Fregate Conservation

Fregate Island Foundation

A non-profit organization contributing to the conservation a preservation of Fregate Island

As pristine parts of the world continue to shrink in the face of rapid population growth, the Fregate Island Foundation is actively involved in safeguarding and promoting the environmental heritage of Fregate Island and its wildlife, flora and fauna as well as surrounding marine biodiversity.
Through active conservation management, collaboration with local communities, technological innovations and promoting as well as conducting scientific studies and ecological research, we are affecting tangible change and sustainable results.

The mission of Fregate Island Foundation is to collaboratively contribute to the conservation and preservation of the islands surrounding marine ecosystem and the safeguarding and promoting of the socio-cultural heritage of the Seychelles and its people. In partnership with the Seychelles government, NGO partners and strong affiliates, we promote conservation best practice and knowledge sharing to optimize impact.

Fregate Five

Fregate Island is a unique eco-system like no other on this planet.

The foundation of this islands fertile soil, ideal for so many endangered plant species to grow in, is one of our littlest friends, the Seychelles Giant Millipede. With up to 15cm on length it is the largest member of the ‘Fregate Little Five’ and classified as an endangered species on the IUCN Red List. Most active at night, you will find many of them on the roads all around the island.
The Black Giant Scorpion is found in our jungle, most active at night as well and not venom to humans. For reasons that scientists are still debating on, these scorpions glow under ultraviolet light, an absolute highlight on every night walk with our conservationists.
Whipspiders, also known as tailless whip scorpions, are actually neither spiders nor scorpions. These strange looking creatures belong to a separate arachnid order called Amblypygids, meaning “blunt rump,” a reference to their lack of tails.
Another superstar amongst our little friends is the ‘Fregate Beetle’. The Fregate Island Giant Tenebrionid Beetle, is classified as ‘Critically Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is one of the largest beetles in the western Indian Ocean and is now only known from Fregate Island, Seychelles, where it is found mainly on the Sandragon Tree (Pterocarpus indicus). Apart from the many exemplars we have on the island, you will only find safety colonies in the zoos of London, Zurich and Warsaw for scientific research purposes.
The Fregate Island Enid Snail (Pachnodus fregatensis) is a terrestrial species that occupies a single, continuous range of only two square kilometers on Fregate Island in the Seychelles archipelago and is also classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Join our conservationists on guided nature hikes or night walks to learn more about the famous ‘Fregate Little Five’, that you won’t find anywhere else on this planet.

Aldabra Giant Tortoises

Young and old are delighted as they are welcomed by our charismatic Giant Aldabra Tortoises which roam freely across the wilds of the island.

Bred from a population of 150 tortoises some 25 years ago to their current number of over 3,500, these ancient creatures are both symbols and witnesses of our unparalleled conservation effort. They have watched as their island home has been progressively restored to its natural state, allowing them to flourish and grow to their present numbers.

By setting up a nursery for the young ones, we can continue to monitor their development and do everything necessary to ensure they are well protected.

Our guests are invited to visit the Tortoise Sanctuary for a tour and more information on the research project as well as to adopt one of the youngsters.
The adoption of a baby tortoise is very special way to support the non-profit Fregate Island Foundation with a one-time adoption fee or continues donation. Every 6 months the adopting ‘parent’ will receive an e-mail with pictures and the latest measures of his or her little baby tortoise and when they come back in time, they may even be able to release their little fosterling into the while on their next visit within 2-3 years.

Sea Turtles

The sandy beaches of Fregate Island provide a vital nesting habitat for two species of sea turtles. The critically endangered Hawksbill Turtle and the endangered Green Turtle. The Seychelles remain one of the few places on Earth where Hawksbill turtles come ashore to nest during the daytime and every nesting season, from October to January, is our conservation teams ambition to safeguard and monitor the several hundred nests.
You also have the chance to witness first-hand one of nature’s true miracles, the sight of a female turtle laying her eggs on the shore or a turtle hatchling making its way to the ocean.
It is estimated, that 0,7% of the Hawksbill Sea Turtle population is nesting on our tiny island.

Our conservationists will love to take you out on turtle patrols, where you can assist in their studies and daily works to keep these critically endangered species safe.

A truly magical experience.

Seychelles Magpie Robin

Fregate Island was the only remaining habitat of the "Seychelles Magpie Robin". Almost extinct with a headcount of only fourteen, it was the second-rarest bird in the world some 30 years ago. These charming, charismatic birds have since been restored to a healthy population by our permanent on-island conservation staff. Thanks to a program started in collaboration with “Birdlife International”, they now number more than 200.

One part of this success was the huge effort we made to keep the island and plantations free of any form of pesticides, rats and rodents, ensuring that the birds can breed safely on the ground. Further, we are continuously restoring the habitat to its former state – prior to being used as a coconut plantation for over hundreds of years – by planting countless indigenous trees and bushes. We also helped establish healthy and stable populations on four other Seychelles islands.

With all of these efforts in place, we can proudly state that we have saved this beautiful species from extinction, a true success story.

Bird Sanctuary

Over one hundred species of birds find sanctuary on Fregate Island, with thirteen species taking up permanent residence here and 9 that are endemic to Seychelles. Every day at dusk it is a thrill to experience the sight of large flocks of beautiful Fairy Terns and Lesser Noddies gliding across the island as they return from their fishing expeditions.

Through ambitious conservation programs, the Seychelles Magpie Robin and others, such as the endemic Seychelles White Eye and Seychelles Warbler, have been brought back from the brink of extinction.

Indigenous Flora

After 200 years of intensive agricultural practices during the plantation era, which almost totally cleared the native woodland, a natural balance is returning to Fregate Island.

Our sizable nursery started these efforts 30 years ago, by regrowing rare and almost extinct species.

Our conservation efforts have slowly but surely restored the native flora of the island. Many indigenous species have been planted across the island, including the mighty Takamaka tree – a national icon – and the rare and beautifully scented Wrights Gardenia, as well as the Indian Mulberry, which the Giant Tortoise love to feed on.

With its regained ecological foothold and splendour, we want to share the wealth of our flora with you. We offer a wide range of fact-finding activities for you to really understand the island’s natural history first-hand and see the results of our comprehensive rehabilitation and conservation project.

Marine Life

The marine environment around Fregate Island is truly diverse and unspoiled, teeming with colour and dramatic topography.

You can simply slip into the sea from four of our beaches and swim a few minutes out to a reef, soon you will be enveloped in a sunlit cloud of yellow unicorn fish or a manta ray may glide past.

We take great care of our surrounding seas, working alongside nature’s own environmental team. Underwater you could come across a grazing turtle playing its vital role in the ecosystem, removing overgrown sponges which can smother healthy corals. Or you might hear the rhythmic munch of parrot fish eating algae off coral, keeping it clean and healthy.

Come beneath the waves to see how Fregate Island is protecting its coral reef. After consecutive coral bleaching events, our coral is starting to recover in spectacular style.

Coral Restoration

In 2018, as part of its long-standing Ocean Commitment program, Blancpain partnered with Fregate Island for an experimental coral restoration project on Fregate Island in collaboration with Coralive.org. Eight hundred storm-derived coral fragments were transplanted onto eight artificial structures situated atdepths between 5 and 7m. Four of these structures use the Mineral AccretionTechnology (MAT), a method that applies safe, low voltage electrical currents through sea water, causing dissolved minerals to crystallise on structures, growing into a white limestone similar to that which naturally makes up coralreefs and tropical white sand beaches. The second group of four structures is not electrified in order to act as control. The project provides valuable research data, offering a unique possibility to measure in the same area the efficiency of MAT compared to classical techniques.

After the first stage of the project being very successful, the project is now in phase two with an actual study on the coral growth. The research aims to compare different durations of electrification to allow the Mineral Accretion Technology to be even more sustainable.
The motivation behind the study is to take coral restoration to a next level in size. Scalability is and will be key in the future, hence firsthand results in research and experience are of utmost importance.

You can participate in this promising research project and actively make a difference by donating either a complete coral dome structure or just partially covering it with corals.
A small donation to plant a coral fragment and support our foundation's work is also possible.

The research aims to compare different durations of electrification to allow the Mineral Accretion Technology to be even more sustainable by using the least amount of electricity whilst still benefiting from the positive effects on corals. Julie and the conservation team on Fregate will compare four different setups: 10 structures are electrified all day, while 10 only for 12hrs during the day, another 10 for only 12hrs during the night and the last 10 structures will serve as control group, not receiving any electrical stimulation. On each reef structure, 4 coral fragments of 4 different coral species are randomly distributed.
The team will closely monitor survival rates, growth rates, their resilience and recovery during seasonal heat waves as well as algae settlement on the structures. Supportive data will be provided by the recently installed smartbuoy from Sofar, which measures and records live surface and bottom temperatures, wave heights & direction as well as wind strength & direction.

Plantation

More than 80% of our fresh ingredients are organic products from our own garden.

Our small island is fertile and bountiful, and we host one of the largest hydroponic systems in the Seychelles, so we are able to grow whatever our chef‘s desire to create the most colorful and tasteful dishes for you. Our farming style is very sustainable and we only use organic products to maintain pest control, as we don’t use any pesticides or other chemicals.

Simon Love, our Agriculture Manger, loves taking you out on garden tours. He will be showing all aspects of the gardens and hydroponics as well as you will be able to taste all the fresh fruits and vegetables, that are growing on Fregate Island. The tour ends at the historic Plantation House, where one of our local chefs already awaits you for a ‘Creole Cooking Lesson’ with all the fresh supplies from our gardens.

Diversity

At 125 meters above sea level, the highest point of the island is Mont Signal where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the island's jungle, beaches, rugged granite outcrops, the ocean and the neighboring islands.

With hiking routes all over the island you can explore its incomparable scenery and beauty.

A fragment of the former supercontinent Gondwanaland, Fregate is today home to a unique assortment of exotic and precious flora and fauna. The ongoing preservation and protection of Fregate’s ecosystem is one of our proudest achievements and is the reason why the island remains home to such an amazing biodiversity.

We are fully dedicated to maintaining and sustaining a balance between the needs of the island's natural habitat and yours.

Sustainability

Sustainability is an ongoing process which we continuously thrive with a high effort.

With our solar water heating, electric golf carts, refillable amenities and reusable glass bottles for drinking water, we have created a perfect foundation. Plastic straws and all kind of plastic bottles have been replaced a long time ago and our Sustainability Team is monitoring our waste disposal, we have recycling system for our biodegradable products and all other recyclable products are shipped off to the main island for the recycling process. Our hydroponics exclusively use captured rainwater and with the 3 freshwater springs we have on the island we produce our own drinking water, that is freshly bottled every two days in glass bottles. Our Sustainability Team is constantly working on new projects to improve our carbon footprint, reduce waste disposal and find even more alternative solutions.