Sainte Anne Marine National Park
  Sainte Anne Marine National Park | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Seychelles, Indian Ocean |
| Coordinates | 4°37′S 55°30′E / 4.617°S 55.500°ECoordinates: 4°37′S 55°30′E / 4.617°S 55.500°E |
| Archipelago | Inner Islands, Seychelles |
| Adjacent bodies of water | Indian Ocean |
| Total islands | 8 |
| Major islands | |
| Area | 3.887 km2 (1.501 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 10 m (30 ft) |
| Highest point | Mount Sainte Anne |
| Administration | |
| Group | Granitic Seychelles |
| Sub-Group | Mahe Islands |
| Sub-Group | Sainte Anne Islands |
| Districts | Mont Fleuri |
Capital City |
Sainte Anne (population 40) |
| Demographics | |
| Demonym | Creole |
| Population | 242 (2014) |
| Pop. density | 62 /km2 (161 /sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Creole, French, East Africans, Indians. |
| Additional information | |
| Time zone | |
| Official website |
www |
| ISO Code = SC-18 | |
Sainte Anne Marine National Park lies about 5 km from Victoria, the capital city of the Seychelles, and encompasses eight small islands.
History
The Marine Park was created in 1973 for the preservation of wildlife, the first of its kind in the Indian Ocean. Fishing and water-skiing are forbidden within the Marine Park area. in 2005 the government have decided that maintaining and cleaning the islands which are used as picnic islands for the local population is too expensive and approved opening them to hotels and resorts.
Tourism
Today the islands are known as one of the prime tourist locations in the Indian Ocean for scuba-diving, glass-bottom boat excursions and snorkeling among the coral reefs. The colorful underwater world attracts tourists from around the world who are watching here the magnificent coral gardens, reef sharks and colorful tropical fish. The main island of Ste Anne is an 87-villa resort while Cerf Island and Round Island have Creole-style restaurants. It also has one of the largest areas of "seagrass meadows" in the Seychelles. It is very beautiful. Local tour operators offer day trips to the Marine Park.
Geography
The national park is made up of the following islands, with areas in km²:
- Ste. Anne Island, 2.19 km², with large luxury resort Sainte Anne Island Resort
- Cerf Island, 1.27 km², with a population of about 100, with three hotel-resorts (Cerf Island Marine Park Resort, Fairy Tern Chalets und L'Habitation), and restaurant Kapok Tree
- Île Cachée, 0.021 km², close southeast of Cerf Island, a nesting site for seabirds
- Round Island, 0.018 km², a former leper colony, with an exclusive five-star resort called "Round Island Resort" with 10 villas.
- Long Island, 0.212 km², formerly a quarantine area, now site of the state prison with 170 inmates
- Moyenne Island, 0.089 km², currently with no steady population after the decease of the founders of the Moyenne Island National Park (Brendon Grimshaw and assistant), and restaurant Maison Moyenne
- Île Seche (Beacon Island), 0.04 km²,
- Harrison Rock (Grand Rocher) the eastern islet of the park.
The aggregate land area of the islands of the marine national park is 3.887 km². The total marine national park area is 14.43 km².[1]
Administration
All island belong to Mont Fleuri District.[2] Because of the small population, there are not any government buildings or services, so people who live on the islands have to go to Victoria.
Image gallery
Map 1
Sainte Anne Island
Aerial view of Moyenne Island, Seychelles 1970
Moyenne Island image
Moyenne Island, Seychelles
Ile aux Cerfs 1980
St. Anne islands from Mahe
Location of the Ste Anne Marine National Park (islands in red)- Île aux Cerfs seen from Mahe, Seychelles
Anne Marine NP aerial Seychelles
External links
- Official park Island Guide
- National Bureau of Statistics
- info
- Mahe Map 2015
- Info on the island
- Sainte Anne Marine National Park Article and photos of the islands in the marine park.
- The Park at WordTravels
- Sainte Anne to be developed in order to pay bills
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sainte Anne. |