Fregate Island
Encyclopedia
Frégate Island or sometimes Frigate Island is a private island
and is the easternmost (55 km (34.2 mi) east of Mahé
) of the granitic Inner Islands
of the Seychelles
. It is only 2.19 square kilometre (0.845563727317652 sq mi) and is primarily known as a secluded, private luxury resort and its Anse Victorin beach was voted "The World's Best Beach" by The Times
. It was named by explorer Lazare Picault
after the abundance of frigatebird
s on the island. The hotel underwent modernizing in 1995 on the island and the island is also noted for its snorkeling.
The island is covered with takamaka
, cashew and Indian almond trees and is home to the rare Seychelles Magpie Robin
as well as several relocated Aldabra Giant Tortoise
s.
It also has the flightless Tenebrionid Beetle which is endemic to Frégate Island and millipedes.
north of the airstrip 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 the Pointe Fouqué 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. There is a still a plantation house on the island, this is located near the eastern coast of the island south of the airstrip.
Private island
A private island is a disconnected body of land wholly owned by a single private citizen or corporation. Although this exclusivity gives the owner substantial control over the property, they still fall within the jurisdiction of national and sometimes local governments.-Ownership:There are many...
and is the easternmost (55 km (34.2 mi) east of Mahé
Mahé, Seychelles
Mahé is the largest island of the Seychelles, lying in the north east of the nation. The population of Mahé is 80,000. It contains the capital city of Victoria and accommodates 90% of the country's total population...
) of the granitic Inner Islands
Granitic Seychelles
The Granitic Seychelles are the islands in the Seychelles which lie in central position on the Seychelles Bank and are composed of granite rock. They make up the majority of the Inner Islands, which in addition include the coral islands along of the rim of the Seychelles Bank, namely Bird Island...
of the Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
. It is only 2.19 square kilometre (0.845563727317652 sq mi) and is primarily known as a secluded, private luxury resort and its Anse Victorin beach was voted "The World's Best Beach" by The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
. It was named by explorer Lazare Picault
Lazare Picault
Lazare Picault was a French explorer known for his exploration of islands in the Seychelles. Although Arab, Portuguese and British sailors visited the Seychelles prior to Picault, he was the first to do any extensive exploration....
after the abundance of frigatebird
Frigatebird
The frigatebirds are a family, Fregatidae, of seabirds. There are five species in the single genus Fregata. They are also sometimes called Man of War birds or Pirate birds. Since they are related to the pelicans, the term "frigate pelican" is also a name applied to them...
s on the island. The hotel underwent modernizing in 1995 on the island and the island is also noted for its snorkeling.
The island is covered with takamaka
Calophyllum inophyllum
Calophyllum inophyllum is a large evergreen. It is native from East Africa, southern coastal India to Malesia and Australia.-Distribution and description:...
, cashew and Indian almond trees and is home to the rare Seychelles Magpie Robin
Seychelles Magpie Robin
The Seychelles Magpie Robin is a medium-sized endangered bird from the granitic Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.This species of magpie robin is approximately 25 cm in length. It has a glossy coal-black plumage with a white-colored bar on each wings. It is considered a long-lived species whose...
as well as several relocated Aldabra Giant Tortoise
Aldabra Giant Tortoise
The Aldabra giant tortoise , from the islands of the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles, is one of the largest tortoises in the world....
s.
It also has the flightless Tenebrionid Beetle which is endemic to Frégate Island and millipedes.
Geography
The highest point on the island is called Mount Signale, which reaches a peak of 125 metres (410 feet) in the central west area of the island. 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 OceanIndian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
north of the airstrip 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 the Pointe Fouqué 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. There is a still a plantation house on the island, this is located near the eastern coast of the island south of the airstrip.