Spring 2016, Issue 4

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 Mahé 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

the animals.

Recently GVI Seychelles conducted two dives

Inside this Issue

• COTS

• Tickling Tortoises

• SSTF

• Youth Marine Programme

• Cap Ternay Shark Day

• Lemon Shark Monitoring

• Building Capacity

• Charitable Trust

GVI Seychelles September 2015, Issue 8

Crown of thorns starfish Introduction

GVI staff put the new injector kits to good use, targeting COTS within the Baie Ternay Marine National Park

A degraded reef in Beau Vallon, where large areas of coral have been reduced to rubble.

Multiple COTS feeding on an Acropora coral in Beau Vallon bay.

An unseasonably wet third quarter to the

year has not prevented the GVI teams from

getting out into the field. This year’s giant

tortoise census has been completed, and

marine monitoring continues at pace. We

welcomed a number of Seychellois

candidates to the National Scholarship

Programme and participated in the 3rd

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!

within the Baie Ternay Marine National

Parks and injected 42 COTS as part of the

COTS reduction programme. Initial signs

appear to be positive with few COTS

observed within the park since. However,

the problem persists along the northwest

coast of Mahé and will require consistent

monitoring over the coming months.

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

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.

Tickling Tortoises

GVI SEYCHELLES

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

Ranger’s 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 Ranger’s Station in March, and had an ‘Over

Curve Carapace Length’ (OCCL) of 34.6cm. Tortoise number

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 Ranger’s Station in July, with an OCCL of just 11.2cm.

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.

GVI staff and volunteers take measurement as part of the annual tortoise census

One of 125 giant tortoises that roam free on Curieuse Island

3

Seychelles sea turtle festival

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

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 festival’s 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 festival’s 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.

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.

3

Beau Vallon beach was the setting for various sea

turtle themed games.

Face painting was once again a popular activity and

kept GVI staff busy throughout the day.

Youth Marine Programme

Did someone say ‘shark’?

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

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

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

day of shark-themed lessons and activities.

Our volunteers were split into three groups to deliver brief

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

the Seychelles and what environments they depend upon, the

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

Students enrolled in the Youth Marine Programme examine the marine fauna of mud flats at Cap Ternay

with GVI staff.

Cap ternay shark day

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

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

Youth Marine Programme at Cap Ternay. The launch coincided with

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

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

for the better.

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

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

programme is to engage youths in marine conservation and to develop

skills that enable them to contribute towards the ‘Blue Economy’.

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

step towards them becoming competent divers. Already there are

plans for further collaborative initiatives as part of the Youth Marine

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

quarter.

5

GVI SEYCHELLES JUNE 2015, ISSUE 7 GVI SEYCHELLES

Lemon Shark monitoring

programme

As we approach the final quarter of the year we are entering into the

pupping season. Female lemon sharks are returning to the coastline

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

swimming amongst the shallow mangrove roots of the Curieuse Island

National Park.

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.

Thanks must go to the British High Commission for their generous

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

from the WIOMSA conference in South Africa where we will be

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

5

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

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

Lemon Shark information boards. The information boards highlight

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

and French, have been produced through funding provided by the

British High Commission, and are located within the mangrove

boardwalk on Curieuse Island.

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

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 season’s 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.

Visiting the new lemon shark information boards on the mangrove boardwalk

Science Officer, James McClelland, demonstrates how to use the new acoustic tracking equipment

During the last quarter GVI Seychelles has received four students as part

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

candidates with an interest in conservation and provides an opportunity to

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

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.

Building capacity at cap ternay

6

Nathachia and Rosabella return from a dive within the

Baie Ternay Marine National Park

My experience at cap ternay

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Besides diving, there were a range of different activities we were

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

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

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

dormitories together and given shared duties around base.

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

and contribute towards its conservation.

SNPA rangers open water training

On Monday September 14th rangers from the Seychelles National

Parks Authority joined GVI at Cap Ternay to undertake their PADI

Open Water course. William Dean and Steven Vital both completed

their course with flying colours and are now certified PADI Open

Water divers.

7

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

to provide support to local groups and organisations in the countries

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

President’s Village Children’s Home in Port Glaud and over the last five

years we have raised almost SCR 300,000 for the home. In recent

months the GVI Marine Conservation project has purchased a new solar

system for the children’s home due to be installed later this year.

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

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

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

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.

Charitable trust

Follow GVI Seychelles

• Website - www.gvi.co.uk

• Charitable Trust website - www.gvi.org

• Facebook -

https://www.facebook.com/GVISeychellesMaheCurieuse

• Twitter - https://twitter.com/GVISeychelles

• Instagram - #GVITRAVEL

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 Mahé 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,

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

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

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

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

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

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

challenge list that were worth a lot of points.

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

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

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

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

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