Some 1,045km southwest of Mahé and 120km from Aldabra, the atoll of Cosmoledo comprises a ring of nine main islets surrounding an inner lagoon roughly 16km long and 11km wide at the widest point. The sea around Cosmoledo is particularly rich in fish while the atoll itself is home to large colonies of frigate birds, terns and boobies. This hauntingly beautiful atoll is also a nesting site for green turtles.