Frégate Island
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Frégate Island () is an island in
Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (; Seychellois Creole: ), is an island country and archipelagic state consisting of 155 islands (as per the Constitution) in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, ...
. The island is the easternmost of the granitic Inner Islands of the Seychelles (55 km (34 mi) east of Mahé). It is 2.07 square kilometres (0.80 square miles) and is primarily known for the Oetker Collection's secluded private
luxury resort A resort hotel is a hotel which often contains full-sized resort facilities with full-service accommodations and luxury amenities. These hotels may attract both business conferences and vacationing tourists and offer more than a convenient plac ...
which funds an environmental programme to restore habitat and protect rare species. The beach on the island, Anse Victorin, often voted as "The World's Best Beach" by
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
. It was also named CNN Travel Top 10 beaches. It was named by explorer Lazare Picault after the abundance of frigate birds on the island. A modernisation programme in 2014 improved its sustainability infrastructure with a water bottling plant and state of the art energy generators, and also the renovation of 16 villas. The island is covered with takamaka,
cashew Cashew is the common name of a tropical evergreen tree ''Anacardium occidentale'', in the family Anacardiaceae. It is native to South America and is the source of the cashew nut and the cashew apple, an accessory fruit. The tree can grow as t ...
and
Indian almond ''Terminalia catappa'' is a large tropical tree in the leadwood tree family, Combretaceae, native to Asia, Australia, the Pacific, Madagascar and Seychelles. Common names in English include country almond, Indian almond, Malabar almond, sea almon ...
trees. After 200 years of intensive agricultural practices during the plantation era (which almost completely cleared the native woodland), the conservation team are restoring the natural habitat and have replanted over 10,000 indigenous trees including the very rare Wrights Gardenia, as well as the Indian Mulberry. The conservation programme has saved the Seychelles magpie robin from extinction; in 1980 the species numbered 14, yet in 2016 they numbered over 120. The beaches are a nesting habitat for two species of sea turtle: the critically endangered
Hawksbill Turtle The hawksbill sea turtle (''Eretmochelys imbricata'') is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Eretmochelys''. The species has a global distribution that is largely ...
and the endangered
Green Turtle The green sea turtle (''Chelonia mydas''), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Chelonia''. Its range exte ...
. Over 2,200
Aldabra giant tortoise The Aldabra giant tortoise (''Aldabrachelys gigantea'') is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae and genus '' Aldabrachelys''. The species is endemic to the Seychelles, with the nominate subspecies, ''A. g. gigantea'' native to Alda ...
s roam free over the island. It also has endemic species including the flightless Fregate Island giant tenebrionid beetle, Fregate Island Enid snail, and some species of millipedes.


Geography

The highest point on the island is Mount Signal in the central west area of the island, which has an elevation of 125 metres (410 feet). The ''Riviére Bambous'' flows from approximately 300 metres north-east of the mountain where it flows down past the Gros Bois Noire and Plaine Magnan areas of the northern inner island and then acutely northeast until it reaches the
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...
north of the
airstrip An aerodrome, airfield, or airstrip is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for public or private use. Aerodromes in ...
on the east coast. Beaches on the north coast include from west to east the award-winning Anse Victorin beach, Anse Maquereau and then Anse Bambous on the north-east corner of the island. On the western point of the island there is La Cour and then on the southwest coast the Grand Anse, Petit Grande Anse and the small beach Anse Felix. On the southeastern coast there are the small beaches of Anse Coup de Poing and Anse Parc. Fregate Island Private is renowned for snorkeling and diving. It is near the Drop Off for deep sea fishing and participates in the Seychelles Bill Fish society tag and release programme.


Economy

The population is occupied in conservation, tourism, agriculture and fishing. On Fregate Island Private there is the biggest Flora nursery of the Seychelles, created in 2009 to restore tens of thousands of native trees. A sophisticated hydroponic system and garden produces vegetables, fruits and herbs for the island and supplies some neighbouring islands. Sixteen villas were built to attract luxury tourism to fund the conservation project. The island can be privatised for up to 79 guests. There are 2 restaurants, a spa, a yacht club, a library, a Catholic chapel and museum. Transport is by golf buggy, bicycle or foot. Fregate Island Private has its own harbour; anybody wishing to visit the island by boat must produce a rat free license, as the island is entirely pest free which is vital to maintain the fragile environmental balance. The island has a helicopter landing pad and Frégate Island Airport (IATA: FRK, ICAO: FSSF ), which has a dirt runway with a length of 502 meters.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fregate Island Islands of La Digue and Inner Islands Island restoration Important Bird Areas of Seychelles Private islands of Seychelles Somali Sea