Aldabra is the name of a large coral atoll located in the Indian Ocean and is one of the tropical islands of the Seychelles.
This emerged coral atoll consists of four islands side by side that delimit a large internal lagoon with a characteristic green colour that is at the origin of the name of the island itself. Aldabra is one of the largest atolls in the world by extension of its emerged lands; it is a natural treasure that belongs to the whole world and was declared "World Heritage Site" by UNESCO in 1982.
The coral atoll of Aldabra has reached world fame thanks to the presence of the giant turtles of the Seychelles (Geochelone gigantea).
The Seychelles turtle can be considered a species of fundamental importance to save the ecosystem where it lives; in fact, safeguarding these turtles in their natural environment also saves a whole series of unique animal and plant species that share the same island environment. On the island of Aldabra, in addition to giant turtles, there are many other endemic species that need the direct action of these ancient reptiles to survive. In fact, almost twenty or so plant species have to "transit" their seeds through the digestive system of land turtles in order to germinate.
Seychelles turtles are saved a unique ecosystem by preserving their environment. Originally present throughout the Seychelles archipelago, it became extinct through direct human action, saving itself only on the distant and less accessible island of Aldabra, which made this ancient reptile, which saw the extinction of the dinosaurs, reach the present day.
