Bird Island
Seychelles · Outer Islands · 3 m
Description
Bird Island is a flat coral cay at the northern edge of the archipelago, an hour's flight from Mahé and utterly unlike the granite islands to the south. Between May and September more than a million sooty terns nest on its open ground, so densely that the colony is walked between on marked paths and the noise never stops. Esmeralda, thought to be among the oldest giant tortoises alive, lives here. A single small lodge takes the island's only guests, and there is nothing else on it. Guests are few and the island runs on solar power and rainwater.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 5 days (optimal 3 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: May – September
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Sooty tern colony of more than a million birds (May - October)
- Esmeralda the giant tortoise
- Empty coral sand beaches
- Fairy terns and noddies in the casuarinas
- Turtle nesting on the northern shore (October - February)
- Snorkelling on the drop-off
- Night sky with no artificial light
- Big game fishing off the plateau edge
Getting there
- Airports:
- BDI