Our Unique Island
Aride Island is one of the finest nature reserve islands of the Indian Ocean. A visit to Aride Island is an unmissable adventure to explore what the islands were like 250 years ago before human settlement.
Aride holds more seabird species than any other Seychelles island: ten breeding species plus the largest roost of two frigatebird species in the granitics. It has the world’s largest populations of two species and the largest of a race of Roseate Tern, named arideensis. In 1973, when Aride was acquired as a nature reserve, there were no endemic land birds on the island. Today, there are five. Two of these were formerly considered Critically Endangered by IUCN and conservation work on Aride has helped to secure their future. Reptiles include one of the highest, if not the highest population density of lizards in the world. In every hectare there are over 2,700 Seychelles Skinks and 1,100 Wright’s Skinks, plus five other lizard species, a snake, a terrapin and a giant tortoise.
Painting by Tony Disley
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Painting by Emma Spring
Painting by Beryl Serret
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Plants include Wright’s Gardenia, a beautiful shrub that grows in its natural state only on Aride Island. Classified as Critically Endangered by IUCN, the conservation of Aride island nature reserve is vital to its survival.
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Painting by Emma Spring
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