Moyenne Island

Moyenne Island is a small island (0.099 km2 or 0.038 sq mi) 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. From 1915 until the 1960s, the island was abandoned until its purchase by Brendon Grimshaw, a former newspaper editor, originally from Dewsbury in Yorkshire, England.

Moyenne Island
Moyenne island from the sea by Jean-Francis Martin
Moyenne Island
Geography
LocationSeychelles, Indian Ocean
Coordinates4°37′S 55°30′E
ArchipelagoInner Islands, Seychelles
Adjacent bodies of waterIndian Ocean
Total islands1
Major islands
  • Moyenne Island
Area0.099 km2 (0.038 sq mi)
Length0.4 km (0.25 mi)
Width0.3 km (0.19 mi)
Coastline1.7 km (1.06 mi)
Highest elevation61 m (200 ft)
Highest pointMont Moyenne
Administration
GroupGranitic Seychelles
Sub-GroupMahe Islands
Sub-GroupSte. Anne Islands
DistrictsMont Fleuri
Largest settlementAnse Creole Travel Services (pop. 1)
Demographics
Population1 (2014)
Pop. density10.1/km2 (26.2/sq mi)
Ethnic groupsCreole, French, East Africans, Indians.
Additional information
Time zone
ISO codeSC-18
Official websitewww.seychelles.travel/en/discover/the-islands/

Grimshaw was the only inhabitant of the island until his death in July 2012.[1] Currently the island is a National Park and can be visited as part of organized trips.[2][3]

History
Information board on Moyenne (March 2016) From 1946 to 1962 the island was owned by the late Phillip Georges. His wife Vera Georges and him had lived on the island in the early years and later moved to Mahe where they lived in the property known as Fairview. A view on the island and a beach were named after Vera who spent her days on the property while her husband Phillip worked on Mahe during the day. Phillip sold the island to Brendon Grimshaw after he had dinner with Phillip and Vera who were very hospitable and invited him to supper when he approached them to buy their island an agreement had been reached between them after an extended dinner.

Brendon Grimshaw purchased the island for £8,000 in 1962[4] and set about making the island habitable. He did this with the help of one other man, Rene Antoine Lafortune. They 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 planted sixteen thousand trees, built 4.8 kilometres (3.0 mi) of nature paths, and brought and bred giant tortoises, intending to create an island of incredible beauty. Apart from a wide variety of plant and bird life, the island is home to around 120 giant tortoises.[5] The eldest, Desmond, is 76 years old, according to Grimshaw in 2012. He named the tortoise after his godson.

There are rumours that pirate treasure is buried on the island. Grimshaw made two major digs and found some evidence of man-made hiding places, but no gold or other treasure has been found as of yet. There are two graves on the island which have been said to be those of pirates, although this cannot be confirmed.[6] His father was also buried on the island.

After 20 years of persistence, Grimshaw and his assistant Lafortune achieved their goal of making Moyenne Island a National Park in its own right,[7] separate to that of the Ste. Anne marine park. Now known as the Moyenne Island National Park, it harbours more species per square foot than any other part of the world. The island is 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) away from the main island of Mahe.

Grimshaw died in Victoria, Mahe, in July 2012.

in 2013, after the island has received its own national park status, a new hut was built and a warden was posted on the island, collecting the entrance fee from tourists.[8]

Administration

The island belongs to Mont Fleuri District.[9]

Tourism

Today, the island's main industry is tourism, and it is known for its beaches, especially Anse Creole Travel Services (formerly known as Anse Jolly Roger). The restaurant on the beach is a haven for tourists. behind the restaurant is the local warden's house. The island is also visited for its wide variety of underwater creatures like fish, sharks and rays.

Cuisine

Fish is the main ingredient.


  • Map 1
  • District Map
  • Moyenne Island.
  • Mahe Island View.
  • Moyenne island
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References
  1. http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/seychelles-brendon-grimshaw-owner-of-moyenne-island-dies-at-age-87/
  2. http://wanderingcarol.com/seychelles-islands-moyenne-tortoises/ Moyenne 2016 visit
  3. http://www.cerf-resort.com/moyenneislandseychelles.html
  4. "An 86-year-old, real-life Robinson Crusoe". BBC News. 29 April 2012.
  5. "How to Buy Your Own Private Island". 2012-05-16. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
  6. Reeve, Simon (2012-04-26). "By 'eck! It's Yorkshire's Robinson Crusoe: Brit who bought a cut-price island in the Seychelles 50 years ago... and still lives in blissful solitude with 120 giant tortoises". Daily Mail. London.
  7. "Moyenne island declared a national park". Retrieved 2013-10-15.
  8. Moyenne new restaurant operator
  9. District map
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