Coin de Mire

Coin de Mire, also called Gunner's Quoin, lies about four kilometres off the northern tip of Mauritius, a sharp basalt wedge some 165 metres high whose profile dominates the view from Cap Malheureux, Grand Gaube and the northern beaches. It is a nature reserve: rats and goats have been removed, and the islet holds breeding colonies of tropicbirds, shearwaters and noddies along with reintroduced native reptiles and plants, which is why landing needs a permit and is not part of ordinary excursions. Most visitors see it from the water, on catamaran trips that run around it toward Flat Island, or from the shore. Divers work the drop-offs around it, and the channel between the islet and the mainland is a fishing ground.

History

The islet covers just 65 hectares and keeps remnants of a sugar plantation set up by Dutch settlers (Wikipedia, Islets of Mauritius).

Highlights

• The wedge profile - the sharp basalt outline seen from the north coast.
• Seabird colonies - tropicbirds and shearwaters on the cliffs.
• The channel - the water between the islet and Cap Malheureux.
• Dive sites - the drop-offs and reef around the base.

When to go

May to December for calmer seas. Catamaran trips run year round but cancel in rough weather. Seabird activity is highest in the southern summer breeding months, though landing remains restricted.

Good to know

Landing is restricted to permit holders and most trips only circle the islet. Sea conditions in the channel can be rough. Dive sites here are for experienced divers because of current. From the shore it is a view rather than a visit.

Nearby

Cap Malheureux faces it; Flat Island lies further north.