A large number of reefs within the inner granitic islands of the archipelago of Seychelles could be entirely lost, unless concerted action is taken soon to control crown of thorns, warns Dr. Udo Englhardt, the expert on on the management of crown of thorns in a...
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Bird Island
Bird Island is found on the northernmost part of Seychelles, about 100 km away from Mahé. Sooty Tern, consisting of 700,000 pairs, forms the largest bird colony on the island. Fairy terns, common noddies, hawksbill and green turtles are other colonies found in this island. The island is 1,500 metres long and 800 metres wide. To get here, you need to take a thirty-minute flight from Mahé.
It is now a private resort with 24 self-catering villas chalet-villas. The island is owned by Alex Savy who lives there. It also contains a small weather station and a small landing strip Bird Island Airport which connects the island with Mahe.
The chalets are, without any air-conditioning, phones, and televisions, for tourists, which nevertheless offer a brilliant ocean view and make for an outstanding stay. The proceeds from the privately-run Bird Island Lodge benefit the island’s nature. The island does not have a pool, cars, roads, or even daily newspapers. There is a shop and restaurant to cater to guest’s needs. Meals are served at the restaurant in the main lodge area and guests can enjoy a drink at the on-site bar.
Because the island is surrounded by beaches, it is safe for turtles to come and nest here. Their nesting routine, which takes place under cover of darkness, must not be disturbed, and neither must the young turtles that hatch around sixty days later. Therefore, visitors stick to the lit paths in front of the bungalows.
Between April and October, hundreds of thousands of sooty terns nest there.
Moyenne Island
Moyenne Island is a small 24 acre island in the Ste Anne Marine National Park off the north coast of Mahé, Seychelles. Since the 1970s it has been a flora and fauna reserve. In the 1960s, a former newspaper editor, Brendon Grimshaw purchased it for about 10,000 dollars. Until his death in July 2012. He was the only inhabitant of the island.
He along with his friend, Rene Antoine Lafortune, a Seychellois, operated the island as a nature reserve, charging visitors €12 to come ashore, roam the island, dine at the “Jolly Roger” restaurant and relax on the beach.
Grimshaw and his friend did an enormous amount of work to develop the island to be incredibly beautiful. They planted sixteen thousand trees, built 4.8 kilometres of nature paths, and brought and bred Aldabra giant tortoises. They also brought in 2000 birds.
Grimshaw was the quintessential islander and a devoted lover of nature who poured his love for Moyenne into the island for nearly half a century. He even refused an offer of $50 million for the island, saying that he did not want the island to become a holiday destination for millionaires, but rather a national park for everyone to enjoy.
His friend Lafortune passed away in 2007.
Finally, in June 2008, after years of struggle to protect his island from privatization, Grimshaw’s Moyenne Island was declared a National Park in Seychelles.
In 1996, Grimshaw wrote a book about himself and the island, entitled A Grain of Sand.In 2009, a documentary film was produced about Grimshaw and the island, called A Grain of Sand.It is now known as the Moyenne Island National Park and forms part of the Ste. Anne Marine National Park just north of the capital Victoria. It has more species per square foot than any other part of the world.
There is a restaurant on the beach which is a haven for tourists.
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