Marie Louise Island is a low-lying coral island in the
Amirantes group of the
Outer Islands of the
Republic of Seychelles, in the western
Indian Ocean, with a distance of 308 km south-west of
Victoria, Seychelles
Victoria () is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Seychelles, situated on the north-eastern side of Mahé island, the archipelago's main island. The city was first established as the seat of the British colonial government. In 2010, ...
.
History
The Island was named by the
Chevalier du Roslan in 1771 after his ship Marie Louise. Since the end of the 19th century, the island has been leased and inhabited without interruption. In 1905, the population numbered 86. There was an export of 3500 tons of
guano
Guano (Spanish from qu, wanu) is the accumulated excrement of seabirds or bats. As a manure, guano is a highly effective fertilizer due to the high content of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, all key nutrients essential for plant growth. ...
that year. Guano had been the main economy until 1963, when still 3000 tons were produced. Additional products were
copra
Copra (from ) is the dried, white flesh of the coconut from which coconut oil is extracted. Traditionally, the coconuts are sun-dried, especially for export, before the oil, also known as copra oil, is pressed out. The oil extracted from cop ...
and dried fish.
In the 1980s there have been attempts in developing the island into a tourist destination. Some bungalows were constructed. The attempts failed because of air traffic limitations due to the large number of seabirds. Additionally, aircraft landing is difficult, because of the steep coast that is littered with rocks.
In 2012 the government established a new prison on the island.
Geography
Marie Louise Island, with an area of 55.6 ha, is located at the southern end of the Amirantes 13 km from its nearest neighbor,
Desnoeufs Island. The island is a low and sandy coral cay, roughly oval in shape, and has a maximum elevation of 9 m.
More than half of the island, in the northwestern part, is cultivated with coconut palms.
There is a coral reef on the east side of the island which breaks.
Landing by boat is difficult.
Demographics
It is permanently inhabited with a population of about 11. 6 are IDC staff members, 1 is a medic person for the island, and there is one remaining family at the original village. The villagers are agricultural workers and beach fishermen and are based in a small settlement on the north-west coast above the beach and opposite the only safe anchorage.
There are also 98 inmates in the state prison guarded by 3
Seychelles
Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, ...
officers, and 30
gurkha security guards.
With a population of 142 as of February 2015, this made Marie Louise Island the most populated of the
Amirantes at that time. However, the prison was closed in 2017.
Administration
The island belongs to
Outer Islands District.
Being an island with a small population, there are not any government buildings or services. For many services, people have to go to
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seyche ...
, which is a difficult task.
Transport
The island is bisected by a
unpaved airstrip (
ICAO code FSMA) that follows the north–south axis. currently there are no regular air services.
Economics
The inhabitants on the island are engaged in very small scale farming and fishing which are mainly for the island consumption.
Flora and fauna
The vegetation is dominated by
coconut-palms and ''
Casuarina equisetifolia
''Casuarina equisetifolia'', common names ''Coastal She-oak'' or ''Horsetail She-oak'' (sometimes referred to as the Australian pine tree or whistling pine tree outside Australia), is a she-oak species of the genus ''Casuarina''. The native ...
'' trees. It is used as a support base for the harvesting of
sooty tern eggs on neighboring
Desnoeufs Island during the nesting season from June to August. Marie Louise has been identified as an
Important Bird Area (IBA) by
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...
because it supports
breeding colonies of
brown
Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing or painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors orange and black. In the RGB color model used ...
(2000 pairs) and
lesser noddies (3500 pairs), and
white tern
The white tern or common white tern (''Gygis alba'') is a small seabird found across the tropical oceans of the world. It is sometimes known as the fairy tern, although this name is potentially confusing as it is also the common name of '' Sternu ...
s (3000 pairs).
Green and
hawksbill
The hawksbill sea turtle (''Eretmochelys imbricata'') is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Eretmochelys''. The species has a global distribution, that is large ...
sea turtles also nest there.
/ref> The island is known for its rich fish life.
Image gallery
File:Seychelles large map.jpg, Map 1
File:Outer Islands in Seychelles.svg, District Map
File:Marielouise.jpg, Aerial view of the island
References
External links
Island guide 1
Island guide 2
National Bureau of Statistics
Info on the island
2010 Sailing directions
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marie Louise, Seychelles
Important Bird Areas of Seychelles
Seabird colonies
Islands of Outer Islands (Seychelles)
Prison islands