Black-Tipped Reef Shark And Friends

Today finds us on the Seychelles atoll of Aldabra, which has been described as "one of nature's treasures".  Indeed it is!

The most gorgeous sugar-white sand beaches are lapped by unbelievably beautiful turquoise water, and the whole place is teeming with life -- from Aldabra giant tortoises to Red-Footed Boobies, Great Frigatebirds, hermit crabs, Hornbill Turtles, Green Sea Turtles and Black-Tipped Reef Sharks.

The shark in this photo was lurking right near our Zodiacs as we waded into the water to board them to return to the ship after a morning's exploration ashore.  About as close as I ever want to get to one, thank you!

It is quite an honour for us to visit as only a handful of smaller ships with special permits are allowed to call here.  The only people living on the atoll are scientific researchers.