TRAVELSPECIAL
Dive boat moored at Bijoutier Island castaway , you ’ d have to negotiate swirling currents in the deep channel between Alphonse and neighbouring St François Atoll , the forebodingly named ‘ Canal de Mort ’.
Having made it over Death Channel , you ’ d then have to negotiate the shallow reef ,
Snorkelling is a popular activity at Alphonse
54 battling violent breakers liable to tear you to ribbons on the coral . If somehow you make it to the seemingly benign beach , that Tom Hanks Castaway dream could be yours . You ’ d better get to work on those coconuts , though , because there ’ s no fresh water until the next rain comes ...
Beach scene at Bijoutier
PHOTO : MILES ESCOW
Except ....
Admittedly , that isn ’ t how I arrived at Alphonse Atoll . Rather , I wafted in with fellow photographer Miles Escow on an 18-seater aircraft after a leisurely night at L ’ Escale , an upscale hotel in Mahé . A welcoming party spirited us to the resort ’ s main hub via electric buggy , a brief journey through a tangled forest and past the island ’ s bijoux farm , until we reached an airy , sophisticated reception area .
While Alphonse has all the amenities of a five star resort , people really come here for the activities , principally fishing . The island is engaged in a finely balanced symbiosis , in which fishing ( both subsistence and catchand-release ) is carried out on a carefully controlled basis . This , alongside a raft of environmental considerations , helps to support ongoing science and monitoring .
So while a portion of the island is leased out to the resort owners , Blue Safari Seychelles , a slightly larger section is home to the environmental monitoring staff .
I met the resident marine biologist , Eleanor Kurhu , whose responsibilities extend to both aspects of the island ’ s administration . “ To be able to live and work in one of the most isolated and least-impacted tropical island ecosystems in the world is such an incredible privilege ,” Eleanor said . “ Before moving to Alphonse I spent five years working in smallscale marine spatial planning and coral reef ecology and monitoring in Indonesia and Fiji , talking about animals that need to be protected but in reality were already pretty rare in those places .
“ Wading through pristine white sandy bays lined with mangroves whilst numerous baby whitetail whiprays and sicklefin lemon sharks circle your feet is just breathtaking ... and even more heartening when you think both are threatened species .”