jacob stuth: November 2014

Thursday, 27 November 2014

Ancient endangered wetland Southern Mahé, Seychelles ~ Grand Police , untouched wetlands for millions of years, future resort development site

Police Bay, currently untouched wilderness, potential world heritage site or resort development. Developers intend to change this natural setting to accommodate a 5 star Resort with golf course and up to 100 villas. I have been interested in finding the wetlands and documenting the natural landscape for some time. Today I made a research tour of the wetlands via Stand Up Paddle, observing indigenous species of flora and fauna on land and water. This is the last natural wetland on Mahé. A natural asset to all the people of the Seychelles and tourists.

Access though the thicket of Coconut palms by Stand Up Paddle.

Many species of fish live here, it is a nursery of native fish, frogs and reptiles.

The wetlands meet the sea, occasionally after heavy rains the water floods over the beach into the ocean.

The depth of the wetland varies depending on the season, the water level today was 75cm lower than the highest level of the year. At the higher level the water flows across the Police beach into the Indian Ocean.

Evidence of changing water levels can be seen against this huge granite formation

A screen calm environment filled with life including bees, butterflies, dragonflies, snails, spiders, Mascarene frog, Seychelles tree frog, Pygmy Piping frog, Swimming Caecilian, damsels, long armed freshwater prawn, praying mantis, beetles, Terrapin, fruit bats, skink,gecko, and freshwater fish make this their home.

The quiet, peaceful paddle amongst ferns, casuarina trees, reeds and palm trees. November 27th 2014

Many species of frogs live here

Point of entry to wetlands under coconut palms filled with ripe fruit.

Backpack with supplies for the day including bananas , passionfruit, water and camera.
No tracks here, just a dense thicket of coconut palms and pools of water separated from the surrounding wetlands with fish breathing from the surface of the oxygen depleted ponds.

Air temp 29C water temp 28C on 27th November 2014

Stunning natural beauty

Expansive wetlands habitat

Granite hills surrounding the wetlands feed rainwater into this natural basin.

Setting from the movie "African Queen" ?

A tropical wilderness, soon to be developed into a huge resort and golf complex.

Saturday, 22 November 2014

Seychelles International Airport & Botanical Gardens ~ things you see...

Sunrise @ Anse Royal ~ "Royal with Cheese" early swim under coconut palms in 29C water November 23rd 2014

Meeting a good friend arriving back today in the Seychelles. Flying just above the heads of surfers at "Airports"surf break, the jet stream of air made the water choppy under the engines for a few minutes after the plane passed

Arriving safely at the Seychelles International Airport. Just long enough, and then sometimes…….

In 2012 two U.S. drones crashed here within two months after surveillance along the coast of Somalia for pirate activity.

Walked through the Seychelles Botanical Gardens today in search of the worlds largest seeds, the Coco De Mer Lodoicea callipyge (in latin meaning beautiful rump)

Also called "Coconut of the sea"by early mariners ~ massive seeds of this Seychelles indigenous palm, once worth more than gold.

Trunks may tower up to 34meters high (111feet) and palm fronds (leaves) may be up 10m long and 4.5m wide.

During the Victorian era , in 1881 General Charles George Gordon believed that theVallée de Mai on the island of Praslin was the original Garden of Eden as described in the Bible, and that the coco de mer was the forbidden fruit of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He wrote

"externally the coco-de-mer represents the belly and thighs, the true seat of carnal desires"

However if the coco de mer was really the forbidden fruit, Eve would have had a very hard time handing Adam this gigantic fruit (which weighs up to 30 kg)

Coco De Mer Palm growing in Botanical Gardens

Coco De Mer ~ Largest seed in the Plant Kingdom

This is the female tree, male trees have long phallic looking catkins, up to 1m long making them the longest in the world. Because of the unusual erotic looking male and female parts people believed the plants made love on wild stormy nights.

According to the legend, male trees uproot themselves, and approach female trees.

Apparently the love-making trees are rather shy, and the legend has it that whoever sees the trees mating will die or go blind.

Today the pollination of the coco de mer is not fully understood, is one of the factors behind the legend.

coco de mer~ the rarest palm tree in the world, detail of leaf

carambola~one of my favorite fruits

rare pink pineapple grows on mountain tops and is edible

local artists inspired by the local scene of culture and landscape

"Thumbs up", Matthew, my apprentice local surfer, we surfed last year for the first time, he is surfing weekly now and really enjoying the challenge of learning about the waves. His family owns a farm and sells at a roadside fruit and vegetable store, I met him while buying bananas last year, he saw the surfboards on the roof and said, "teach me to surf" !!!