Farquhar Atoll, The Seychelles
Welcome to the Seychelles! We awoke to a beautiful morning with a stunning white beach and palm trees just outside our windows. The National Geographic Explorer anchored just off Ile du Nord, one of 10 islands in the Farquhar Atoll.
Just after breakfast we went ashore and had the opportunity to go for various walks around the small island. We wandered through the little village and saw the remains of the plantation. The local population used to produce copra but today the main economic focus is on developing tourism. The walks all ended at one of the most beautiful beaches with crystal clear turquoise waters, just perfect for a refreshing swim before heading back out to the ship.
We spent the afternoon snorkeling and relaxing on the beach. There were plenty of stunning soft corals to swim around and large amounts of colorful tropical fish to discover. Then there was a shout of “manta rays” and everyone raced to see these huge sea creatures. Mantra rays are the largest of all the rays and feed by filtering plankton through their gills as they gracefully swim through the water. They are most commonly found in tropical waters, often around coral reefs. We saw four Mantas slowly circling and even had the chance to see some feeding behavior. It was an incredible opportunity to see such a magnificent animal in its natural habitat.
It was definitely a day in a tropical paradise!
Welcome to the Seychelles! We awoke to a beautiful morning with a stunning white beach and palm trees just outside our windows. The National Geographic Explorer anchored just off Ile du Nord, one of 10 islands in the Farquhar Atoll.
Just after breakfast we went ashore and had the opportunity to go for various walks around the small island. We wandered through the little village and saw the remains of the plantation. The local population used to produce copra but today the main economic focus is on developing tourism. The walks all ended at one of the most beautiful beaches with crystal clear turquoise waters, just perfect for a refreshing swim before heading back out to the ship.
We spent the afternoon snorkeling and relaxing on the beach. There were plenty of stunning soft corals to swim around and large amounts of colorful tropical fish to discover. Then there was a shout of “manta rays” and everyone raced to see these huge sea creatures. Mantra rays are the largest of all the rays and feed by filtering plankton through their gills as they gracefully swim through the water. They are most commonly found in tropical waters, often around coral reefs. We saw four Mantas slowly circling and even had the chance to see some feeding behavior. It was an incredible opportunity to see such a magnificent animal in its natural habitat.
It was definitely a day in a tropical paradise!