Many of the Indian Ocean species were thought to be driven to extinction by over-exploitation by European sailors, and they were all seemingly extinct by 1840 with the exception of the Aldabran giant tortoise on the island atoll of Aldabra.
Pénsase que moitas das especies do océano Índico foron levadas á extinción pola sobreexplotación que fixeron delas os mariñeiros europeos, e practicamente estaban todas extinguidas arredor de 1840 coa excepción da tartaruga xigante do atol de Aldabra.