We awoke this morning to another beautiful day at Aldabra Atoll and embarked the Zodiacs before breakfast for a sunrise tour of its western channels. Our reward for our early start was a plethora of birdlife including red-footed boobies, frigate birds, dimorphic egrets and the angelic, long-tailed white tropicbirds.
Under our Zodiacs we could also see a myriad of marine animals in the clear tropical waters and every Zodiac appeared to be flanked by its own armada of green sea turtles and eagle rays.
We stopped at the end of the channel to enjoy a stunning sunrise over the large interior lagoon before returning to the ship for a well-deserved breakfast.
After breakfast the more confident swimmers amongst us had a rare opportunity to ‘drift snorkel’ – following the life-rich coral edge as the tide gently flowed inwards from the ocean to the island’s ample interior lagoon.
The experience was incredible – we gently floated above thousands of fish of every description and color, and an amazing array of different corals. The many green sea turtles were once again the highlight as they slowly gliding below us in the beautiful clear blue water.
Above our heads, the origin of the name Aldabra became clear – coming from an old local word describing the softly brushed pastel green that reflects the inner lagoon in the clouds above the center of the island.
In the afternoon we landed ashore on the atoll to enjoy various walks led by our intrepid expedition team and local rangers, we investigated the amazing coconut crabs, we snapped pictures of the living fossils known as Aldabra giant tortoises, enjoyed swimming amongst black-tipped reef sharks and even had the opportunity to purchase books and t-shirts at the ranger station gift shop.
What an amazing experience and a truly unforgettable day in the paradise that is Aldabra Atoll.
