Aldabra atoll, Seychelles

By Samantha Weinberg

From above, the Aldabra atoll looks like a giant green fortress, adrift in the Indian Ocean. Approached at sea level it is more remarkable still, a protected paradise where nature has been left to form and crumble, grow, wither and regrow, undisturbed by human meddling.

Aldabra, a World Heritage site, consists of four coral islands encircling a large central lagoon. Although closest to Madagascar, it belongs to the Seychelles, 1,200km to the north-east. But, unlike the Seychelles, Aldabra does not welcome tourists; it is far off the shipping lanes and there is nowhere to stay. Even scientists, who are lured here by the world’s largest population of giant tortoises and the opportunity to study what happens to species when evolution is allowed to unfold unchecked, are only granted limited study licences.