Aldabra: Protecting an Island Shaped by Giant Tortoises

In a remote corner of the Indian Ocean, giant tortoises still shape the landscape.

Aldabra Atoll, part of the Seychelles, is home to over 150,000 Aldabra Giant Tortoises, the largest population of giant tortoises anywhere in the world. Their grazing helps shape the vegetation around them, making these reptiles not simply inhabitants of Aldabra, but an important part of how the ecosystem functions.

The tortoises are only one part of what makes Aldabra exceptional. The atoll’s coral islands, shallow lagoon, mangroves, seagrass beds, reefs, and other habitats support an extraordinary diversity of life, including nesting green sea turtles, migrating humpback whales, seabirds, and numerous endemic species. Its isolation and limited human disturbance have helped preserve ecological and evolutionary processes that have disappeared from many other islands. These qualities led to Aldabra’s designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.

A Conservation Concern 27 Kilometers Away

Just 27 kilometers from Aldabra lies Assomption Island, where construction of a luxury tourism development has prompted scrutiny over its potential environmental effects. The proximity of the two islands is especially important because Assomption serves as a transportation gateway to Aldabra, raising concerns about biosecurity, increased visitation, and other impacts that could extend beyond the development site itself.

Friends of Aldabra has been at the forefront of the issue, bringing together local and international scientists and conservationists to produce a white paper proving the detrimental impact this development would have, before construction on the hotel even began. Two years later, the results of the Commission of Inquiry confirm their determinations. 

UNESCO and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have now acknowledged concerns surrounding the development and its threat to Aldabra’s Outstanding Universal Value, but neither has yet taken meaningful action to halt it.

For Friends of Aldabra, these concerns became the foundation of a youth-led effort to draw greater attention to the relationship between development on Assomption and the long-term protection of Aldabra.

The Friends of Aldabra Campaign

Friends of Aldabra, a youth-led campaign powered by Overstories, has spent the past two years raising awareness about the proposed development and advocating for greater scrutiny of its potential impacts on Assomption and neighboring Aldabra. The campaign has contributed evidence and testimony to public discussions surrounding the project, including a national Commission of Inquiry established by the Seychelles government in late 2025.

“We refused to let this development happen quietly. Public pressure has already changed the course of this project and we believe it can stop it.” Vic Duthil, Campaign Manager

What the Commission of Inquiry Found

The Commission of Inquiry examined the sublease and development of Assomption Island, including environmental compliance, biodiversity concerns, government oversight, and the process through which the development was approved. After six months of hearings and review, its final report was submitted to the Seychelles government in June 2026.

Among its findings, the Commission concluded that public concerns surrounding the development were, in its words, “well-founded.” It also identified shortcomings in environmental compliance and recommended that construction remain limited to specifically authorized components until a comprehensive biodiversity assessment lasting at least 12 months is completed and its findings implemented.

The Commission’s recommendations reflect a central challenge of conservation on remote islands: decisions made in one place can have consequences beyond the boundaries of a construction site. For Aldabra, preventing the introduction of invasive species and pathogens is particularly important. Island ecosystems that evolved in isolation can be especially vulnerable to newly introduced organisms, making strong biosecurity measures an important part of protecting Aldabra’s wildlife.

Looking Ahead

The group continues to push for robust environmental safeguards, engage stakeholders locally and internationally, challenge misinformation and altogether keep fighting until Aldabra’s protection is secured, forever.

Aldabra’s remarkable wildlife is the product of both isolation and decades of dedicated conservation and scientific research. Its giant tortoises offer perhaps the clearest reminder of what makes the atoll unusual. Here, reptiles still exist in such numbers that they help shape an entire landscape.

As development continues to be considered on nearby Assomption, understanding those ecological connections will be essential to protecting a place that remains unlike almost anywhere else on Earth.

—

Learn more about Friends of Aldabra and their conservation efforts.

Curious about Aldabra Giant Tortoises? Learn more about one of our priority species.