Intendance beach vegetation rehabilitation project |09 July 2007

Data gathered to date by MCSS and Banyan Tree’s staff on turtle nesting emergences suggest that every year about 20 hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata or “Kare” as it is known in Kreol) nest on Intendance, laying approximately 50 nests which eventually result in over 5,000 hatchlings making it safely to the sea.

This season, however, there was a set-back, when on December 21, 2006 Cyclone Bondo severely eroded the beach and washed away nearly 90% of the Intendance turtle nests.

The beach was completely altered, with erosion cliffs as high as 2 metres in some areas and much of the coastal vegetation, primarily Scavola sericea (“veloutier” in Kreol), being destroyed.

With the last turtle emergence being recorded on January 17, 2007 on Intendance beach, MCSS together with Banyan Tree Resort and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MENR) started to look at ways to address the damage caused by Cyclone Bondo while keeping in mind that Intendance is a prime turtle nesting site on Mahe.

In the weeks following the passage of Cyclone Bondo, sand deposition was gradual while the vegetation cover was not improving, with many of the beach front villas remaining clearly visible from the beach. This was a minor problem for Banyan Tree clients who no longer had privacy in their beach front villa, and also did not bode well for the upcoming nesting turtle season due to begin in October, as light pollution from the villas would seriously impact turtle nesting and hatching activity.

The “Intendance beach vegetation rehabilitation project”, therefore, looked to address the issue by re-planting Scavola shrubs, along the length of Intendance beach with the aim of giving nature a helping hand. The newly planted Scavola will not only reduce sand erosion and provide shelter under which turtles can nest, but also reduce light pollution from the beach villas which disorientate emerging hatchlings. Furthermore, the vegetation will afford more privacy to clients staying in the Banyan Tree Resort’s beach front villas.

The project consisted of two phases, Phase One being completed on March 20, 2007.

MCSS together with staff from Banyan Tree Resort and MENR planted a total of 257 Scavola shrubs in what remained of the beach front villa gardens.

On June 1, 2007, Phase Two was implemented with the assistance of a group of 25 children from the Takamaka Primary School. The event was organised by MCSS in collaboration with Banyan Tree Resort and MENR to commemorate International Children’s Day. Although the aim of the project was to plant additional Scavola along the beach length, the organisers were very aware of the fact that the children would be missing out on the Children’s Day party being organised by their school. With this in mind, fun became the overriding theme and a race was organised to see which team could plant the most Scavola on Intendance beach.

By mid-morning, over 400 veloutier shrubs had been planted by the children from Takamaka School. After a hearty lunch organised by Banyan Tree Resort, each child was awarded a sand filled turtle and certificate naming them “Honorary Turtle Conservation Officers”. Miss Archangelle Joseph and Mr Dan Bristol received a special prize donated by Banyan Tree Resorts for having planted the most trees, an astounding 43 plants in two and a half hours. 

With regard to the Intendance beach recovery, the unusual high tide observed in mid-May brought back most of the sand which had been washed away by Cyclone Bondo. The newly planted vegetation, which was supplied by the MENR Grand Anse Mahe Nursery, however still have ways to go before the beach is ready for nesting turtles…luckily they are not expected until October.

By Elke Talma