Aldabra and Seychelles outlying islands wildlife cruise

Description

Join an unforgettable 14-night expedition through the Amirantes and Outer Islands—culminating in the legendary Aldabra Atoll—aboard the MY Basilisk as one of very few people who ever make it to the outstanding atoll.
Home to around 100,000 Giant Tortoises, Aldabra also shelters rare plants, birds, and one of the world’s key nesting grounds for endangered Green Turtles. Bird highlights include the flightless Aldabra Rail, Frigatebirds, and several endemics like the Aldabra Drongo and Fody.
Day 1 – Embark MY Basilisk by 10:00 in MaheDay 2 – Amirantes – Desroches IslandDay 3 – Amirantes – Alphonse GroupDay 4 – Amirantes – Alphonse IslandDay 5 – At sea: crossing southwest to the Aldabra GroupDay 6 – Aldabra Group – Cosmoledo AtollDay 7 – Aldabra Group – Cosmoledo AtollDay 8 – Aldabra Group – Aldabra AtollDay 9 – Aldabra Group – Aldabra AtollDay 10 – Aldabra Group – AssumptionDay 11 – Aldabra Group – AstoveDay 12 – At sea: crossing northeast to the Alphonse GroupDay 13 – Alphonse Group – BijoutierDay 14 – Amirantes – St. JosephDay 15 – Return to Eden Marina, disembarking around. 15:00
This trip is very much of an expedition nature, although we are advertising a program, it is not unusual to have changes. The above itinerary may change due to weather conditions and the captain’s discretion.

Trip Name

Aldabra and Seychelles outlying islands wildlife cruise

Days

Overview

Vessel Type: Length: 26.79m / 88’ Passenger Capacity: 6 Built / Refurbished: 2004 / 2016 / 2020 Basilisk is a compact expedition yacht built on the bones of a North Atlantic trawler, giving her far greater strength and range than typical small-vessel charters. The steel hull, long-distance capability and modernised systems support true off-grid travel, while the refit adds a contemporary interior, improved decks and upgraded research and navigation equipment. Outdoor spaces are designed for long hours on the water: a shaded aft deck for dining, a fly deck for wildlife viewing and ten solar panels reducing generator use. Inside, guests share a bright salon, full air-conditioning and a relaxed, functional layout shaped around exploration rather than luxury display. Accommodation suits six guests across three en-suite cabins with high ceilings and strong natural light. A professional cook prepares international and regional dishes served either indoors or outside. Diving support is unusually robust for a vessel this size—compressors, steel tanks, deck showers and two dedicated tenders, including a long-range SAFEBoat. The small crew covers navigation, engineering, housekeeping and cuisine, with specialists added when required. Environmental systems minimise impact through treated wastewater, solar power and biodegradable products.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Day 1. Embark Mahe

Embark on MY Basilisk at 10:00 AM from our Mahé base. After a welcome and cruise briefing, we set course around midday for the Amirantes, beginning our expedition with the beautiful Desroches Island.

Day 2 - Day 2 Resroches

The Amirantes is a linear chain of coral islands and atolls lying west of the granitic Seychelles. Desroches, the largest and closest to Mahé, stretches 6 km long and 1.5 km wide, hidden beneath swaying coconut palms and lush endemic vegetation. The island is encircled by by 14 km of pristine white sand beaches, kissed by crystal-clear turquoise waters.

Day 3 - Day 3. Alphonse

The Alphonse Group comprises two neighbouring atolls—Alphonse and St. François, the latter home to the islands of St. François and Bijoutier. Among the most stunning in Seychelles, Alphonse is arrowhead-shaped, with white surf trailing behind like a wake.Once a thriving coconut plantation producing 100,000 coconuts a month, the island is now peacefully abandoned, reclaimed by nature.

Day 4 - Day 4. At sea

As we make our crossing from the Alphonse Group toward Aldabra, we’ll be on the lookout for marine mammals, including various species of whales and dolphins. In the evening, join us for a fascinating lecture on the natural history of the Seychelles.

Day 5 - Day 5 & 6. Cosmoledo

A visit to Cosmoledo rivals that at of Aldabra, yet in many ways it surpasses it in sheer remoteness and isolation. Wild, untouched, and uninhabited, Cosmoledo remains one of the least visited corners of the Seychelles—and the world.Home to bird species not found on Aldabra, including vast colonies with Seychelles’ largest populations of Red-footed Boobies, Masked Boobies, and Sooty Terns. A unique race of Madagascar White-eye is found only here. It is also the last breeding site in Seychelles for the Brown Booby, extinct elsewhere in the islands.Diving is excellent, with rich marine life and coral reefs that have survived more intact than almost anywhere else in the western Indian Ocean. The shallow lagoon near the main island is full of turtles, including hatchlings. A visit to the north island offers an incredible wall diving experience. We expect to arrive in the afternoon, with a visit to the abandonedsettlement and a dive off West Island (Menai), where turtles are especially plentiful.

Day 6 - Days 7-9 Aldabra

Often called the Crown Jewel of Seychelles, Aldabra is the world’s largest raised coral atoll and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Covering 150 sq km, it has no permanent population aside from the research team on Picard Island.Home to around 100,000 Giant Tortoises, Aldabra also shelters rare plants, birds, and one of the world’s key nesting grounds for endangered Green Turtles. Bird highlights include the flightless Aldabra Rail, Frigatebirds, and several endemics like the Aldabra Drongo and Fody.We visit the research station and old settlement, cruise the West and Main Channels, and snorkel at sites like Passe Dubois and Anse Var. Snorkeling through the mangroveforests offers a unique opportunity to visit the home to a plethora of marine life.DugongRecent Dugong sightings hint at a possible return of this elusive marine mammal to Seychelles waters

Day 7 - Day 10. Assumption

Assumption Island is home to a stunning arc of coral sand and vibrant offshore waters, here you can explore colorful reefs teeming with snappers, butterflyfish, and angelfish. Though its seabird colonies were impacted by early 20th-century guano mining, the island’s vegetation is now gradually recovering. Today, construction on a new hotel development is takingplace on the island, bringing with it funds for future conservation programs.

Day 8 - Day 11. Astove

Astove’s steep coral reef, just 250 meters from shore, is famed as one of the world’s best dive sites, rich with hundreds of fish species, Green Turtles, and shipwreck anchors.Snorkelling along the drop-off is excellent. On land, you’ll find shipwreck graves, bleached turtle bones, and abandoned buildings— including a Moorish-style manager’s residence. Nearby, Caspian Terns—rare in ocean habitats—dive for fish in the shallow lagoon.

Day 9 - Day 12 - 13. Travel to and explore Bijoutier

If you’re dreaming of a perfect island, Bijoutier is it: an uninhabited gem crowned with lush green vegetation, surrounded by white sandy shores and vibrant purple reefs set against crystal-clear turquoise waters, perfect for snorkelling with incredible marine life

Day 10 - Day 14 . St Joseph

St Joseph Atoll and D’Arros Island, managed by the Save Our Seas Foundation, include the St Joseph Channel—a hotspot for manta ray aggregations and over 514 fish species. St Joseph is the Amirantes Bank’s most vital nursery and a crucial breeding ground for sharks, rays, and turtles.

Day 11 - Day 15. Disembark in Mahe

At approximately 3pm we’ll arrive back to Mahe island for you to disembark

Trip Dates

Start	End	Price From	Room Type

Inclusions

Rarely visited Aldabra Rare and endemic wildlife and plants Very rarely visited islands