Aldabra: Aldabra Atoll – Aldabra Giant Tortoises

 This is the holy grail in wildlife travel – the Aldabra giant tortoises in the wild on the remote Aldabra Atoll in the middle of nowhere in the Indian Ocean. This is the only place in the world where the totally wild population exists – nearly 100,000 of them! (There are some small captive groups in Mauritius, on Mahe, and Zanzibar). Here on Aldabra, they are the apex animals, grazing the island like elephants in the African savanna. The island is very dry and arid and the tortoises constantly move around both to avoid the sun and in search of grass and water. There are everywhere here, all becoming much more active and even inquisitive near the sunset times. Aldabra tortoises are the largest terrestrial tortoises, often weighing up to 250 kg (550 lbs), with shells that can grow over 1.2 m (4 ft) long. They have dome-shaped shells, thick, scaly legs, and long necks that allow them to reach vegetation up to a meter off the ground. Aldabra tortoise are some of the longest living mammals on the planet, some reaching 200 years of age and more. The longest living Aldabra tortoise was thought to have reached 255 years, Jonathan on St Helena is 194!