Designed to pair nicely with our Madagascar and Northern Tanzania tours. Make the most of your flight!

Seychelles is home to some of the rarest birds in the world, found nowhere else. The granitic islands are the world's oldest oceanic islands, where twelve endemic species have evolved, some found on only one island or just a few islands, making it an exceptional destination for bird-lovers. Many of the smaller rat-free islands are breeding grounds for huge numbers of seabirds. Waders and migrant seabirds include some largely confined in distribution to the western Indian Ocean region, or else species very rarely encountered in Europe. The majority of the 282 species recorded in Seychelles are migrants from as far afield as the Arctic and the Antarctic. The least known of these are oceanic pelagic bird species, rarely seen without a marine expedition, reaching beyond the islands and into the depths of the Indian Ocean—and these are exactly what we seek in this unique
birdwatching expedition.

Tour Highlights

  • Search for iconic Seychelles endemics including Seychelles Parrot, Seychelles Paradise-Flycatcher, Seychelles Scops-Owl, Seychelles White-eye, Seychelles Magpie-robin, Seychelles Warbler, and Seychelles Fody across multiple islands.
  • Explore Vallée de Mai (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Fond Ferdinand, Aride Island Nature Reserve, and La Digue’s Veuve Reserve, each offering unique habitats and outstanding bird diversity.
  • Experience immense seabird concentrations on Aride and Bird Island, with close-range views of terns, tropicbirds, frigatebirds, Sooty Terns, Red-footed Boobies, and more.
  • Spend multiple full days exploring along the Seychelles Bank in search of elusive petrels and storm-petrels, including the enigmatic Matsudaira’s Storm-Petrel.
  • Walk beneath ancient Coco de Mer palms, hike granite cliffs, snorkel vibrant coral reefs, and visit pristine coralline islands with Aldabra Giant Tortoises and nesting sea turtles.
  • Travel by expedition vessel between remote islands, allowing access to rarely visited sites, expert onboard lectures, and unforgettable close encounters with wildlife in a relaxed, immersive setting.

Trip Itinerary

Itineraries are guidelines; variations in itinerary may occur to account for weather, road conditions, closures, etc. and to maximize your experience.

Coming soon!

  • Ste. Anne Marine Park, Seychelles Islands, Seychelles Birding Tour, Seychelles Cruise

    Ste. Anne Marine Park, courtesy Silhouette Cruises Ltd

  • Aldabra Giant Tortoise, Seychelles Birding Tour, Seychelles Cruise, Seychelles Islands, Naturalist Journeys

    Aldabra Giant Tortoise, courtesy Silhouette Cruises Ltd

  • Seychelles Birding Tour, Seychelles Cruise, Seychelles Islands, Naturalist Journeys

    Crab, courtesy Silhouette Cruises Ltd

  • Seychelles Birding Tour, Seychelles Cruise, Seychelles Islands, Naturalist Journeys

    Seychelles Scenic, courtesy Silhouette Cruises Ltd

  • White Terns, Seychelles Birding Tour, Seychelles Cruise, Seychelles Islands, Naturalist Journeys

    White Terns, courtesy Silhouette Cruises Ltd

Cost of the Journey

Coming soon. Thank you for your patience.

Travel Details

Please plan to make air travel plans only after the minimum group size has been met. We will send you a confirmation email as soon as the trip has been confirmed.

More details coming soon, thank you for your patience.

  • David Jaffe

    David Jaffe is an engaging naturalist inspiring people through his curiosity to develop meaningful connections with our home planet. He has been an avid birder since volunteering with the National Audubon Society in 1991. Over his 30+ year career in the outdoor industry, he has gained experience as a guide throughout the United States and on all seven continents. He is a certified National Geographic Photography instructor and works as a naturalist and lecturer on expedition ships. He helped establish a marine protected area off the coast of Madagascar and assisted with bird research projects in the United States, Canada and South America. He has led backcountry trips in Denali National Park and gained great insights while working as a Park Ranger in Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. He is a passionate birder with a keen interest in geology, botany, and the intricacies of natural history. He loves this work and infuses every tour with his enthusiasm, knowledge and care.

    Other trips with David Jaffe

Pace & Protocols +

Pace of the Tour & What to Expect You will receive a Schedule-at-a-Glance and list of Read more

Pace of the Tour & What to Expect

You will receive a Schedule-at-a-Glance and list of hotels (our eContact List) a few weeks before your departure. This will serve as an outline for each day and alert you to any recent changes made in the schedule or to our hotels, if needed.

Our journeys are set up to follow the rhythm of nature. Our focus is on birding and nature; we offer full, well-planned field days and often get up early for that magical time around dawn. We generally follow the published itinerary, but we stay flexible to the weather, wildlife opportunities and the interests of the group. Your guide will keep you apprised of the next day’s schedule at each evening meal, noting what to bring and what to prepare for. Questions and/or concerns are welcome.

The pace of our Naturalist Journeys tours is moderate; to fully participate you should be able to get in and out of vehicles several times a day, and walk 1-3 miles over uneven terrain. It is important to participate with a flexible attitude as adjustments may be made in our schedule to make the most of our time in the field or for other purposes at your guide's discretion. We are not a “listing” bird company that drills down on target species, but at times we do wait for those special species unique to the places we visit. During the day, we take time to stop for photos and for educational opportunities to learn about conservation projects, landscapes, and geology. We appreciate other taxa as well as birds, with mammals often the biggest draw but plants and butterflies are also very popular. Our clients often lend their own expertise to the mix.

We like to make meals a fun and memorable part of the experience, too. Breakfasts are often at hotels, and we carry snacks, fruit, and water in the vans each day. Lunches are a mix of picnics in the field (weather dependent) and a chance to dine with locals at small cafes and restaurants. For dinner, we pride ourselves in our homework to keep up with the best choices for dining, choosing restaurants with atmosphere that specialize in local foods. On occasion we keep dinner simple to go back out in the field for sunset wildlife viewing or night walks. In some remote locations, our choices are limited. If you are tired, room service for dinner may be an option you can choose.

Naturalist Journeys International Trips: Guide Role

Naturalist Journeys supports ecotourism and the development of excellent local guides. Once we know our international partners and guides well, we can send out small groups working directly with these trusted partners, adding a Naturalist Journeys guide to assist the local expert when we have a group of 6-7 or more. This helps us keep your costs down while retaining tour quality. The local guide is your main guide. You can expect your Naturalist Journeys guide to be well-researched and often they are experienced in the destination, but their role is not to be primary, it is to help to organize logistics, help you find birds, mammals, and interesting other species in the field, keep reports, help facilitate group interactions, and to keep the trip within Naturalist Journeys' style. Local guides live in the countries we travel to, know the destinations intimately, and are often the strongest force for conservation in their countries. They open many doors for us to have a rich experience.

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted in any vehicle or in any situation where the group is participating in an activity together, such as a vehicle excursion or a guided walk. Please respect all designated smoking areas at hotels and restaurants.

Transportation

As a courtesy to each other, we ask that all travelers please rotate seating. On international trips we may all be in one small bus, on some trips we are in vans, particularly the roomy Sprinter Vans when available. Some areas require us to be in smaller 4-wheel drive or safari vehicles. Rotation allows you to sit with different drivers and alternate front and back seating.

Photo Release & Sharing

We take many group photos and will share photos with the group. And after your tour, we will organize a chance to share photos via Dropbox or Google Photos. Please note that this is our policy and if you prefer to be excluded, we need to know ahead of your tour.

By registering for this tour, you agree to grant to Naturalist Journeys and its authorized representatives’ permission to record on photography film and/or video, pictures of my participation in the tour. You further agree that any or all of the material photographed may be used, in any form, as part of any future publications, brochure, or other printed materials used to promote Naturalist Journeys, and further that such use shall be without payment of fees, royalties, special credit or other compensation.

Travel Insurance

You are traveling in remote areas. Naturalist Journeys strongly recommends you have full medical and evacuation insurance from a company such as Allianz, for all international travel. If you do not have medical coverage or evacuation coverage on your existing travel insurance policy or for some reason elected not to take that out, we advise getting an evacuation plan with Global Rescue, World Nomads, Medjet, Allianz (they can do evacuation only) or a similar company. These plans are typically $300-$400 for a year for multiple destinations. This coverage may be a part of a larger Travel Insurance policy but can also be purchased on its own.

Questions?

Please contact Naturalist Journeys by email at clientservices@naturalistjourneys.com or telephone our office: (520) 558-1146 or toll free: (866) 900-1146 if you have any questions. Many thanks for traveling with us and we hope you enjoy your journey.

 


Photo credits coming soon.

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