Coco de Mer

Here’s a trivia question for you: What is the world’s largest nut?

Answer: the Coco de Mer, a unique coconut that only grows in the Seychelles.

Not only is a Coco de Mer nut big and heavy, but it has the shape of a woman‘s body!

While visiting the Isle of Praslin, Larry and I saw this exotic tree growing in a forest called Vallee de Mai.

The Seychelles was once part of the supercontinent Pangaea, but the archipelago broke away from India around 65 million years ago. Flora and fauna of these islands evolved in isolation.

Photos of the Vallee de Mai do not do it justice. The vegetation was similar to other tropical islands, but it was super sized. We felt like we were in that 70s show, “Land of the Lost.”

The Vallee de Mai is also home to a bird that lives only the Seychelles, the Black Parrot.

As the name suggests, this bird is not brightly colored like its tropical cousins. It’s rather small with brown/black feathers, rather like a starling. I was so excited to see and hear black parrots! (I was not able to get a decent photo, but I’m sharing it anyway.)

The Vallee de Mai has been listed as an UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983. To make this list, a cultural or natural site needs to be of such quality that it’s worth protecting as a gift to all of humanity.

I think the Seychelles’ Vallee de Mai certainly qualifies, don’t you?Read more