The Vallée De Mai palm forest is a remarkable remnant of the
prehistoric forests which existed when the Seychelles islands
were still part of Gondwanaland, the huge land mass which
included what is now Africa, Madagascar and India. Millions of
years of isolation enabled a unique community of plants and
animals to develop in the Vallée De Mai and some species are
found nowhere else. Coco de Mer The Coco de Mer palm is
surrounded by myth and legends. This is partly because the
strange bi-lobed nuts were discovered long before the palm
itself and partly because of the suggestive shapes of both male
and female structures which occur on separate Coco de Mer palms.
As the most renowned and flagship species for Vallée de Mai, and
as the subject of conservation revenue through nut harvesting
and sale, this palm merits special consideration. Seychelles
Islands Foundation, with responsibility for Vallée de Mai, is
entrusted with 25% of the total world population of Coco de Mer
palms. The canopy within Vallée de Mai rea