“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.
Denne historien er fra August 2024-utgaven av The PEAK Singapore.
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Denne historien er fra August 2024-utgaven av The PEAK Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
From Screen to Store
Heini Zachariassen, founder of global wine rating app Vivino on how its first retail store in the world brings data-driven curation to wine lovers.
In the Dining Spotlight
Renowned Dutch chef Sergio Herman, whose name has been associated with the Michelin Guide in the Netherlands and Belgium, is expanding his Asian footprint with his Singapore outpost, Le Pristine in Grand Hyatt Singapore.
All for One
How would you navigate a corner if you were hearing-impaired or enjoy school if you were on the spectrum? These architects posit that inclusive design must be part of mainstream standards to improve overall living environments.
Pods and Swirling Staircases
This quirky and playful home designed by Park Associates is shaped after its owners, a young family with three children.
Stories Behind the Kebava
Sufiyanto A. S., one half of the duo behind the Kebaya.Societe Instagram account, has had enough of seeing Malay identity erased and forgotten.
Good to Go
Driving classic Jaguars on the legendary Goodwood Motor Circuit is all the magic a motorhead needs.
Seasons of the Snake
Japanese architect Tadao Ando once again works his magic for Bvlgari, with the Serpenti Tubogas as an artistic canvas for nature's cyclical transformation.
Phoenix Rising
One gutsy retired pharmaceutical executive rescued two-century-old Swiss watchmaker Bovet, and today, its presence is stronger than ever in Southeast Asia.
Con Amore, Leggiero, Presto!
Chan Weitian injects new insights into Presto Drycleaners, blending operational innovation with time-honoured values.
Preserving Paradise
Gaya Island Resort takes eco-tourism beyond the expected, blending conservation efforts with authentic luxury.
