Located 30 minutes flight from Mahe at the most northern edge of the archipelago, Bird Island is the first landfall of the Seychelles for many species and visitors may often enjoy the sight of rare migrants and windblown vagrants during the northern hemisphere winter. Here the Indian Ocean floor drops 2000 metres and the east and south of the island are protected by a beautiful barrier reef. Year round the island is home to hundreds of thousands of sooty terns, noddies & fairy terns and during the sooty tern breeding season of April to September the area is covered with a million birds when visitors can enjoy some of the best close up bird sightings in the Seychelles! The island is also a nesting site of hawksbill turtles between October and February and green turtles for the rest of the year. Esmerelda, believed to be the world's oldest free ranging Giant Tortoise at over 200 years, is also resident on the island. The one lodge on the island, Bird Lodge, offers a welcoming base and visitors can enjoy the good swimming & snorkelling opportunities as well as perhaps some deep sea fishing.