Recognising the need to monitor cetacean populations within the Indian Ocean, Marine Conservation Society Seychelles (MCSS) in collaboration with Dr Françoise Claro from the Zoological Society of Paris set up a web based sighting form  for individuals to report on cetacean sightings in Seychelles waters. MCSS also distributes sighting forms, designed by Dr Claro, to local organization interested in assisting with the programme.

  On a local level, the data gathered would be used to improve our knowledge on the existing cetacean biodiversity in Seychelles. For example, some other species than those already reported and recorded in the Indian Ocean region may also occur in Seychelles and or on a sadder note, may no longer be occurring in our waters. Given that many cetaceans are highly migratory species, this project also has a regional scope in that data exchange can be used to better understand the migration and reproduction activities of whales, such as the humpback whale already being monitored by the Indian South Atlantic Humpback Whale Network (ISAHWN).

Humpback whales seasonally pass Seychelles en route to and from their wintering grounds of Mozambique and Madagascar. Photo: Ivan Rambuad

  Interestingly, this year there have been 5 reported sighing of humpback whales. On the 30th of July an excited group of tourists came back from a fishing trip, having seen and photographed 3 humpback whales breaching (jumping out of the water) off North West Mahe. 

A second sighting was reported to MCSS on the 13th of August. According to the Skipper of La Feline, a Mahe–La Digue ferry, the vessel was on its way to Mahe having just left La Digue when the crew saw unusual splashing off Anse Source D’Argent. The skipper modified his course for a closer look and treated his passengers to the sight of 2 humpback whales, lying at the surface splashing water with their pectoral fins and fluke (tail) fin. A third sighting of humpback whales was reported on the 28th August by the wardens of the Cousin Special Reserve. Three large humpbacks and a calf were seen some 400m off Cousin Island. On the 19th of September, a tourist from Le Petit Village Hotel reported seeing 3-5 Humpback whales about 1km offshore from Beau Vallon. The most recent sighting of humpback was on the 22nd October when humpback whales were spotted off Denis Island.

  Humpback whales seasonally pass Seychelles en route to and from their wintering grounds of Mozambique and Madagascar. They have been recorded as spending several weeks resting in protected deep water atolls in the region such as at Mayotte in the Comores. Recent research by Howard Rosenbaum and the Indo-South Atlantic Consortium on Humpback Whales programme (ISACH) has indicated a potential migratory link between humpback whales in the South Western Indian Ocean and those found in the Arabian Sea.

If you would like to report any whale or dolphin sighting please contact MCSS, PO Box 1299, Tel 261511 or complete an online sighting form.