Alphonse Atoll

Alphonse Atoll

Alphonse Atoll is located in Seychelles Location of Alphonse Island in Seychelles
Geography
Location	Indian Ocean
Coordinates
Archipelago	Seychelles
Adjacent bodies of water	Indian Ocean
Total islands	1
Major islands	Alphonse
Area
Length	1.8 km (1.12 mi)
Width	1.4 km (0.87 mi)
Coastline	5.5 km (3.42 mi)
Highest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Sovereign state
Seychelles
Group	Outer Islands
Sub-Group	Alphonse Group
Districts	Outer Islands District
Largest settlement	Alphonse (population 75)
Demographics
Demonym	Creole
Population	82 (as of 2014)
Density	48 /km2 (124 /sq mi)
Ethnic groups	Creole, French, East Africans, Indians.
Additional information
Time zone	SCT (UTC+4)
Official website	www.seychelles.travel/en/discover/the-islands/outer-islands
ISO Code = SC-26

Alphonse Atoll is one of two atolls of the Alphonse Group, the other being St. François Atoll — both in the Outer Islands (Coralline Seychelles) coral archipelago of the Seychelles.

Geography

Alphonse Atoll lies 87 kilometres (54 miles) south of the main Amirantes bank, from which it is separated by deep water. It has a distance of 400 km south of Victoria, Seychelles. Alphonse lies just two kilometres (1.2 miles) north of St. François Atoll, separated from it by a deep channel. The atoll has just one island, Alphonse Island, with a population of 82.

The area of the island is 1.71 square kilometres (0.66 square miles). The total area of the atoll, with 5.5 kilometres (3 miles) in diameter, is 19 square kilometres (7 square miles), including reef flat and lagoon.

History

In 1562 the whole of the Alphonse Group (Alphonse, St. François and Bijoutier) are collectively named on Portuguese charts as San Francisco. Chevalier Alphonse de Pontevez commanding the French frigate Le Lys visited on 27 June 1730 and gave the islands his own name. The following day he visited and named the neighboring island of St. François possibly following the former Portuguese name for the group. A small hotel has been built on Alphonse Island in 1998 specializing in fly fishing the island was a private plantation, only opened in 1999 to the public. in 2007 it was brought 50% by LUX hotels branch of Desroches, and the rusty lodge was renovated. in 2016, due to financial difficulties, both LUX hotels are for sale. 50% owner Great Plains Group wants to keep its share, while Collins group, which is the current highest bidder on the Alphonse island resort, wants the entire 100%. Their plan is for the resort to be expanded, and there will also add residential villas on the island, for a total population of between 300-400 people.

Flora and Fauna

in 2007, Island Conservation Society established a conservation center on Alphonse to manage conservation on the island and on neighboring St. François.

Wedge-tailed shearwaters breed despite the presence of rats and cats. The common waxbill (probably introduced) breeds and is found nowhere else in Seychelles other than Mahe and La Digue. The introduced house sparrow also breeds. The isolation of Alphonse acts as a magnet to migratory birds and Seychelles Bird Records Committee has recorded more bird species here than anywhere south of the granitics apart from Aldabra, including the only record of sociable lapwing for the entire southern hemisphere and the first country records of red knot, tufted duck and common chiffchaff.

Transport

The island is bisected by a 1,220 metres (4,000 ft) Alphonse Airport (ICAO code:FSAL) that crosses the island diagonally. The airfield was renovated in 2000, and is now serviced 1 time a week with Air Seychelles aircraft from Mahé.

Economics

Most of the villagers work on the resort, but its future is currently unclear. while the others are engaged in farming and fishing which are mainly for the island consumption. There are some Papaya trees, Banana, Agave, and a Cotton field, which remained from the plantation era of the island, and are still maintained by the villagers.

Alphonse Island Pearl Farm

The Seychelles government have plans to open a pearl farm on the island in 2017, so that the villagers will have a sustainable job.

Tourism

The island hosts restaurants, a diving center, a fly fishing center, 2 souvenir shops, a clinic, a bike rental shop, and several other attractions.

Image gallery

• 

  Map 1

• Outer Islands in Seychelles.svg

  District Map

• Alphonse Group.png

  Satellite image of Alphonse Group
  (Alphonse Atoll north)

• Alphonse.jpg

  Alphonse

External links

• Island guide 1
• Seychelles Bird Records Committee
• Island Conservation Society
• National Bureau of Statistics
• Info on the island
• 2010 Sailing directions