A large number of reefs within the inner granitic islands of the archipelago of Seychelles could be entirely lost, unless concerted action is taken soon to control crown of thorns, warns Dr. Udo Englhardt, the expert on on the management of crown of thorns in a...
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Anse Volbert
Anse Volbert (also known as Côte d’Or) is one of the island’s most popular beaches in Praslin. The calm waters are suitable for swimming with small children. Sun-seekers and snorkelers visit this beach which is not crowded. A visitor can enjoy surfing, windsurfing, scuba diving, fishing, and sailing, with plenty of rentals and excursions available. This is one of the main resort areas. There are hotels and restaurants lining the beach. There are parking spaces all over the adjacent road, and the bus also stops along this beach.
One can visit the shore at any time, free of charge. More information on this beach can be found on Seychelles Tourism Board’s Anse Volbert page.
The President visits the school
Until the mid-19th century, there was very little formal education in Seychelles. Roman Catholic and Anglican churches opened mission schools in 1851. In 1944 the government became responsible for education in the country. Brothers of Christian Instruction and Regina Mundi Convent run by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny continued to provide secondary education even after the government took over the responsibility to run the schools.
To alleviate the shortage of quality teachers, the government set up a teacher training college that opened in 1959. The college trained both the teachers who were already in service as well as new entrants to teaching. In 1961 the teacher training course was for one year for primary schools teachers and two years for secondary school teachers.
Education is compulsory up to the age of 16, and free through secondary school until age 18. Students must pay for uniforms, but not for books or tuition. The literacy rate for school-aged children had risen to more than 90 percent by the late 1980s. Much older Seychellois could not read or write, but adult education classes helped raise adult literacy from 60 percent to 85 percent in 1991.
Children first learned to read and write in Creole. Beginning in grade three, English is used as a teaching language in certain subjects. French is introduced in grade six.
Seychelles Polytechnic catered for pre-university studies or other training. In 2009, the University of Seychelles was established. Now there are 175 students based on two campuses. The main campus is situated at Anse Royale and the second campus for the School of Education is located at Mont Fleuri.
A large number of reefs within the inner granitic islands of the archipelago of Seychelles could be entirely lost, unless concerted action is taken soon to control crown of thorns, warns Dr. Udo Englhardt, the expert on on the management of crown of thorns in a presentation of his most recent findings. Dr Udo Englhardt, believes this outbreak of the deadly starfish is due to increasing levels of human development in the Seychelles coupled with rising sea temperatures. Dr. Engelhardt has conducted this research as part of their ‘Mainstreaming Biosecurity’ project organised by the UNDP and Global Environment Facility (GEF) in conjunction with the government of Seychelles. The outbreak which was in the north western areas of Mahé two months ago, has now spread further down the western coastline as the starfish continue to spawn. The starfish can be seen on reefs between five and 25 metres deep and are not commonly found in shallow waters. It preys on strong hard coral polyps and is named crown of thorns as its upper surface is covered with thorn like spikes.
The crown of thorns starfish, one of the largest in the world, occurs at tropical and subtropical latitudes and have been found from the Red sea, across the Indian Ocean to the Pacific. This venomous starfish has been found in Seychelles as early as the 1960s in small numbers and an extensive eradication programme was conducted in 1997. During the 1998-99 El Nino coral bleaching, the crown of thorns died off too. However, they began to re-emerge in 2001-2003 and have now bounced back in alarming numbers. This April, a coral reef survey by Dr Engelhardt found that numbers of Crown of thorns in the reefs were 20 to 30 times greater than sustainable levels. He also found that there were at least three generations present, including a substantial number of juveniles in the under reef strata – a good predictor of future outbreaks reports the Seychelles news agency.
Vacation destinations are definitely becoming the means by which people and their families are starting to spend their holidays. And if you’ve ever wanted to travel to Seychelles, then now is the perfect time to do so. With the SUBIOS 2014 festival, there will be even more events and activities for people to become involved in.
The Seychelles Festival of the Sea is an annual film and image festival that is entirely focused on being underwater. It has a rich history, having been held for the past twenty-five years and has been showing no signs of stopping. The entirety of the day is involved with snorkelling events and diving activities that are fun for the whole family. Underwater activities typically take place throughout the day, and also include free programmes and slide shows that are presented by some of the most renowned guest speakers from all over the world.
This marine-based event even comes complete with film and photograph contests that many of our locals and foreign guests have taken part in. There are many prizes to be won in a variety of categories, including “Best Image”, “Best Video”, “Best Local Video”, and “Best Image of Seychelles”, just to name a few. These events and activities not only speak of the importance of the marine world and the part it plays in the environment of Seychelles, but it also helps to spread that message to the rest of the world.
The Seychelles Festival of the Sea is much more than a film and image festival, but there’s also the celebration of the wonderful dishes that are created from the marine-based environment. With fresh cuisine that has been harvested fresh from underwater sources, chefs battle it out to see who can create the most unique seafood dish that brings together all of the rich flavours that the sea has to provide. Awards are presented at the end of this cooking competition, with the winner getting bragging rights as well to carry with him for the rest of the year. It isn’t a real vacation at Seychelles until you’ve had a taste for their flavourful cuisine and dishes.
The SUBIOS 2014 is slated to be one of the biggest tourism events of the year, so it’s important that you don’t miss out on this annual event. SUBIOS 2104 is slated to be held at the Eden Blue Hotel on Eden Island on November 21, but the activities will be spread across the island and will be held by other hotels as well, including the Four Seasons Resort and the Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort and Spa. Come and explore the depths of Seychelles’ seas and become involved in the underwater environment and how much it enriches the lives of the people that live here.
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