Cousine Island

Cousine Island is a small granitic island 30 ha (74 acres) in the Seychelles 6 km (4 mi) west of Praslin Island. It is a combination luxury resort and since 1992 a nature preserve.

Cousine Island
Cousine Island
Location of Cousine Island in Seychelles
Geography
LocationSeychelles, Indian Ocean
Coordinates4°21′48″S 55°38′48″E
ArchipelagoInner Islands, Seychelles
Adjacent bodies of waterIndian Ocean
Total islands1
Major islands
  • Cousine
Area0.3 km2 (0.12 sq mi)
Length0.9 km (0.56 mi)
Width0.4 km (0.25 mi)
Coastline2.7 km (1.68 mi)
Highest elevation76 m (249 ft)
Administration
GroupInner Islands
Sub-GroupGranitic Seychelles
Sub-GroupPraslin Islands
DistrictsGrand'Anse Praslin
Largest settlementCousine East (pop. 16)
Demographics
Population16 (2014)
Ethnic groupsCreole, French, East Africans, Indians.
Additional information
Time zone
ISO codeSC-14
Official websitewww.seychelles.travel/en/discover/the-islands/

History

In 1992 the island was purchased and a conservation program was introduced to protect nesting sea turtles and maintain the existing populations of endemic land birds.

Flora & Fauna

Cousine Island is a breeding ground for seabirds and has a population of transplanted Aldabra giant tortoises. The island has undergone an extensive vegetation rehabilitation program which involves planting of indigenous flora and the removal of alien plant species. Since 1995 over 2000 native trees have been planted.

Indo-Pacific hawksbill turtles are known to nest on this island.[1]

Important Bird Area

The island has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area because it supports populations of the Seychelles warbler, magpie-robin and fody, as well as substantial breeding colonies of wedge-tailed shearwaters, white-tailed tropicbirds, lesser noddies and white terns.[2][3]

Tourism

In order to finance the restoration project a small exclusive bungalow resort was built on Cousine. The hotel manager, his family, and an ornithologist with his family, live in the staff quarters on the east beach. They are responsible for the restoration, maintenance and preservation of flora and fauna of the island. The current staff is 16 employees.

There are four beachfront French Colonial style villas (maximum number of guests allowed is 10) on the island.[4] It is 30 hectares.[5] As of 2012, it is the world's third most expensive private island.[5]

  • Map 1
  • Cousine and Cousin (right), seen from Praslin
  • Cousine Island
  • Map 2

References
  1. Hitchins, P. M.; Bourquin, O.; Hitchins, S. (2004-04-27). "Nesting success of hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) on Cousine Island, Seychelles". Journal of Zoology. Cambridge University Press, The Zoological Society of London. 264 (2): 383–389. doi:10.1017/S0952836904005904. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
  2. BirdLife International. (2012). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Cousine island. Downloaded from "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 10, 2007. Retrieved August 15, 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) on 25/07/2012
  3. Jan Komdeur: Conserving the Seychelles Warbler Acrocephalus sechellensis by Translocation from Cousin Island to the Islands of Aride and Cousine. In: Biological Conservation 67, 1994, S. 143–152
  4. "Official site". Archived from the original on 2008-05-09. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
  5. The world's most expensive private islands, The Daily Telegraph


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