ÃŽle Platte
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Platte Island or ÃŽle Platte is an
island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...
in the Southern Coral Group that is part of the Outer Islands of the
Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (; Seychellois Creole: ), is an island country and archipelagic state consisting of 155 islands (as per the Constitution) in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, ...
.


Geography

The island is located south of the Seychelles Bank at . Coëtivy Island (also Southern Coral Group) lies further southeast. Platte Island is located south of Mahé, the main island of the
Seychelles Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (; Seychellois Creole: ), is an island country and archipelagic state consisting of 155 islands (as per the Constitution) in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, Victoria, ...
, and from their capital Victoria. The island, a low and wooded sand cay, ranges about from north to south, with a width from in the south to in the north and a land area of . Its height is 3 m above the sea level.


History

Platte was discovered and named in 1769 for its low
topography Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the landforms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...
by Lieutenant de Lampériaire of ''La Curieuse''. And it also known by its nickname "ill Pllate". In the 1840s there was sufficient
guano Guano (Spanish from ) is the accumulated excrement of seabirds or bats. Guano is a highly effective fertiliser due to the high content of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, all key nutrients essential for plant growth. Guano was also, to a le ...
on the island to make it worthwhile excavating, and it was still won in the 20th century. A visitor in 1905 stated that 1500 tons had been taken off the island the month before he arrived. He also reported on the island's "beautiful plantation of
coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...
s which yields about 20,000 a month," the fine condition of the palms presumably due to the guano rich soil. The island was not always so productive. In 1864 the
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
Civil Commissioner complained that "despite 18 years' occupation only 17 coconut trees have been planted". In 1828, Platte was proposed as a suitable location for an isolation camp for people with
leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a Chronic condition, long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the Peripheral nervous system, nerves, respir ...
, but in 1838 the island was taken over by the British administration for use as a
quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals, and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have bee ...
station for visiting ships instead. It did not prove entirely satisfactory. Being at some distance from authority, the crews of the ships, in particular the
whaler A whaler or whaling ship is a specialized vessel, designed or adapted for whaling: the catching or processing of whales. Terminology The term ''whaler'' is mostly historic. A handful of nations continue with industrial whaling, and one, Jap ...
s, tended to amok, causing "depredations". By 1864, the civil commissioner had further complaints about the use of Platte as a quarantine island. He did not think it "of much potential utility because it is 71 miles from Mahé and vessels of 500 tons burden cannot approach nearer than 5 miles because of the dangerous
reef A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral, or similar relatively stable material lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic component, abiotic (non-living) processes such as deposition (geol ...
. Also during the SE
monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...
it is almost inaccessible to any vessel". He was dubious as to the possibility of building any infrastructure on the island because "an erection on Flat Island would be...expensive – it is entirely coral with no timber, trees having been removed to plant coconuts...The only house is a hut constructed of leaves. No provisions except for fish are available. There is sufficient dead wood to burn lime and there is coral for building but all labourers and rations would have to come from Mahé at great expense". He noted that the last time a ship was put in quarantine,
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
was actually used, but his preference was to use Moyenne Island as the quarantine station.


Coral reefs

Barrier reefs, over which the sea breaks heavily, extend north, east, and south of the island, making it a pseudo-
atoll An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical parts of the oceans and seas where corals can develop. Most ...
. Within the barrier reefs, the
lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') an ...
is quite smooth, and landing is safe and easy. A submerged
coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in group ...
rim extends west and south of the island, obviously the remnants of a sunken atoll, creating a complex of almost in length north–south and in width east–west and covering an area of roughly 270 km2. There are two tricky passages through the reef on the northwest side, available only for small vessels with local knowledge only. La Perle Reef lies at the southwestern end of the reef rim, about southwest of Platte Island. Depths of less than can exist on this reef where breakers have been observed.


Demographics

Platte Island in Seychelles is largely occupied by the Waldorf Astoria Resorts and Hotel, making it an exclusive and private destination. The island's population is small, with most permanent residents being staff and management employed by the hotel. A small settlement is located on the western shore, home to the manager's house and the Island Development Company.


Administration

Platte island is administered by the Island Development Company (IDC). Due to its small population, there are no government buildings or services. The majority of the island is occupied by Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts.


Transport

Platte island is bisected by a 1000 m airfield that follows the long north–south axis, 23 m wide east–west, and 3 m above the sea level. The island is a 25 minute flight from Seychelles International Airport.


Economics

The economy of Platte Island in Seychelles is primarily driven by the presence of the Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts. The resort plays a critical role in the local economy by employing Seychellois workers in various roles, from hospitality services to management and maintenance. It also supports sustainable tourism initiatives, ensuring that the resort’s operations benefit both the local community and the environment. Other economic activities on the island include small-scale operations related to the resort, such as supply and transport services, as well as the management of the Island Development Company, which oversees infrastructure and development. https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/sezpiwa-waldorf-astoria-seychelles-platte-island/resort/


Flora and fauna

The island is known for its diverse wildlife and rich marine life. The red-footed booby and sooty tern used to breed there but are now extinct in the area. The brown noddy and
white-tailed tropicbird The white-tailed tropicbird (''Phaethon lepturus'') or yellow-billed tropicbird is a tropicbird. It is the smallest of three closely related seabirds of the tropical oceans and smallest member of the order Phaethontiformes. It is found in the tro ...
still breed while hundreds of lesser noddies and bridled terns roost at night.
Barn-owl The barn owls, owls in the genus ''Tyto'', are the most Cosmopolitan distribution, widely distributed genus of owls in the world. They are medium-sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs with ...
s were introduced in 1949 but died out in 1951–1952. The red fody also breeds on the island. The surrounding waters act as a nursery for juvenile marine species, including Hawksbill and Green Turtles, Lemon and Blacktip sharks, Eagle Rays, and a diverse range of fish. A year-long
turtle Turtles are reptiles of the order (biology), order Testudines, characterized by a special turtle shell, shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Crypt ...
study conducted in 1998 demonstrated that Platte has significant populations of some 40 female
hawksbill sea turtle 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 largel ...
s nesting annually. Island Conservation Society still actively monitor the presence of nesting turtles on the island.


Image gallery

File:Seychelles large map.jpg, Map 1 File:Outer Islands in Seychelles.svg, District Map File:Platte Total 5050.png, NASA image of Île Platte—Platte Island with surrounding reefs File:Platte-Ile.png, NASA image of Platte Island. File:Platte.jpg, NASA astronaut image of Platte Island (Seychelles) in the Indian Ocean


References


External links

*
Island guide 1

Island guide 2

National Bureau of Statistics

Info on the island

Gallery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ile Platte Platte, Ile