices shape the future of conservation? 🔗 Link in bio! If you enjoy our podcast Voices of Wilderness, please consider supporting our work at WILD.org, which allows us to dedicate time to creating these conversations for you. And please, leave comments and rate us on your favorite platform. ⭐ #ClimateChange #ProtectBiodiversity #Biodiversity #50by2030 #ConnectToProtect #SixthMassExtinction #KeepItWILD #IndigenousRights #ProtectWilderness #nature #wilderness #wild #nature #50x30 #VoicesofWilderness #VoW
- — The incredibly talented reminding us what may happen if we don’t act for Aldabra NOW…. The incredibly talented @wildlife_erra reminding us what may happen if we don’t act for Aldabra NOW 🐢💔 Things are moving fast, and once we lose Aldabra, we lose it forever. 🩵Let this powerful artwork move you and remind you that we haven’t lost Aldabra YET. We are at the start of this story, and our actions TODAY will determine the future of this island. 🐢 Take direct action NOW at friendsofaldabra.org #FriendsofAldabra #SaveAldabra
- — Aldabra—one of the most untouched and ecologically unique places on Earth—is under…. threat. Developers have started clearing land on Assomption Island for a luxury resort, putting endangered species, fragile ecosystems, and decades of conservation work at serious risk. All while ignoring local voices and scientific concerns. We’re taking DIRECT ACTION to stop this destruction—and YOU can join us. 💪🌱 📲 Download the Chilli app to make your voice heard: ✅ Email major hotel chains to demand they opt out of this project. ✅ And tell us what else YOU want to do—we’ll make it easy. This is your chance to stand up for nature, for justice, and for the future of our planet. Together, we can flood inboxes, raise awareness, and stop this destructive project in its tracks. 💥 The time to act is NOW. Join us on Chilli and friendsofaldabra.org and help save Aldabra - before it’s too late. #FriendsOfAldabra
- — Myth: The rest of the land around luxury resorts remains untouched The proposed resort…. construction on Assomption Island is estimated to only use 3–4% of the island. But nature doesn’t follow boundaries. It fragments. It spreads. It pollutes. #mythbuster #friendsofaldabra #invasivespecies #wildlife #ecotourism
- — Are you a journalist? (1/3). Are you a journalist? Is someone you know a journalist? If you’re looking to report a story with real impact, this is it. A luxury resort development is threatening the integrity of Aldabra Atoll—a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most pristine ecosystems on Earth. This isn’t just about one island. It’s a story of ecological destruction, alleged corruption, and foreign power shaping the fate of a vulnerable nation. 📣 Drop us a DM to learn more. Let’s make sure the world hears what’s happening before it’s too late. Be on the right side of history.
- — Are you a journalist? (2/3). Are you a journalist? Is someone you know a journalist? If you’re looking to report a story with real impact, this is it. A luxury resort development is threatening the integrity of Aldabra Atoll—a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most pristine ecosystems on Earth. This isn’t just about one island. It’s a story of ecological destruction, alleged corruption, and foreign power shaping the fate of a vulnerable nation. 📣 Drop us a DM to learn more. Let’s make sure the world hears what’s happening before it’s too late. Be on the right side of history.
- — Are you a journalist? (3/3). Are you a journalist? Is someone you know a journalist? If you’re looking to report a story with real impact, this is it. A luxury resort development is threatening the integrity of Aldabra Atoll—a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most pristine ecosystems on Earth. This isn’t just about one island. It’s a story of ecological destruction, alleged corruption, and foreign power shaping the fate of a vulnerable nation. 📣 Drop us a DM to learn more. Let’s make sure the world hears what’s happening before it’s too late. Be on the right side of history.
- — YOU did this! Thanks to YOUR emails and relentless pressure, we’ve just received…. confirmation that @ihghotels will NOT be part of the destructive hotel project on Assomption Island — just 27km from Aldabra, one of Earth’s last untouched ecosystems. 🌿💙 This is a huge win — and it happened because you took action. 💥 But the fight isn’t over. @fourseasons , @rosewoodhotels , @marriotthotels , @hiltonhotels — we’re still waiting. Will you be complicit in the destruction of one of Earth’s last wild places? 🌍 Land clearing has already started, so we need to keep the pressure on. Keep those emails coming — every voice matters. 🔗 Click the link in our bio to send your email NOW. Let’s show them the world is watching. #FriendsofAldabra
- — Seselwa, I nou devwar pou protez nou patrimwan Aldabra.. Pran aksyon ozordi lor Friendsofaldabra.org 🐢💚 #friendsofaldabra #savealdabra
- — Aldabra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is under threat. (1/6). Aldabra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is under threat. Land clearing has started on Assomption Island for a luxury resort—despite public outcry and scientific warnings. This isn’t just one island; it’s part of a pattern where ecosystems and community voices are sacrificed for profit. ➡️ Take action now: Visit FriendsofAldabra.org (link in bio) and download the Chilli App to help stop this destruction before it’s too late! #FriendsofAldabra #SaveAldabra
- — Aldabra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is under threat. (2/6). Aldabra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is under threat. Land clearing has started on Assomption Island for a luxury resort—despite public outcry and scientific warnings. This isn’t just one island; it’s part of a pattern where ecosystems and community voices are sacrificed for profit. ➡️ Take action now: Visit FriendsofAldabra.org (link in bio) and download the Chilli App to help stop this destruction before it’s too late! #FriendsofAldabra #SaveAldabra
- — Aldabra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is under threat. (3/6). Aldabra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is under threat. Land clearing has started on Assomption Island for a luxury resort—despite public outcry and scientific warnings. This isn’t just one island; it’s part of a pattern where ecosystems and community voices are sacrificed for profit. ➡️ Take action now: Visit FriendsofAldabra.org (link in bio) and download the Chilli App to help stop this destruction before it’s too late! #FriendsofAldabra #SaveAldabra
- — Aldabra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is under threat. (4/6). Aldabra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is under threat. Land clearing has started on Assomption Island for a luxury resort—despite public outcry and scientific warnings. This isn’t just one island; it’s part of a pattern where ecosystems and community voices are sacrificed for profit. ➡️ Take action now: Visit FriendsofAldabra.org (link in bio) and download the Chilli App to help stop this destruction before it’s too late! #FriendsofAldabra #SaveAldabra
- — Aldabra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is under threat. (5/6). Aldabra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is under threat. Land clearing has started on Assomption Island for a luxury resort—despite public outcry and scientific warnings. This isn’t just one island; it’s part of a pattern where ecosystems and community voices are sacrificed for profit. ➡️ Take action now: Visit FriendsofAldabra.org (link in bio) and download the Chilli App to help stop this destruction before it’s too late! #FriendsofAldabra #SaveAldabra
- — Aldabra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is under threat. (6/6). Aldabra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is under threat. Land clearing has started on Assomption Island for a luxury resort—despite public outcry and scientific warnings. This isn’t just one island; it’s part of a pattern where ecosystems and community voices are sacrificed for profit. ➡️ Take action now: Visit FriendsofAldabra.org (link in bio) and download the Chilli App to help stop this destruction before it’s too late! #FriendsofAldabra #SaveAldabra
- — Myth: If people never visit a place, they won’t care about it Reality check: Although…. developers in Aldabra argue this, there is so much evidence showing people do care about places they’ve never been to, as demonstrated by conservation action success supported by donors on opposite sides of the globe (including our work @reservaylt !) #mythbuster #friendsofaldabra #ecotourism #sustainable #unesco #conservation #wildlife
- — 2 DOWN, 3 TO GO!!. !! 🎉 Thanks to YOUR actions, @fourseasons has confirmed they are NOT involved in the Assomption Island hotel development. This is another win in our fight to protect one of the last untouched ecosystems on Earth — and it’s all because of YOU. 💪🌿 Now, we’re calling on @rosewoodhotels and @hiltonhotels to make a choice: will they contribute to the destruction of Aldabra? The world is watching. @rosewoodhotels and @hiltonhotels Why have you been so silent? 📩 Take action today — it only takes 30 seconds to send an email. Head to the link in our bio and let’s show them the world is watching. For those just joining, here’s what’s at stake: a luxury resort is planned for Assomption Island, just 27km from Aldabra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to some of the planet’s most unique wildlife. Land clearing has already begun, but together we’re making waves. 🌍 Aldabra is worth fighting for. Let’s keep going! 💙 #FriendsofAldabra #SaveAldabra
- — Things are moving fast and public opinion is still being ignored. (1/3). Things are moving fast and public opinion is still being ignored. It’s time to take things up a notch. @rosewoodhotels @hiltonhotels Is this really the kind of project you want your brand associated with? Why haven’t you replied to any of our emails? Are you condoning a development that threatens one of the world’s last untouched ecosystems? @unesco How can you remain silent? What’s the point of World Heritage status if it can’t protect Aldabra from destructive tourism? If this can happen here, what does it mean for every other World Heritage site? It’s time to turn up the pressure, keep sending emails and ask for answers! Let’s make our voices impossible to ignore. ➡️Follow the link in our bio to send an email to Rosewood and/or Hilton and demand answers!! All quotes in these slides are from an article published by Green Prophet. You can read the full story at greenprophet.com #friendsofaldabra
- — Things are moving fast and public opinion is still being ignored. (2/3). Things are moving fast and public opinion is still being ignored. It’s time to take things up a notch. @rosewoodhotels @hiltonhotels Is this really the kind of project you want your brand associated with? Why haven’t you replied to any of our emails? Are you condoning a development that threatens one of the world’s last untouched ecosystems? @unesco How can you remain silent? What’s the point of World Heritage status if it can’t protect Aldabra from destructive tourism? If this can happen here, what does it mean for every other World Heritage site? It’s time to turn up the pressure, keep sending emails and ask for answers! Let’s make our voices impossible to ignore. ➡️Follow the link in our bio to send an email to Rosewood and/or Hilton and demand answers!! All quotes in these slides are from an article published by Green Prophet. You can read the full story at greenprophet.com #friendsofaldabra
- — Things are moving fast and public opinion is still being ignored. (3/3). Things are moving fast and public opinion is still being ignored. It’s time to take things up a notch. @rosewoodhotels @hiltonhotels Is this really the kind of project you want your brand associated with? Why haven’t you replied to any of our emails? Are you condoning a development that threatens one of the world’s last untouched ecosystems? @unesco How can you remain silent? What’s the point of World Heritage status if it can’t protect Aldabra from destructive tourism? If this can happen here, what does it mean for every other World Heritage site? It’s time to turn up the pressure, keep sending emails and ask for answers! Let’s make our voices impossible to ignore. ➡️Follow the link in our bio to send an email to Rosewood and/or Hilton and demand answers!! All quotes in these slides are from an article published by Green Prophet. You can read the full story at greenprophet.com #friendsofaldabra
- — Myth: ‘We employ a large proportion of local staff and contribute significantly to the…. local economy’. Reality check: Luxury hotel corporations often make this claim to build a narrative of sustainability and local economy support. It is important to critically assess claims of sustainability - While luxury hotels and other private tourism businesses do create significant employment, the quality and fairness of these opportunities often don’t live up to the sustainability claims these establishments promote. To make a holiday truly sustainable, seek out locally owned establishments where contributions to the local economy are direct and remember to stay critical when faced with claims of sustainability.
- — Save the turtles for Turtles in the Seychelles URGENTLY need YOUR help Luxury resort…. Save the turtles for #WorldTurtleDay👇 Turtles in the Seychelles URGENTLY need YOUR help 🚨 Luxury resort development is taking place right NOW on nesting and hatching beaches for critically ENDANGERED Green and Hawksbill Sea turtles 🐢 Not only does Assomption host the longest beach for hatching, supporting turtle populations across the entire Seychelles, those that make it to adulthood will return to this very same beach 🧭 …can you imagine making a huge journey, coming back to the nest site you were born on, only for it to be destroyed by a luxury resort? Yet, there is no assurance that nests aren’t being destroyed AND the distance between villas and the beach not being big enough ‼️ Take action for turtles this #WorldTurtleDay at friendsofaldabra.org/take action (link in bio) Share this video, stop the construction, urge decision makers to intervene in this development 🩵 Music: ‘diving’ by @moby #SaveAldabra #FriendsOfAldabra #ParadiseVsProfit #UNESCO #Turtle
Full text archive: /loreline-text/aldabra.md
