Almost the furthest west of the Seychelles’ Outer Islands, Astove is one of three atolls in the Aldabra Group, along with Cormoledo and Aldabra itself.
The atoll consists of the islands of Astove and Charlotte surrounding a large, shallow inner lagoon, a mecca for serious fly fishermen.
The islands host a large number of giant tortoises and many turtles visit their beaches to nest. Birds such as crab plover and Caspian tern fly over the mangroves and coconut palms.
Perhaps the most remarkable facet is the fringing reef which leads to the famous Astove Wall, a sheer drop-off plunging to the depths. The corals of the reef and wall are vibrant and very healthy, supporting a large number of fish and other species, including many flamboyant nudibranchs.
Many medium size fish species like bluefin trevally, Indo-Pacific permit, barracuda and grouper can be see in abundance on the reef and wall, which is unusual for reefs close to larger human settlements where such fish are usually sought after for the table.
