Petit Nevis is a small, privately owned

island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

in the

Grenadines The Grenadines () is a chain of small islands that lie on a line between the larger islands of Saint Vincent and Grenada in the Lesser Antilles. Nine are inhabited and open to the public (or ten, if the offshore island of Young Island is counted ...

, off the coast of

Bequia Bequia ( or ) is the largest island in the Grenadines at . It is part of the country of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and is approximately from the nation's capital, Kingstown, on the main island, Saint Vincent. Bequia means 'island of th ...

History and Whaling

Petit Nevis was historically used as a whaling station, where whalers would process their catches. Whaling was a traditional practice in Bequia, passed down through generations. File:Noritsu Koki EZ Controller 19980806 00006 x r20abbjmf6b0006.jpg, Petit Nevis File:Noritsu Koki EZ Controller 19980806 00011 x r20abbjmf6b0011.jpg, Private Island NOTICE on Petit Nevis However, whaling activities ceased on Petit Nevis in 2006 when the owners of the island decided to distance themselves from the practice. The processing of whales was subsequently relocated to Semplers Cay. File:Women Cooking Whale Meat on Petit Nevis, 1960s.jpg, Women cooking whale meat on Petit Nevis, 1960s. Celina Ollivierre is in the center. File:Louis George and Athneal Ollivierre (Whaler of Bequia, 1960s).jpg, Louis George Ollivierre (left) and his brother Athneal Ollivierre (right), the main harpoonist. File:Flensing a Whale on Petit Nevis, 1960s.jpg, Flensing a Whale on Petit Nevis, 1960s File:Bequia Whalers Bringing in the Whale Boat, 1960s.jpg, Flensing a Whale on Petit Nevis, 1960s While limited subsistence whaling still occurs in Bequia, Petit Nevis itself is no longer used for whaling. The transition away from whaling on Petit Nevis aligns with conservation efforts and legal restrictions aimed at protecting whale populations. Eileen Corea, the last surviving, direct, legal owner of the island, died in July 2011. The island is now owned by the descendants of the previous owners.

Moonhole and Whale Bone Usage

A small

isolationist Isolationism is a term used to refer to a political philosophy advocating a foreign policy that opposes involvement in the political affairs, and especially the wars, of other countries. Thus, isolationism fundamentally advocates neutrality an ...

community called

Moonhole Moonhole is a private community on the island of Bequia (Bek-way) in the Grenadines. Its name is derived from a massive arch formed in volcanic Stratum, substrate, through which the setting moon is sometimes visible. Founded by Thomas and Gladys ...

on nearby Bequia scavenges whale bones from old sites, including Petit Nevis, for building materials.

References

Uninhabited islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Private islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines {{SaintVincent-geo-stub