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Aride

Description

Aride
Aride, 1.6 kilometres long and 600 metres wide, lying some 46 kilometres from Mahe and 15 kilometres from Praslin, is the most northerly granite island of the Seychelles group. It rises some 152 metres from brilliantly clear water partly surrounded by a spectacular coral reef. The island was purchased in 1973 for the Royal Society for Nature Conservation (RSNC) by Christopher Cadbury, the English chocolate industrialist and President of the RSNC.
Aride is the home of the greatest concentration of seabirds in the entire region and boasts the world's largest colonies of both the lesser noddy and the roseate terns. Frigate birds roost on Aride and the red-tailed tropic bird can also be seen. All the reptiles are harmless and Aride has the highest density of lizards anywhere on earth. The island is also famous for the Wright's gardenia or bois citron which is an endemic plant only seen on Aride. Shell collecting and picnics are forbidden.
The island is open all year round, but it is necessary to enquire in advance to ensure that landing conditions are good. Visits to Aride can be arranged through local tour operators and the travel time by boat from Praslin is about 45 minutes.

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