GVI Seychelles

September 2015, Issue 8

Spring 2016, Issue 4

Inside this Issue

Introduction

COTS

Tickling Tortoises

SSTF

Youth Marine Programme

Cap Ternay Shark Day

Lemon Shark Monitoring

Building Capacity

Charitable Trust

Crown of thorns starfish

An unseasonably wet third quarter to the

within the Baie Ternay Marine National

year has not prevented the GVI teams from

Parks and injected 42 COTS as part of the

getting out into the field. This years giant

COTS reduction programme. Initial signs

tortoise census has been completed, and

appear to be positive with few COTS

marine monitoring continues at pace. We

observed within the park since. However,

welcomed

Seychellois

the problem persists along the northwest

candidates to the National Scholarship

coast of Mah and will require consistent

Programme and participated in the 3rd

monitoring over the coming months.

number

of

annual Seychelles Sea Turtle Festival.

With the hawksbill turtle nesting season
and the lemon shark pupping season now
under way it will no doubt be an equally
busy final quarter to the year!

GVI staff put the new injector kits to

good use, targeting COTS within the Baie
Ternay Marine National Park
In August GVI Seychelles received some Crown
of Thorns (COTS) injector kits from the
Seychelles National Parks Authority to assist
with tackling the ongoing COTS outbreak
affecting the northwest coast of Mah island.
The 20ml sodium bisulphate applicators avoid
the need to remove and dispose of the COTS as
they are injected in situ, which reduces the
possibility of divers coming into contact with

A degraded reef in Beau Vallon, where

large areas of coral have been reduced to
rubble.

the animals.
Recently GVI Seychelles conducted two dives

Multiple COTS feeding on an Acropora

coral in Beau Vallon bay.

GVI SEYCHELLES

Tickling Tortoises

This allows us to keep track of their movements, growth and

health over the years.
Of the various parts of the island, the area surrounding the
Rangers Station is by far the most popular for the tortoises to
hang out, with approximately 78% of them being found here last
year.
Most exciting of all, we have found three new tortoises this year two juveniles and one hatchling. Tortoise number 126 was found
wandering near the Rangers Station in March, and had an Over
Curve Carapace Length (OCCL) of 34.6cm. Tortoise number

One of 125 giant tortoises that roam

free on Curieuse Island

127 was found in May on the hill behind Grand Anse with an
OCCL of 24.3cm, and the smallest found this year was on the hill
behind the Rangers Station in July, with an OCCL of just 11.2cm.

After three months of intense tortoise searching for the 2015 annual
census, the Global Vision International (GVI) team on Curieuse
Island, with the help of Seychelles National Park Authority (SNPA),
have succeeded in tracking down 113 of our known 125 Aldabra
Giant Tortoises, and found three new ones!
The population of Aldabra giant tortoises on Curieuse was founded
from approximately 300 tortoises that were relocated from Aldabra
to Curieuse between 1979 - 1982. This was part of a conservation
programme aimed at safeguarding the future of the species. It was
also hoped that the relocation would allow further study into this
little-understood species, and would help to boost tourism in the
Seychelles. Today, populations of the tortoises live on several of the

The latter was brought to the nursery in order to protect it from

predation by rats and crabs, and from poaching. It will be released
when it reaches the age of approximately five years. This brings
the total number of free-roaming adults and juveniles to 127, and
the total number of hatchlings in the nursery to 27.
We also hope to develop our tortoise surveys further by learning
more about their nesting and reproductive behaviour. Last year we
carried out 12 nest excavations, which allowed us to calculate how
many eggs had successfully hatched in each nest. So the GVI staff
and volunteers, and the SNPA rangers, will be keeping an eye out
for more tortoise nests (and of course hatchlings) this year too, in
an attempt to gather more data on nesting and hatching success.

inner granitic islands, but the Curieuse population remains one of

the largest.
This is the third year GVI has carried out the annual census of our
Curieuse giant tortoises, and the tortoise tickles as we at GVI call
them, are a popular activity for volunteers and staff alike. They
involve trekking around some of the more remote areas of the
island in search of the giant (or occasionally tiny) tortoises. Upon
finding one we take a number of measurements and other data.
Almost all the tortoises have at some stage been fitted with a
Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag (first administered in the
1997 census), and some also still have the previously used metal or
plastic ID disks on their shells, allowing us to identify individual
tortoises.

GVI staff and volunteers take measurement as part

of the annual tortoise census

Seychelles sea
turtle festival

In August the Seychelles Sea Turtle Festival (SSTF) returned for the 3rd

Beau Vallon beach was the setting for various sea

turtle themed games.

year running, and once again GVI Seychelles was an active participant.
The SSTF is annual event organized by local conservationists with the
aim of sensitizing the general public to sea turtle conservation.
On Friday August 7th the festivals opening ceremony took place at the
Natural History Museum and GVI was in attendance. During the
festival James McClelland, GVI Seychelles Science Coordinator, was
awarded first place in the festivals turtle themed photography
competition for his photograph of a hawksbill turtle.
The following morning GVI staff and volunteers from the marine
conservation expedition at Cap Ternay arrived in Beau Vallon at 9am
for the Family Fun Day. They were joined by staff from the GVI
Curieuse Island conservation expedition, for a day of beachside
activities.

Face painting was once again a popular activity and

kept GVI staff busy throughout the day.

As it is each year, Face painting was extremely popular, with both

kids and adults queuing up to have turtles painted on their arms and
faces. There was also the opportunity to practice breathing underwater
by trying out the SCUBA equipment.
Aside from the fun and games, GVI presented information on our
hawksbill nesting research, which is undertaken on Curieuse Island in
association with SNPA.
The day was a lot of fun and it was fantastic to see so many people
coming together in support of sea turtle conservation. We look
forward to participating again next year!
Members of the public try out SCUBA equipment for
the first time.

Youth Marine Programme

Cap ternay shark day

Students enrolled in the Youth Marine Programme

examine the marine fauna of mud flats at Cap Ternay
with GVI staff.

Did someone say shark?

On Saturday July 18th the Minister for the Environment, Energy and

On July 12th GVI Cap Ternay staff and volunteers paired up with

Climate Change (MEEC), Mr Didier Dogley, officially launched the

the Green Islands Foundation (GIF) to welcome more than 15

Youth Marine Programme at Cap Ternay. The launch coincided with

kids from the Port Glaud Environment Club to Cap Ternay for a

Mandela Day, a global call to action, which celebrates the fact that

day of shark-themed lessons and activities.

each individual has the ability to have an impact and change the world
for the better.

Our volunteers were split into three groups to deliver brief

lessons on three crucial topics related to sharks: those found in

The Youth Marine Programme is an initiative of the MEEC and the

the Seychelles and what environments they depend upon, the

Seychelles National Youth Council (SNYC). The aim of the

teeth and caudal fins of different species and what that means for

programme is to engage youths in marine conservation and to develop

how they swim and catch prey, and the importance of sharks and

skills that enable them to contribute towards the Blue Economy.

misconceptions of them as a threat to humans. Each tied in some

The programme will run throughout the year and GVI will be playing
an active role in the initiative. First of all will be dive training, with
GVI Seychelles conducting PADI Open Water courses for the youths.
The course will introduce the students to diving and will be the first

fun activities, such as getting the kids to guess how long 20

metres is to see how large a mature whale shark can grow, or
'match the tail and tooth to the shark' to see if they were paying
attention.

step towards them becoming competent divers. Already there are

After these lessons we ventured to the mangroves of our 'back

plans for further collaborative initiatives as part of the Youth Marine

beach' facing Port Launay Marine Park, where 100 m of seagrass

Programme and we look forward to updating you on them in the next

beds are bordered by a dense mangrove forest that, in season, are

quarter.

home to dozens of Sickle Fin Lemon Shark pups. The group

waded into the shallow water to see how the maze of a forest
provides protection for the young pups as they grow. Breaking
for a Creole-style lunch, we then took the group to Port Launay
for a snorkel, where even bad visibility on the reef didn't stop us
all from having a good time.

GVI SEYCHELLES

JUNE 2015, ISSUE 75

Lemon Shark monitoring

programme

Visiting the new lemon shark information boards

on the mangrove boardwalk

As we approach the final quarter of the year we are entering into the
pupping season. Female lemon sharks are returning to the coastline

In August, acting British High Commissioner to Seychelles, Mr Dave

where they were born and soon dozens of juvenile sharks will be seen

Jones, visited Curieuse Island for the official opening of the new

swimming amongst the shallow mangrove roots of the Curieuse Island

Lemon Shark information boards. The information boards highlight

National Park.

the importance of the Curieuse Island National Park for the protection
of juvenile lemon sharks and provide visitors with information on the
monitoring programme being undertaken by GVI and Seychelles
National Parks Authority. The boards, which are printed in English

The research being undertaken by GVI and SNPA has already yielded
some interesting results, and a second season of data will no doubt
shed further light on the local lemon shark population.

and French, have been produced through funding provided by the

Thanks must go to the British High Commission for their generous

British High Commission, and are located within the mangrove

support. In the next issue of the GVI Newsletter we will report back

boardwalk on Curieuse Island.

from the WIOMSA conference in South Africa where we will be

While on the island Mr Jones had the opportunity to see the new

presenting a poster on the lemon shark research on Curieuse Island.

acoustic tracking equipment, recently purchased with BHC funding.

Following on from the success of the lemon shark tagging programme
in 2014, GVI Seychelles and SNPA will continue to research the
juvenile population in the waters of Curieuse Island by PIT tagging
individuals during the 2015 pupping season.
This seasons research will also involve an acoustic tagging element. By
placing tags on individual sharks the GVI team will be able to
investigate habitat preference and spatial movements of individual
sharks. Once tagged, sharks will be followed by GVI staff in kayaks
and movement data will be recorded. It is hoped that the data will
provide valuable information on how the juvenile sharks use the
mangroves and turtle pond, which in turn will assist the SNPA with
the management of the species.

Science Officer, James McClelland, demonstrates

how to use the new acoustic tracking equipment

Building capacity at cap ternay

Once we practiced clearing our masks, popping our ears, and

replacing our regulators, our next dive was to explore the nearby
reefs in the bay.
As we jumped in with our instructor, it was a little scary at first as we
were descending into the ocean and I kept telling myself to control
my breathing and trust my equipment. Once we descended at the
bottom of the water, a whole new world opened up to me and it was
both stunning and beautiful. I kept banging on my tank to catch my
buddy or instructors attention whilst pointing to something at all
times as I was very much excited. Throughout the remaining days of
diving, I had an amazing and unique adventure amongst the coral reefs
and witnessed countless species of fish and encountered various

Nathachia and Rosabella return from a dive within the

megafauna such as white tip reef sharks, turtles and rays.

Baie Ternay Marine National Park

Besides diving, there were a range of different activities we were
During the last quarter GVI Seychelles has received four students as part

involved in such as lectures and field trips to the nearby mangrove

of the National Scholarship Programme (NSP). The NSP is open to local

area. On the other hand, I really enjoyed being able to get to know

candidates with an interest in conservation and provides an opportunity to

people from different parts of the world as we were all thrown into

gain first-hand practical field experience. Recent candidates have joined

dormitories together and given shared duties around base.

GVI Seychelles from the University of Seychelles as part of their work

based experience programme, while others have come from a range of
organisations including; SNPA, SOSF, SIF and GIF. Hopefully these
individuals will now take their newly obtained skills back to their
respective organisations and will be able to assist them in conservation
efforts. Below Nathachia Pierre gives us an insight into her time on the
National Scholarship Programme at Cap Ternay.

In the end I found myself with a PADI Advanced Open Water

certification and trained on fish survey methodologies, and I am eager
to join any survey work that is needed in the future. Similarly, the
GVI experience has made me reconsider what I want from life if not
diversify what I have already set my mind to. As a Seychellois, I feel
so grateful for the opportunity and encourage more locals to enroll at
GVI for their diving experience. Now I feel that I am better equipped
to give a helping hand in the safe guarding of our marine ecosystem

My experience at cap ternay

I am a Seychellois attending my second year of the BSc in Environmental

and contribute towards its conservation.

SNPA rangers open water training

Science at the University of Seychelles. As part of the university course

we had to conduct a four-week internship at an environment related

On Monday September 14th rangers from the Seychelles National

organization, and I was most looking forward to my first scuba diving

Parks Authority joined GVI at Cap Ternay to undertake their PADI

experience with GVI Seychelles. Having never gone scuba diving before, I

Open Water course. William Dean and Steven Vital both completed

wondered if I would get nervous or claustrophobic 20-30 meters under

their course with flying colours and are now certified PADI Open

water, but I guess I would not know until I tried it.

Water divers.

On my first day of the dive, we woke up early in the morning and our
instructor introduced us to the basics & safety maneuvers in the shallow
water before heading out to the nearby reef. Our main instructor for the
open water course, Emily Sibley, was always so patient and calm with us
as we tested our equipment and got used to the feeling of breathing under
water and getting the hang of our buoyancy.

Charitable trust

I helped run this quarter's official charity challenge, organised with our
new community officer Jilly. We called it the "Seychelles Selfie
Showdown". The aim was to have teams fundraise, and then race
across Mah completing photo challenges, such as taking a group selfie
with a batfish or on a rope swing. Teams were also required to
complete challenges before the day, such as making team flags and
costumes.
On the morning Jilly and I gave the final briefing and handed out the
team packs (first aid, bus money, map, challenge list) and set them on
their way. We were driving around in the mobile support van,

The GVI Charitable Trust is a non-political, non-religious charity set up

constantly checking in on the teams via phone and jamming to The Cat

to provide support to local groups and organisations in the countries

Empire. One team went snorkelling with their phone, which made

where GVI operates. On Mah, GVI Seychelles has partnered with the

contact a little bit difficult... Another team, deciding that waiting for

Presidents Village Childrens Home in Port Glaud and over the last five

the bus would take too long, decided to hire a car!

years we have raised almost SCR 300,000 for the home. In recent
months the GVI Marine Conservation project has purchased a new solar

Being in the van and having a few hours, we decided we'd check out

system for the childrens home due to be installed later this year.

some of the southernmost beaches on the island, the ones on the

challenge list that were worth a lot of points.

Tim was one of our recent Divemaster Interns, and has just finished up his 3
months with us here at GVI Cap Ternay. While he was here, he helped us run a
community challenge as part of his project, raising funds for the President's
Village Children's Home.

With a deadline of 4pm to be back on base, we were all impressed

I've been here at Cap Ternay, Seychelles, for 3 months doing my

it back three minutes before four. Cutting it close! Just like the actual

Divemaster Training internship, and it's almost time for me to leave for

standings at the end of the day! In the end it was a great day out more

Thailand to finish it off. It's been a wild ride over here, definitely the

importantly we managed to raise some funds for a very good cause.

that the first team made it back at quarter to, and the other two made

time of my life! I have met wonderful people and made incredible

memories, and I'll be sad to leave what has been the tropical paradise I
have started referring to as home. Now that the soppy stuff is out of my
system, I'm going to write a little about my Divemaster project.
For the three months the Divemaster interns are stationed at Cap
Ternay, we are required to undertake a project.

Follow GVI Seychelles

Website - www.gvi.co.uk

Charitable Trust website - www.gvi.org

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