Itsamia

Itsamia is a village on Mohéli's southeastern coast whose beaches carry one of the largest green turtle nesting concentrations in the western Indian Ocean, with animals coming ashore most nights of the year. The village association turned from hunting turtles to protecting them decades ago and now runs the monitoring, guides night watches and keeps the counts. Visitors stay in simple village accommodation.

The landscape

• The nesting beaches - green turtles coming ashore most nights of the year.
• The community programme - a village that turned from hunting to protection.
• The night watches - guided visits to the beach after dark.
• The monitoring - the counts kept by the village association.

When to go

Turtles nest year round with a peak around the middle of the year. May to October is the drier season and the road is better. The rains from November make access difficult.

Practical notes

The road in is rough and takes around ninety minutes from Fomboni. Accommodation is very basic village rooms. Night watches follow strict rules on lights and distance and are guided only.

Nearby

Lake Boundouni is west, and Fomboni is northwest.

Key facts