Located in the Southern Coral Group of the Outer Island of Seychelles, Ile Plate (also commonly written as Ile Platte or Platte Island) is the closest coralline island to any of the granitic island or the Inner Islands group. Ile Plate is approximately 140 kilometers South of Mahe, the most populated island in the Seychelles archipelago.
The flat coralline island which measures 1,500 meters long and 600 meters wide is only 3 meters above sea level. It consists of a mere 54 hectares of flat land, shaped almost like a pancake and separated into two by an airstrip. From the air, the small island is unimpressive in comparison to the large barrier reef that extends all around it protecting it from the incoming waves of the Indian Ocean. The submerged coral reef rim extends 12 kilometers west and 18 kilometers south of the island. Over millions of years, sand and seagrass have settled around the island creating beaches surrounded by azure and crystal clear shallow seas.
The flat coralline island which measures 1,500 meters long and 600 meters wide is only 3 meters above sea level. It consists of a mere 54 hectares of flat land, shaped almost like a pancake and separated into two by an airstrip. From the air, the small island is unimpressive in comparison to the large barrier reef that extends all around it protecting it from the incoming waves of the Indian Ocean. The submerged coral reef rim extends 12 kilometers west and 18 kilometers south of the island. Over millions of years, sand and seagrass have settled around the island creating beaches surrounded by azure and crystal clear shallow seas.
HistoryAlphonse was discovered in 1769 and named by Lieutenant de Lampériaire of La Curieuse. |
Flora and FaunaThe island is also home to several hundreds of brown noddies brown noddies (Anous stolidus), white-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus), lesser noddies (Anous tenuirostris) amongst others sea bird species. |
ICS ActivityIn 2008, the Platte Foundation was registered as a non-governmental organization with the sole responsibility of developing and implementing monitoring protocols for Ile Plate. |
Ile Plate was not spared from extensive guano excavation that plagued the Outer Islands of Seychelles. From the 1840s to the 20th century, it is believed that several thousand tons were removed which dramatically affected its lush plantation of coconut trees, but not enough to deprive its lucrative copra production which continued well into throughout the 1800s. In 1828, the island was proposed as an isolation camp for people suffering from leprosy but this lasted only a year, when the British government decided to use Curieuse Island instead. To protect the small population of Seychelles from contagious diseases, in 1838 the British government proposed that the island be turned into a quarantine station for visiting ships. Again, the difficult access for visiting vessels, especially in the Southeast monsoon and the lack of natural resources, made this project impossible and it was soon abandoned in favour of Long Island, which was closer to Mahe. To this day, the historical record shows that only one vessel the French brig, named La Perle, commanded by Lieutenant de Vaisseau Offret wrecked on the coral reef of Ile Plate on May 13th, 1863. Luckily, all the passengers and crew were not harmed and were transported safely to Mahe by the vessel Le Lynx.
With all previous projects for Ile Plate failed, after the Seychelles gained its independence, the government was keen to return the island to its original natural environment by replanting coconut trees. In 1980, the Seychelles government gave the mandate to the Islands Development Company (IDC) to manage and develop the Outer Islands and sustainably develop them. This included IIe Plate which by 1905 had a small population of 58 men, 4 women and 3 children living permanently on the island. They were joined in 1981 by a handful of captured South African mercenaries who had participated in a failed mercenary takeover. They were later released after a ransom was reportedly paid by the South African government. For several years, IDC operated a small guest house on the island to allow Seychellois to visit Ile Plate. This changed when recently the Hilton group erected 42 seafront villas on the island.
Through the years, the natural biodiversity of Ile Plate has changed dramatically. Some species of plants and animals have had to be introduced to sustain the human population on the island. Others such as the Madagascar fody may have been introduced by accident. A few species have also gone extinct notably the Barn owl which were introduced to the island but by 1951-1952 had become extinct. In addition, two species of seabirds, namely Red-footed booby and sooty tern used which use to breed on Ile Plate have since become extinct.
Despite a tumultuous history, Ile Plate has several interesting features of national and international significance that deserve to be studied further.
Conservationists had already seen the potential of Ile Plate well before the proposed development of the island. In 2008, the Platte Foundation was created to cater for future conservation projects on the island. The not-for-profit organization managed by the Island Conservation Society (ICS) remained a dormant foundation until more recently. The Foundation aims to raise funds through donors and visitors to the island which will in turn be used to continue to upscale and monitor the biodiversity of Île Platte.
In 2022, the Trustees organized a scouting visit to the island. The team surveyed several dive sites and the lagoon and established a series of priorities for future conservation on the island. In early 2024, the Platte Foundation relaunch the idea of opening a conservation centre on the island with a dedicated team of conservationists. In July 2024, the members of the Foundation visited the island with a new team that will henceforth be the ‘avant-garde’ of conservation efforts and monitoring on the island.
With all previous projects for Ile Plate failed, after the Seychelles gained its independence, the government was keen to return the island to its original natural environment by replanting coconut trees. In 1980, the Seychelles government gave the mandate to the Islands Development Company (IDC) to manage and develop the Outer Islands and sustainably develop them. This included IIe Plate which by 1905 had a small population of 58 men, 4 women and 3 children living permanently on the island. They were joined in 1981 by a handful of captured South African mercenaries who had participated in a failed mercenary takeover. They were later released after a ransom was reportedly paid by the South African government. For several years, IDC operated a small guest house on the island to allow Seychellois to visit Ile Plate. This changed when recently the Hilton group erected 42 seafront villas on the island.
Through the years, the natural biodiversity of Ile Plate has changed dramatically. Some species of plants and animals have had to be introduced to sustain the human population on the island. Others such as the Madagascar fody may have been introduced by accident. A few species have also gone extinct notably the Barn owl which were introduced to the island but by 1951-1952 had become extinct. In addition, two species of seabirds, namely Red-footed booby and sooty tern used which use to breed on Ile Plate have since become extinct.
Despite a tumultuous history, Ile Plate has several interesting features of national and international significance that deserve to be studied further.
- The lagoon floors are abundant with vast patches of seagrass meadows, especially of Thalassodendron ciliatum and Thalassia hemprichii, as well as other seagrass which makes up an estimated 11,274 hectares or 8% of the majority of Seychelles’ seagrass habitat.
- The lagoon ecosystem includes extensive sand flats, seagrass beds and scattered coral heads, which provide a safe nursery and feeding area for different species including a large number of sharks, particularly the sickle-fin lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris), and the black-tip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus).
- In addition, several species of rays can be spotted along the coastline such as the spotted/ocellated eagle ray (Aetobatus ocellatus), the pink whipray (Pateobatis fai) and the cowtail stingray (Pastinachus sephen), rendering the island a potential site to be declared as an Important Shark Ray Area.
- The lagoon is one of the most important foraging areas for immature turtles in the Outer Islands. A year-long study in 1998 revealed that an astounding number of hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), a critically endangered species, are nesting annually on the island. The study also recorded that the southern end of the island, with its well-developed beach platforms, is one of the most healthy-looking nesting habitats for sea turtles. A few green turtles (Chelonia mydas) are also known to nest on Île Platte but their numbers are not as significant as that of the hawksbills.
- Large schools of bonefish (Albula vulpes) and Snubnose pompano (Trachinotus blochii), two of the most prized saltwater flyfishing species are found on the flats as well as triggerfish species and large Giant Trevally (Carnax ignobilis).
- Not much is known about the migratory birds that comes to Ile Plate to feed. A recent visit by a pair of Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcineluss) is a sure sign that many other birds have visited and stayed on Ile Platte.
- An impressive number of butterflies and moths can be observed close to the airstrip, but more research needs to be done to determine the different species found on the island.
Conservationists had already seen the potential of Ile Plate well before the proposed development of the island. In 2008, the Platte Foundation was created to cater for future conservation projects on the island. The not-for-profit organization managed by the Island Conservation Society (ICS) remained a dormant foundation until more recently. The Foundation aims to raise funds through donors and visitors to the island which will in turn be used to continue to upscale and monitor the biodiversity of Île Platte.
In 2022, the Trustees organized a scouting visit to the island. The team surveyed several dive sites and the lagoon and established a series of priorities for future conservation on the island. In early 2024, the Platte Foundation relaunch the idea of opening a conservation centre on the island with a dedicated team of conservationists. In July 2024, the members of the Foundation visited the island with a new team that will henceforth be the ‘avant-garde’ of conservation efforts and monitoring on the island.
| Ile Platte Scouting visit (2022) |
