Tatihou is an

islet An islet ( ) is generally a small island. Definitions vary, and are not precise, but some suggest that an islet is a very small, often unnamed, island with little or no vegetation to support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/ ...

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

with an area of . It is located to the east of the

Cotentin The Cotentin Peninsula (, ; ), also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy that forms part of the northwest coast of France. It extends north-westward into the English Channel, towards Great Britain. To its west lie the Gu ...

peninsula just off the coast near

Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue () is a Communes of France, commune in the Manche Departments of France, department in Normandy (administrative region), Normandy in north-western France. It is particularly known for being a major site of fortifications des ...

. It is almost uninhabited, and is usually reached by amphibious craft although, being a

tidal island A tidal island is a raised area of land within a waterbody, which is connected to the larger mainland by a natural isthmus or man-made causeway that is exposed at low tide and submerged at high tide, causing the land to switch between being ...

, it is also possible to walk there over the local

oyster Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but no ...

beds at low tide. Access to the island is limited to 500 visitors per day.

History

Tatihou, like many of the islets of the

Channel Islands The Channel Islands are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They are divided into two Crown Dependencies: the Jersey, Bailiwick of Jersey, which is the largest of the islands; and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, ...

contains the ''

-hou ''-hou'' or ''hou'' is a place-name element found commonly in the Norman toponymy of the Channel Islands and continental Normandy. Etymology and signification Its etymology and meaning are disputed, but most specialists think it comes from S ...

'' suffix. In 1692 the naval Battle of La Hougue took place between the English and the French close to the island of Tatihou. In 1756 the surroundings of La Hougue were defended by many batteries and forts, but the lack of regular maintenance ensured that these quickly fell into disrepair. In 1720 Tatihou was used for

quarantining A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals, and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have been ...

plague victims from

Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...

. On 10 December 1803, the 36-gun frigate HMS ''Shannon'' grounded on Tatihou. All her crew survived to be captured by troops from a battery. The next day a party from HMS ''Merlin'' burned ''Shannon'' to prevent her arms and stores falling into French hands. Shannon wreck Brenton

Culture

Tatihou has hosted a small folk festival since 1995, ''Les Traversées de Tatihou'', every August 15. The hours are selected according to the tides to allow the festival goers to get home. The island also hosts music courses several times a year. The watch-tower on Tatihou is among the Fortifications of Vauban UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Flora and fauna

An ornithological reserve was founded in 1990 with an area of . The island is a stopping place for many migrating birds, including the herring gull,

great black-backed gull The great black-backed gull (''Larus marinus'') is the largest member of the gull family. It is a very aggressive hunter, pirate, and scavenger which breeds on the coasts and islands of the North Atlantic in northern Europe and northeastern Nort ...

common shelduck The common shelduck (''Tadorna tadorna'') is a waterfowl species of the shelduck genus, ''shelduck, Tadorna''. It is widespread and common in the Euro-Siberian region of the Palearctic realm, Palearctic, mainly breeding in temperate and wintering ...

little egret The little egret (''Egretta garzetta'') is a species of small heron in the family Ardeidae. It is a white bird with a slender black beak, long black legs and, in the western race, yellow feet. As an aquatic bird, it feeds in shallow water and on ...

, eider, wigeon and yellow-legged gull. There is also a botanical garden on the island.

Twinning

Tatihou is twinned with: *

Brownsea Island Brownsea Island is the largest of the islands in Poole Harbour in the county of Dorset, England. The island is owned by the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, National Trust with the northern half managed by the Do ...

, United Kingdom

References

External links

Island of Tatihou
— tourism site

— FolkWorld article
Tatihou.com
— official website, in French
Conservatoire du Littoral
— conservation website, in French {{authority control Tidal islands of France Landforms of Manche Islands of Normandy