Vallée de Mai – Nature Reserve of Praslin houses coco de mer tree known for having largest seeds in the world
Unique to the park is its wildlife, including birds such as the rare Seychelles black parrot, mammals, crustaceans, snails, and reptiles. Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve- the Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve, located in the Seychelles, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of outstanding natural beauty. This pristine reserve is renowned for its unique palm forest, home to the legendary coco de mer palm tree, which produces the largest seed in the plant kingdom. Exploring the Vallée de Mai is like stepping into a prehistoric paradise, with its untouched landscape and diverse flora and fauna. Walking through the ancient forest, visitors can encounter rare bird species, including the Seychelles black parrot, as well as various endemic plants and animals. The Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve is not only a sanctuary for biodiversity. Vallée de Mai – Nature Reserve of Praslin, Seychelles is a nature park with the coco de mer (Lodoicea maldivica), a monocot tree in the Arecaceae (palm family), has the largest seeds (double nut seed) of any plant in the world. Also UNESCO World Heritage Site on the island of Praslin, Seychelles. It consists of a well-preserved palm forest, flagship species made up of the island endemic coco de mer, as well as five other endemic palms.Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve (“May Valley”) is a nature park and UNESCO World Heritage Site on the island of Praslin, Seychelles. The coco de mer (Lodoicea maldivica), a monocot tree in the Arecaceae (palm family), has the largest seeds (double nut seed) of any plant in the world. Also unique to the park is its wildlife, including birds such as the rare Seychelles black parrot, mammals, crustaceans, snails, and reptiles. There has been a determined effort to eliminate all the introduced exotic species of plants from the area but this has not been successful in eliminating coffee, pineapple, and ornamental palms thus far. This forest, with its peculiar plant and animal species, is a relic from the time when the supercontinent of Gondwana was divided into smaller parts, leaving the Seychelles islands between the present day Madagascar and India.Geography- The reserve is in the middle of the Praslin Island which is the second largest island in Seychelles, where the highest mountain, Fond Azore, rises to a height of 373 metres (1,224 ft). Praslin is 37 square kilometres (14 sq mi) in area 11–5.5 kilometres (6.8–3.4 mi). It is located northeast of Mahe, about 45 kilometres (28 mi) awayIt is the lower region of a valley near the head of a stream. It covers an area of 19.5 ha and is in a virgin state, and is traced to prehistoric times.The geological formation is of granite as is the entire island; called as a “microcontinent.
