My New Island Life (Part 2)

‘’Desroches is an island which has a soul’’

I previously wrote about my new island life on Mahé, having moved from my island home of Mauritius but I now have a chance to explore a new island – Desroches. It is the main island of the Amirante Islands, part of the Outer Islands of Seychelles – much smaller than Mahé. It was amazing to cycle around this little island lost in the middle of the Indian Ocean with departing Marine Educator, Ella. It might a very tiny place but there are loads to see here and I hope to make the most out of it during my time here.

On land, you can cycle to the tortoise sanctuary and bring the apples for George or adopt one of the lovely tortoise hatchlings. All around the island, there are huge seagrass meadows with massive corals where a wide variety of juvenile species start their life. Another nice thing about the abundance of seagrass is the high occurrence of turtles – especially green sea turtles –  that you come across during almost every outing. While walking towards the snorkelling site, I also get to see juvenile lemon sharks, stingrays and eagle rays very close to the shore.

I was also blessed to witness a nesting green turtle on the beach during a night patrol, thanks to the Island Conservation Society (ICS) team. I got to see how tiring it could be for a turtle to go through this process and how they ensure the best condition for their babies before they start their challenging life. It will for sure be my best souvenir of this island.

                     

Being on a remote island makes every people feel closer to each other, like a new family. The resort and staff, in general, are always keen to take part in environment-related activities. It was very nice to celebrate Earth hour on Desroches; lights in the restaurant were switched off for candlelit dinners and the Spa team organised a marvellous meditation session under the stars on the runway.

Before coming to Desroches, I was told that this island has a soul, and it is true. The WiFi might be very slow, even for loading some of the simplest internet pages, but as a marine biologist, you will have the strongest connection to nature here.

I am sure this new island life will have loads of upcoming adventures but anywhere I go, I will always have a special thought for my beautiful Mauritius.

from WiseOceans blog – WiseOceans http://bit.ly/2Jkeyss http://bit.ly/2J3dj1K