Deep in the highlands of Praslin Island in the Seychelles lies the Vallée de Mai, origin and sole source of the legendary Coco de Mer nut (Lodoicea maldivica). At nearly 40 pounds it is the world's largest seed, and the subject of centuries of rumors, superstitions, and mysteries due solely to its evocative shape, that of a woman's midsection, front and back.

I've long been a naturalist and an animal watcher, and the Seychelles provided opportunities for enjoying exotic critters of all sorts. Here are just a few from my field book, from the gorgeous Fairy Tern to the world's largest tortoises, and more.

We arrived in the Seychelles on a late morning flight via Nairobi, pulling into a landing pattern just as a rain shower passed over the mountainous slopes of Mahe like a primordial ghost. Beneath our wings was a smallish island standing resolute in a turquoise sea, 900 meters high at its center and surrounded by coamers spilling over the reef on all sides. But after landing and emerging through a stunningly organized airport onto the streetside, Mahe was no less extraordinary from ground level.