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Desnoeufs Island

Coordinates: 06°14′S 53°32′E / 6.233°S 53.533°E / -6.233; 53.533
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Desnœufs Island
Nickname: Île des Nœufs
Desnœufs Island is located in Seychelles
Desnœufs Island
Desnœufs Island
Geography
LocationIndian Ocean
Coordinates06°14′S 53°32′E / 6.233°S 53.533°E / -6.233; 53.533
ArchipelagoSeychelles
Adjacent toIndian Ocean
Total islands1
Major islands
  • Desnœufs
Area0.457 km2 (0.176 sq mi)
Length0.75 km (0.466 mi)
Width0.7 km (0.43 mi)
Coastline2.6 km (1.62 mi)
Highest elevation5.5 m (18 ft)
Administration
GroupOuter Islands
Sub-GroupAmirante Islands
DistrictsOuter Islands District
Demographics
Population0 (2014)
Pop. density0/km2 (0/sq mi)
Ethnic groupsCreole, French, East Africans, Indians.
Additional information
Time zone
ISO codeSC-26
Official websitewww.seychelles.travel/en/discover/the-islands/outer-islands

Desnœufs Island is an island in Seychelles, lying at the southern edge of the Amirantes group, in the Outer Islands, with a distance of 321 km south of Victoria, Seychelles.

History

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The origin of the name seems to be its French meaning, "one of nine", as it is one of the nine main islands of the Amirantes.[1]

Geography

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Desnœufs Island is the southernmost island of the Amirantes chain, is a nearly circular island with a high rim surrounding a central depression (instead of a lagoon). It is up to 5.5 m high. Most of the land is exposed sandstone, after the guano has been exploited in the 20th century. The island has a fringing reef, and the reef flat is narrow. Landing can be extremely difficult, with heavy swells sweeping round the island even during the calmest sea conditions.[2][3]

Administration

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The island belongs to Outer Islands District.[4] Being an island with a small population, there are not any government buildings or services. For many services, people have to go to Victoria, which is a difficult task.

Economics

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The occasional villagers of Marie Louise Island used to poach eggs illegally on the island when the island was a base for the commercial exploitation of seabirds, especially the eggs of the sooty tern (Onychoprion fuscatus). recent years the island was made a reservation, and is visited once a year shortly by IDC members and scientists from Mahe. There are ruins on the island from the time of the poaching.

Flora and fauna

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The terrestrial vegetation on the island is limited because of the high number of seabirds. The island is almost treeless and is covered by grasses and other low-growing plants. It has been identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports a breeding population of 430,000 pairs of sooty terns, and a large number of boobies. Green and hawksbill sea turtles also nest there.[5][6] The island is also known for its rich fish life.

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References

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  1. ^ Island history
  2. ^ "Info on the island". Archived from the original on 2020-11-26. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
  3. ^ Info on the island 2 Archived April 13, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ District map
  5. ^ "Desnoeufs Island". Important Bird Areas factsheet. BirdLife International. 2013. Archived from the original on 2007-07-10. Retrieved 2013-08-17.
  6. ^ "IDC Site". Archived from the original on 2016-03-19. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
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