St. François Atoll
Encyclopedia
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
s of the Alphonse Group
Alphonse Group
The Alphonse Group belong to the Outer Islands of the Seychelles, lying in the southwest of the island nation, 403 kilometres southwest the capital, Victoria, on Mahé 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....
, just three kilometers south of Alphonse Atoll
Alphonse Atoll
Alphonse Atoll is one of two atolls of the Alphonse Group, and located 87 km south of the Amirante Islands, and just three kilometers north of St. François Atoll, the second atoll of Alphonse Group. The atoll has just one island, Alphonse Island, with a population of fewer than 300...
, the second atoll of Alphonse Group. The atoll is uninhabited and has two islands, St. François and Bijoutier Island. The aggregate land area is 0.196 km² (196,000 m²), but the total area including reef flat and lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
is much larger (roughly 15 km north-south and 5 km east-west, with an area of more than 40 km²). It was discovered on 28 January 1730 by Chevalier Alphonse de Pontevez, commanding the French frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
Le Lys
Le Lys
Le Lys , also known as Liliya, is a ballet in 3 acts/4 scenes, with choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon and music by Ludwig Minkus....
. The atoll is named in honor of Saint Francis de Sales.
St. François Island
The southern island was named after Francis de SalesFrancis de Sales
Francis de Sales was Bishop of Geneva and is a Roman Catholic saint. He worked to convert Protestants back to Catholicism, and was an accomplished preacher...
. The area of the island is 176,000 m². St. Francois is easily accessible at less than 30 minutes distance by boat from Alphonse. The local fauna include the 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...
and the crab plover
Crab Plover
The Crab-plover or Crab Plover is a bird related to the waders, but sufficiently distinctive to merit its own family Dromadidae. Its relationship within the Charadriiformes is unclear, some have considered it to be closely related to the thick-knees, or the pratincoles, while others have...
along with the blue crab
Portunus pelagicus
Portunus pelagicus, also known as the flower crab, blue crab, blue swimmer crab, blue manna crab or sand crab, is a large crab found in the intertidal estuaries of the Indian and Pacific Oceans and the Middle-Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The name "flower crab" is used in east Asian...
.
Bijoutier Island
The northern and smallest island takes its name from the French word bijoutier, meaning "jeweller". The area of the island is 20,000 m². The island is only accessible by boat during high tideHigh Tide
High Tide was a band formed in 1969 by Tony Hill , Simon House , Peter Pavli and Roger Hadden .-History:...
. The island is small enough that it takes only a few minutes to walk completely around it.