試すGOLD- Free

Solitude in the Sun

The PEAK Singapore|August 2024
Get up close and personal with wildlife at Waldorf Astoria Platte Island in a far-flung part of Seychelles, where nesting spots of the endangered hawksbill and green turtles coexist with luxury villas.
- KENNETH SZ GOH
Solitude in the Sun

“Here’s a nesting spot,” beckons my turtle patrol guide, Dominique Dina, who gingerly leads me towards a dense canopy of shrubs, where the last batch of the hawksbill turtles have stealthily laid their eggs in late April, a stone’s throw away from the pristine beach. “Judging by the number of holes dug by crabs around the spot, we know that the eggs are about to hatch — crabs are very sensitive to movement in the ground,” shares Dina, who is also the environment manager at luxury resort Waldorf Astoria Platte Island.

I am on Platte Island, a tiny 1.3km long island 130km south of Mahe, the largest island of Seychelles, an African archipelago sprinkled in the middle of the Indian Ocean, with its closest neighbours being Madagascar and Kenya.

Platte (French for “flat”) Island is one of a handful of nesting sites for the endangered hawksbill and green turtles. Dina estimates that around 600 to 700 turtles come ashore during the nesting season.

With the resort coexisting with these precious nesting sites, turtle patrol is one of the more popular activities for guests. During the peak nesting season, hawksbill turtles emerge from the sea to dig sand chambers along the beach and lay their eggs, which can number up to 200 each time.

If the stars are aligned, guests can be whisked away to witness the hatchlings emerge from their nest they stick their heads out and dizzily crawl towards the sea.

During a morning walk around the coconut tree-fringed island, Dina shares that these hatchlings have a one in a thousand chance of surviving the short but precarious journey to the sea.

The path is fraught with predators, such as crabs (there are plenty of ghosts and brown crabs scurrying around the island) and cats. Rising sea levels are eroding coastlines and making nesting options more scarce.

この記事は The PEAK Singapore の August 2024 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は The PEAK Singapore の August 2024 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

THE PEAK SINGAPOREのその他の記事すべて表示
HIGH STAKES, HIGH SPIRITS
The PEAK Singapore

HIGH STAKES, HIGH SPIRITS

A cocktail renaissance is emerging in Macau, where top bartenders are adding their creative flair to the once sleepy scene overshadowed by glitzy casinos.

time-read
6 分  |
May 2025
A PLAY OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS
The PEAK Singapore

A PLAY OF LIGHT AND SHADOWS

Architect Pan Yi Cheng of PRODUCE looked to Italian artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi's gothic etching of \"The Drawbridge\" to maximise the narrow dwelling of a heritage shophouse fully.

time-read
3 分  |
May 2025
LIVING "THE ALTERNATIVE"
The PEAK Singapore

LIVING "THE ALTERNATIVE"

Some hotels try too hard to be different, while others play it too safe. EAST Hong Kong somehow gets the balance right.

time-read
5 分  |
May 2025
FORGING AHEAD
The PEAK Singapore

FORGING AHEAD

Almost 10 years after the devastating motorcycle accident that threatened to end his dreams in the kitchen, chef Haikal Johari reflects on his inspiring career, which includes leading Michelin-starred restaurants in Singapore and Bangkok.

time-read
5 分  |
May 2025
LUXURY UNDER WRAPS
The PEAK Singapore

LUXURY UNDER WRAPS

A velvet-wrapped intervention for skin that demands attention, not excuses.

time-read
1 min  |
May 2025
TERRIFIC TRIO
The PEAK Singapore

TERRIFIC TRIO

Three brands new to Watches and Wonders 2025 give us more reason to swoon over independent high horology.

time-read
2 分  |
May 2025
BLING EMPIRE
The PEAK Singapore

BLING EMPIRE

Thailand has long been reputed for skilled jewellery artisans, but in recent years, a new wave of designers has emerged on the world stage.

time-read
8 分  |
May 2025
BEYOND THIS WORLD
The PEAK Singapore

BEYOND THIS WORLD

A horological cosmos of 41 complications is distilled into Vacheron Constantin's record-breaking Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication - La Premiere.

time-read
5 分  |
May 2025
PERPETUAL IMAGINATION
The PEAK Singapore

PERPETUAL IMAGINATION

The inventiveness from Rolex at Watches and Wonder 2025 demonstrates its pioneering prowess.

time-read
5 分  |
May 2025
MULTI- PLIER EFFECT
The PEAK Singapore

MULTI- PLIER EFFECT

They move through sectors and roles not by accident, but by design. These multi-hyphenates prove that complexity, when intentional, creates momentum — and meaning.

time-read
9 分  |
May 2025

当サイトではサービスの提供および改善のためにクッキーを使用しています。当サイトを使用することにより、クッキーに同意したことになります。 Learn more