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Bird
The most northerly in the Seychelles archipelago Bird is a 30-minute flight away from Mahe. Originally Ile aux Vaches Marines after the now extinct dugongs sea cows, it is now home to 1,500,000 Sooty Terns, which breed here each year. From May to November, this spectacular colony can be seen raising their young in preparation for what is thought to be the rest of the year totally out of touch with land. Some are so tame the observer can almost get within touching distance. A viewing platform allows the observer or photographer easy access to this most amazing avian sight.
There's also a population of Fairy and Noddy Terns, Cardinals, Ground Doves, Mynahs, Crested Terns and Plovers. The giant land tortoise, Esmeralda, said to be between 150 and 200 years old, has a shell of more than 1.8m in length.
'He' is an island star attraction. Situated on the edge of the Seychelles Bank where the sea drops suddenly to over 1000 fathoms, Bird is also ideal for big game fishing.
Cousin
Two hours by boat from Mahe and only a few km off Praslin is Cousin, a fascinating islet, owned by the Royal Society for Nature Conservation (RSNC) and administered by the International Council for Bird Preservation (ICBP).
It can be visited on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays with a maximum limit of 20 visitors at a time. Among the species to spot are the Seychelles Fody, the Seychelles Turtle Dove, the White- faced Tropicbird, the Wedge-tailed Shearwater, the beautiful Fairy Tern, noddies, Bridled Terns and the Seychelles Brush Warbler. The best time to visit is April or May and a full tour takes from one to two hours.
Nearby Cousine (25 hectares) is also a private nature reserve and home to five of the Seychelles endemic birds and a nesting haven for a variety of seabirds and hawksbill turtle. The new Cousin Island Lodge has four super luxurious bungalows built in the French colonial style. Visitors are encouraged to participate in environmental and conservation activities.
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