This story appears in the June 2019 issue of National Geographic magazine. The first time a tortoise walked through my hut at Middle Camp on Aldabra Atoll, I was amazed. I grabbed my camera and ...

In 1832, Jonathan the Seychelles giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa) was born. Although his exact birthdate is unknown, he has been given the official birthday of December 4, 1832.

There are more tortoises than humans on this UNESCO World Heritage Site – in fact, it’s home to the largest wild Aldabra giant tortoise population in the world Esmeralda is a rather remarkable ...