A Conservation Adventure in the Seychelles: Life as a North Island Volunteer

Under the glow of a tropical sunset, dozens of tiny Green Turtles emerged, wriggling toward the crashing waves that would become their home. I had only arrived on North Island that very morning, but already I was bearing witness to some of nature’s most raw and vulnerable moments. 

In March 2025, I had the chance to visit Wildlife ACT’s Marine Conservation Project on North Island, Seychelles, along with our Marketing, Media and Impact Director, Megan Whittington. While most of Wildlife ACT’s volunteer programmes are based in Zululand, South Africa, our North Island program is just slightly further afield! 

The visit was important for us to check up on the ongoing work there, touch base with the team, and get a first-hand feel for the project. We joined the dedicated Environmental Team for a week to experience what it means to live and work as a volunteer on this magical island. The pristine island sanctuary is teeming with life, from giant tortoises and rare birds to endangered and critically endangered Sea Turtles. 

What follows is not just a diary of the week, but a glimpse into the unique rhythm, purpose, and adventure that encapsulates volunteering in Seychelles. 

The Journey Begins

The travel process really began when we received our Letter of Invitation and proof of accommodation from the efficient North Island team. (Note that if you have booked through a partner of ours, you will receive those documents from them).

About two weeks before travelling, we applied for our Seychelles Travel Authorization. It’s an easy online application and doesn’t take long to process, but it’s best to apply a few weeks in advance. 

On Sunday the 9th of March, we flew from Durban to Johannesburg before boarding an AirSeychelles flight to Mahé. We were due to land at 8.45pm Seychelles time, and our taxi was collecting us at 9pm. 

Passport control and baggage claim was quick and painless. It was lovely to see Richard, North Island’s designated taxi driver, waiting for us with a sign, as we exited baggage claim. Seychelles is notorious for humidity, and even at that late hour the air felt sticky and warm. But I was delighted to be there, and to be at the end of a long day of travelling. 

It was a short drive to our home for that first night: The Ridge Residence, located in the neighbourhood of La Louise. The Ridge Residence is one of our two recommended accommodation options, as it offers the most seamless pickup and drop-off experience. The other option is Hilltop Boutique Hotel, which we visited on the return part of our trip. 

Even though it was late, we were greeted warmly by the manager and shown to our room, which was very comfortable. I couldn’t wait to see everything in the daylight! 

Waking up in the Seychelles felt extremely exciting. We had breakfast on the patio of the hotel, and the view of the city, stretching to the ocean, was breathtaking. The patio also overlooks the hotel’s gorgeous infinity pool - I would have loved to take a dip, but, sadly, there wasn’t time. We did have time to eat a bit of breakfast, which was delicious and reasonably priced. 

Our taxi transfer was scheduled for 8am, to take us to the Marine Charter Harbour where we would take a ferry to North Island at 8.40am. This is the staff boat, which carries hotel staff as well. It departs from Mahé Island on Mondays only, and travels to Mahé on Fridays. 

One thing to keep in mind is that the ferry ride can be very turbulent depending on the ocean and wind conditions. If you suffer at all from motion sickness (and perhaps even if you don’t), it is recommended to take a motion sickness tablet at least half an hour before travelling. 

Another tip is that you have to take your shoes off when you get on the ferry, so it’s best to wear slip-ons or sandals for your ferry journey. 

Arriving on the Island and First Impressions

The ferry will take you past the larger island Silhouette, to the shores of North Island’s Petite Anse beach. We were lucky enough to see dolphins as we approached the island!

There is no jetty, instead you are collected from the ferry by speedboat and taken to shore. We were treated to a delicious glass of cold juice as we took our first steps onto the beach, with a row of golf carts and people waiting for us. 

Mathilde and Dominique drove us and our luggage to the cabin where we would be staying. We were briefed about some recent happenings, for example, 47 Aldabra giant tortoises had just been translocated to North Island from Mahé and were currently in quarantine. This species is endemic to the Seychelles, and one of the largest land tortoises. They can live to be well over 100 years old, and they are classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Vulnerable. 

We were given a quick tour of the island. A lush, tropical forest lined the dirt roads. Mathilde pointed out coconut trees, coco de mer trees, as well as Takamaka trees - an indigenous tree that’s protected. Its fruit attracts fruit bats, and the island has no shortage of this species. You'll see plenty of them swooping through the air, typically in the early morning and early evening.

There are three stunning beaches: West, East, and Petite Anse. There are also three hills, and three challenging but incredible hiking trails - perhaps good things come in threes?

Meeting The Team

The Environmental Team on North Island is a close-knit team of three passionate conservationists. The team is led by Mathilde Le Gressus, the Conservation Coordinator. With a Master’s in Conservation Ecology and field experience as a research assistant in Gabon, Mathilde has since developed a strong passion for marine biology and is currently pursuing online studies in coral reef management.

Adnan Maiche is the environmental coordinator. At the time of our visit, he was learning all he could from Elliot Mokhobo, the environment supervisor, who unfortunately would be retiring at the end of the month. Adnan holds a passion for plants and restoring coral, as the coral in Seychelles is affected by bleaching as well as El Niño, an accumulation of unusually warm water in the eastern Pacific.

Angelin Sanders holds the title of environmental groundsman and is deeply involved in working with the turtle hatchlings - in fact, he has become known as the “turtle whisperer”.

We were interested to find out that there are around 100 people working on the island, with about 13 different nationalities! While you do feel quite remote and ‘away from it all’ on North Island, it’s also good to know there are quite a few people around, with a lively and social atmosphere in the staff areas. 

A Short History of the Island

The history of North Island is fascinating, but I won’t go too in-depth here: the gist is that it was a coconut plantation for about 150 years and was deforested for this purpose. In 1970, the coconut plantation owners abandoned the island when coconut products were no longer as lucrative. 

The island had become overrun with invasive species, particularly rats, which were introduced in 1789 when a Portuguese ship was shipwrecked there. Coconut trees, while not invasive, grow aggressively and threaten indigenous plants. As a result, the island was in quite a sorry state In 1997 when it was purchased by Wilderness Safaris, and the restoration process began, a process which still continues today even though ownership of the island has changed. 

The ongoing restoration work has been named the Noah’s Ark Project, and the aim is to restore the island to what it once was before human interference, with thriving populations of endemic and indigenous species. And progress is definitely being made. 

The team proudly informed us that North Island has the largest population of the Seychelles white-eye (Zosterops modestus) - more than 250 of the total recorded 400 individuals in Seychelles.

The island is home to around 111 Aldabra giant tortoises. Many of them have been named by volunteers, and some of them, including Harry and Patrick, are over 100 years old. Meeting Brutus, a friendly and charismatic tortoise believed to be between 180 and 200 years old, is an experience every volunteer will remember fondly! 

And, of course, the beaches of North Island are vitally important nesting sites for the Endangered Green Sea Turtle as well as the Critically Endangered Hawksbill Sea Turtle. 

Conservation in Action: Where Every Task Matters

Volunteering on North Island isn’t just about beautiful beaches and idyllic turquoise waters. It's about rolling up your sleeves and contributing to a living, breathing conservation mission.

Each day brings a blend of structured work and spontaneous moments of wonder. You’ll spend your morning patrolling beaches for turtle tracks and collecting ocean debris, contributing to crucial nesting data and marine protection. In the afternoons, you could be logging fish sightings from a morning snorkel, tending to indigenous seedlings in the plant nursery, or removing invasive coconut palms to make way for native forest.

What stood out to us most was how fluid and immersive the work is. You’re not just following a checklist: you’re embedded in an ecosystem that’s always shifting. The team treats volunteers like real conservation partners. Whether you’re profiling beaches to monitor erosion, or helping with a rat inspection after a supply boat arrives, you’re contributing to a much bigger picture, and every task truly does matter. 

While the work of the Environmental Team is guided by schedules and itineraries, nature often has other ideas. This means that no two days on North Island are the same!

Turtle nests are marked with coconuts with key information written on them. The team consults their logbooks to determine when a nest is due to hatch - another key indicator is when the sand over the nest begins to drop. We weren’t expecting to see a hatching so soon, but on our very first night we were treated to a hatching of Green Sea Turtles. (In fact, a few hatchlings snuck out in the late afternoon, which we were lucky enough to witness).

I was mesmerised by the hatchlings making their way over the dunes to the sea. They were small and vulnerable, beginning their incredible journey, fraught with perils. It is a sincerely hopeful event to witness. 

One morning, we had just got back from morning patrol and were starting to weigh and record the ocean trash that had been collected, when a hotel guest reported a turtle nesting on the beach. We abandoned our task and dashed to the beach, in time for an awe-inspiring glimpse at a Hawksbill Sea Turtle laying her eggs. 

Another afternoon, a volunteer spotted a rare Black Mud Terrapin wandering near the volunteer house. Within minutes, we were measuring, logging, and tagging it, turning our lazy afternoon into one full of excitement and vital research.

Island life and Leisure

The high of seeing our first hatchlings carried through into the night, as we enjoyed our first dinner at the staff dining hall, commonly known as the ‘bistro’. We were impressed with the meals that were provided. Rice and lentils are a staple, but most days there were also assorted vegetables, many grown on the island in the organic garden. For breakfast there was cereal, muesli and yoghurt, as well as some fruit, and bread was provided at every meal, with a toaster and several condiments including Nutella, peanut butter, and jam.

By our second day, I was starting to feel desperate to get into the water and have my first swim in the inviting turquoise waters. Because there were no guests at the time, I was able to swim at East Beach after that night’s hatching. It was - simply put - heavenly.

When guests are on the island, volunteers can partake in water sports at East and West beach after 4pm. Otherwise, swimming is limited to Petite Anse, also known as the staff beach. It’s a wonderful beach, and you’ll find yourself floating on your back, staring up at the blue sky as white-tailed tropicbirds soar overhead. 

Another highlight was doing the (relatively) quick hike up Spa Hill. The view from the top of the hill is just breathtaking, and standing up there at the end of the day, with a brilliant view of North Island, the ocean that surrounded us, as well as Silhouette island, was an unforgettable experience. 

A Typical Day in the Life of a Volunteer

While no two days on North Island are the same, there is a rhythm to island life. Volunteers generally rise early, around 5:45 am, to begin the beach patrol by 6am. Armed with plastic bags for collecting trash, we’d head out to our assigned beaches, scanning for tracks, collecting marine debris, and taking in the sunrise over turquoise waters.

After a quick breakfast back at the bistro, the mid-morning often involved conservation tasks: helping in the indigenous nursery, profiling sand levels on beaches, or translocating turtle nests. Work would pause for a well-earned lunch and rest during the midday heat.

Afternoons are more flexible - ideal for quieter activities like data entry, fish identification from snorkelling footage, or ad hoc tasks that pop up. By evening, attention shifts back to the beaches. If hatchlings are due, volunteers are there to guide them safely to the ocean.

Dinner at the bistro brings the day to a close, along with plenty of story-swapping and chatter. The staff shop and games room are also on offer. Volunteers can watch TV, play a game of pool, or even join a spirited game of volleyball, which is played everyday at about 6pm.

It’s a full and varied schedule, but one that leaves space for awe, connection, and the occasional spontaneous adventure!

The End of an Island Adventure

After an incredible week on North Island, our time in the Seychelles was coming to an end. We waved a bittersweet goodbye to the Environmental Team and other members of the hotel staff as they saw our boat off. Before long, we were headed back to the main island. 

Our trip ended on a pleasant note with a stay at Hilltop Boutique Hotel, a charming hotel located in Victoria, the business and cultural hub of Mahé Island. Our room had a wonderful view of the city and the port of Mahé, and we were able to explore a little bit of the area before the sun went down. 

We had dinner at Glorious Bakery, a down-to-earth cafe selling foods like hamburgers and french fries. If you’d like to try authentic Creole food, Marie Antoinette, conveniently located next door to Hilltop Boutique Hotel, is highly recommended by locals. 

The next day we hopped on our flight back to South Africa, but not before stocking up on souvenirs that would remind us of our week in paradise. 

Fortunately, the airport in Mahé has some lovely shops to purchase souvenirs. Once you have gone through security, check out the Duty Free shop, a beautiful jewellery shop called Coco D’Amour, as well as a charming shop called Seychelles: Travellers’ Edition, which sells bracelets and keychains handmade in Seychelles from recycled plastic, stunning artworks and prints, beautiful jewellery from Seyramics and Zil Lokal, and a number of other unique souvenirs.

Other Tips and Suggestions

• If you suffer from motion sickness, take a motion sickness tablet before snorkelling. The movement of the water can make you feel really ill and cut your snorkelling experience short.

• When going swimming, always let someone know where and when you are going. At the staff beach, stick to the safe swimming area demarcated by the buoy. The currents are strong and it can be easy to get pulled out without noticing. Stay clear of the rocks as well. 

• Always let someone know when you are going hiking, and preferably don't go alone.

• Prepare well for your time in the Seychelles by building up your fitness as much as possible. Go swimming, hiking, and walking on sand if possible. Practice resistance training as well, and eat a healthy diet in the months leading up to your trip. 

• Take advantage of the volunteer perks on offer: for example, volunteers are able to use the guest spa with a discount. If you are a diver, take advantage of their diving rates for eco-tourists, as well as the various water sports on offer such as surfing, kayaking, and paddle boarding. You can even do your open water course for €600. I can’t think of a better place to get certified for scuba diving! 

Booking accommodation in Mahé: 

Try your best to stick to our recommended options (The Ridge Residence and Hilltop Boutique Hotel) as this makes it much easier for transportation, and we have personally tried and tested both venues. 

• Choose the Ridge: for warm hospitality and a quieter, more peaceful neighbourhood, though it is further from the city. 
• Choose Hilltop: if you want easy walking access to Mahé city centre and a slightly more ‘luxury’ feel. 

Ready to experience this for yourself?

Whether you're an aspiring conservationist, a nature lover, or simply craving a meaningful adventure, this is your chance to contribute to real-world impact in paradise.

Apply here.