Île Frégate is a small, uninhabited island in the

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...

located off the north coast of

Saint Barthélemy Saint Barthélemy, officially the Collectivité territoriale de Saint-Barthélemy, also known as St. Barts (English) or St. Barth (French), is an overseas collectivity of France in the Caribbean. The island lies about southeast of the island ...

, an

overseas collectivity The French overseas collectivities ( abbreviated as COM) are first-order administrative divisions of France, like the French regions, but have a semi-autonomous status. The COMs include some former French overseas colonies and other French ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. Île Frégate is situated within the Nature Reserve of Saint Bartholomew, which was established in 1996 with the objective of conserving coral reefs,

sea grass Seagrasses are the only flowering plants which grow in marine (ocean), marine environments. There are about 60 species of fully marine seagrasses which belong to four Family (biology), families (Posidoniaceae, Zosteraceae, Hydrocharitaceae and ...

beds and marine life.

Geography

Île Frégate is an uninhabited

cay A cay ( ), also spelled caye or key, is a small, low-elevation, sandy island on the surface of a coral reef. Cays occur in tropical environments throughout the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans, including in the Caribbean and on the Grea ...

in the Caribbean. Situated north of Saint Barthélemy, it is one of its satellite islands. Due to its shape, Île Frégate has been described as "twin islets". It is the second northeasternmost of a series of islands, and lies between

Île Chevreau Île Chevreau also known as Île BonhommeÎle Chevreau
Alluring World is an

Île Toc Vers. Île Fregate is located to the west of Île Toc Vers, a "pointed islet." According to sailing information, traversing through the channel between the two islets should be avoided. Île Frégate is situated within the Réserve naturelle nationale de Saint-Barthélemy, which also includes Gros Îlets and Pain de Sucre; the waters surrounding the islets Fourchue, and Île Toc Vers; and part of Colombier bay. Situated on the windward side of the marine reserve, it is noted for sea life which can be viewed while snorkeling.

Flora and fauna

The high islet features grass and bush flora. Its protected area measures . Bird life on the island has included a

frigatebird Frigatebirds are a Family (biology), family of seabirds called Fregatidae which are found across all tropical and subtropical oceans. The five extant species are classified in a single genus, ''Fregata''. All have predominantly black plumage, l ...

colony, although this has been significantly diminished due to the removal of bird eggs. According to the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the stat ...

, '' Iguana delicatissima'' or Lesser Antillean

Green Iguana The green iguana (''Iguana iguana''), also known as the American iguana or the common green iguana, is a large, arboreal, mostly Herbivory, herbivorous species of lizard of the genus ''Iguana''. Usually, this animal is simply called the iguana. ...

, and West Indian Iguana have been found on Île Frégate. '' Sphaerodactylus sputator'' (Leeward Banded Sphaero) was recorded on the island in 2012.

References

Bibliography

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