Best known for being the place where Napoleon was exiled (and eventually died), Saint Helena, a volcanic speck halfway between Africa and South America, is also home to another iconic resident: Jonathan the Giant Tortoise, officially the oldest known living land animal on Earth.
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Meet the Record-Holder
Jonathan is a Seychelles giant tortoise who hatched circa 1832, which makes him at least 193 years old. To put that in perspective: he was born before the first photograph of a person was taken, before the invention of the telephone, and before the Eiffel Tower or lightbulbs were a thing. He was already 8 years old when Napoleon’s body was transferred to Paris. In 2022, the Guinness World Records officially recognized Jonathan as both the oldest living land animal and the oldest chelonian ever recorded. The guy has outlived empires, survived two world wars, and seen 39 U.S. presidents come and go, all while taking life at a very slow, dignified pace.
There were no tortoise birth certificates in 1832, so how do we know Jonathan’s age? The answer lies in colonial shipping records. Jonathan arrived on Saint Helena from the Seychelles in 1882, already fully grown as the photos show. Since Aldabra giant tortoises reach maturity around age 50, this places his hatch date somewhere around 1832, possibly earlier. He’s been living at Plantation House, the Governor’s residence, ever since.
Life at Plantation House
Jonathan shares the sprawling gardens of Plantation House with three other giant tortoises: Emma, David, and Fred. The residence itself is grand and colonial, but the tortoises are the real VIPs here. While the inside of the house is typically off-limits to visitors, unless you book a tour, the gardens are open to the public and that’s where you’ll find Jonathan holding court under the trees, grazing the lawn, or waiting for his next banana.
Jonathan the Giant Tortoise is more than a tourist attraction: he’s a national icon. You’ll find him on local coins and stamps, and the people of Saint Helena genuinely see him as part of the island’s identity.
The Life of Jonathan the Giant Tortoise
Despite being blind and lacking a sense of smell, Jonathan still lives a full and pampered life. His caretakers feed him by hand three times a week, with a diet tailored to his age: cucumbers, apples, carrots, guava, and his absolute favorite: bananas. Everything is chopped carefully to help with his beak and digestion, and his health is monitored closely.
Watching him during feeding time is genuinely touching. There’s something humbling about seeing a creature that’s nearly two centuries old gently chomping on fruit, surrounded by birdsong and tropical flora. It’s like meeting a living relic, part tortoise, part time traveler.
Fun Fact: “In spite of his age, Jonathan still has a good libido and is seen frequently to mate with Emma and sometimes Fred,” his veterinarian Joe Hollins told Guinness. “Animals are often not particularly gender-sensitive.”
How to meet him?
Jonathan is a protected resident, and visitors are asked to be respectful, but he loves being pet on the legs and is not shy at all – quite the contrary! It’s easy to spend a good hour just watching him go about his slow, graceful day. The best time to catch him is during morning feeding hours, especially in cooler months when he’s more active.
Getting to Saint Helena is half the fun: there’s no international airport hub here. Instead, you can hop over on a weekly flight from Johannesburg or come by ship. It’s remote and raw, which is exactly why we love it.
We visit Saint Helena as part of our Grand South Atlantic Tour, which also visits South Georgia and Tristan da Cunha. We come in April, when the island is warm, lush, and buzzing with activity – not just from Jonathan, but from migrating whale sharks, nesting seabirds, and island life.
Let’s be real: there are very few travel moments that compare to meeting a 193-year-old animal. Jonathan the giant tortoise not just a quirky island attraction, he’s a living link to a world that no longer exists. In an age of fast everything, Jonathan is a reminder of the value of slowness, resilience, and showing up every day (even if just to eat bananas and sunbathe). This is exactly the kind of experience we chase at YPT. Weird, authentic, and unforgettable.
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