Denis Island

Denis is a flat coral island in the north of the archipelago, privately run with a single lodge, a working farm that supplies much of its own food and a conservation programme that has cleared introduced predators and reintroduced endemic land birds including the Seychelles paradise flycatcher and magpie robin, which now breed there. The reef drops off close to shore, which makes it one of the better bases for game fishing and diving.

Background

Denis Island lies 60 kilometres north of Mahé on the northern edge of the Seychelles bank, near Bird Island. The coral island covers 1.4 square kilometres and measures 1.8 kilometres by 1.3 kilometres. It is named after Denis de Trobriand, a French Navy officer who explored it in 1773. A first lighthouse was put up in 1883, and the present one, from 1910, stands on the northern edge. There is also a chapel, Chapel St. Denis. In 2004, 47 Seychelles fodies were brought over from Fregate Island, while Cousin Island supplied 58 Seychelles warblers, in a conservation project run by Nature Seychelles. The island had 80 residents in 2014.

Source: Wikipedia, "Denis Island"

Highlights

• The reintroduced birds - endemic flycatchers and magpie robins breeding after release.
• The working farm - the agriculture supplying much of the lodge's food.
• The reef drop-off - deep water close inshore, used for fishing and diving.
• The flat coral island - a low sand cay with beaches all round.

When to go

April to May and October to November are calmest. Fishing is best from October to April. The island is accessible year round by air.

What to expect

There is one lodge and no other accommodation or dining. Costs are very high. Small aircraft impose strict luggage limits.

Nearby

Bird Island is west, and Mahé is south.

Key facts