Our hike was to take place in the afternoon, as originally there was to be another snorkel opportunity along the reefs of Polymnie:
Unfortunately, the day was overcast and the water quite choppy:
After looking around and trying a few sites to attempt a snorkel, our guides deemed it too risky, so we motored back to the ship and spent the morning doing a bio-security check for the walk and attending a fascinating lecture about the afternoon destination, Picard. The clouds, while dampening our snorkel provided a perfect cover for the hike.
Some facts aboutPicard:
- Picard Island is the 3rd largest island of the Aldabra Atoll.
- The island has the only permanent human habitation, housing scientists and research staff – only 12 are permanent
- As the entire Aldabra Atoll is a Unesco World Heritage site, tourism is strictly controllled – we were the only visitors
The accommodations are simple, utilitarian:
There were three hike choices:
- Backpath – going inland to look for wildlife, then walking the Historical Route
- Historical – walking through the remains of dwellings from old settlements
- La Gigi – short gentle walk along the edges of lagoon and beach
I chose to take the historical hike, which also ended up including exploration of the interior of the island as well as a walk on the soft sands of the beach (parrotfish did an excellent job)!
After our successful wet landing we walked up the beach to a tree covered area with benches and water. There were towels available to clean off the sand from our feet, and once our feet were shod we were ready for our hike. As we began our walk, we had to step carefully over what we thought were jagged granite rocks imbedded in the sand. Nope – it was fossilized guano -ew (see last week’s post).
Fortunately the path soon cleared out and we were delighted at our first welcoming inhabitant:
Picard is the home to a largest portion of the Aldabra Atoll’s 150,000 giant tortoises (Aldabrachely Gigantea):
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The Aldabra giant tortoise is one of the world’s largest tortoises weighing up to 500 lbs
I did get to meet the largest living tortoises in the Galapagos which can weigh up to over 600 lbs:
- Aldabra tortoises are herbivores (although are known to be opportunistic eaters, even consuming baby chicks if available) and are known for their dark, domed shells, long necks which allow them to reach more vegetation that what is only at ground level
- They can survive for long periods without food or water.
- Their lifespan is over 100 years, with some exceeding 150 to 200 years
- They are very social, more so than most tortoises – even to humans!
- Sadly these tortoises are listed as Vulnerable
More findings next week!
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