Silhouette lies 20 kilometres north of Mahé and at 1,995 hectares it is the third largest island of the granitic group and the fifth largest in Seychelles as a whole, yet the human impact is much less significant than elsewhere. Mount Dauban rises to 740 metres and is the second highest summit in Seychelles. Though superficially similar to the other granitic islands, much of Silhouette (and North Island) is made up of younger rock called syenite and dated from 63 million years ago, compared to 750 million years for the other granitic islands. Silhouette may have been born in rapid and dramatic style, in a manner similar to the famous eruption of Mount St Helens that took place in western United States in 1980. The eruption probably occurred on land. Limited outcrops above the surface today make it difficult to determine with certainty, but it is probable that the crater lies southeast of La Passe, now almost entirely eroded away and submerged. This volcano erupted many times and Silhouette may have towered 3,000 metres or more at one time.
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History
Silhouette was probably long known to Arab navigators. It was the first Seychelles island sighted by Europeans in 1503 and the first visited in 1609. Today, a National Park protects 93% of the island.
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Flora & Fauna
Silhouette supports an exceptional biodiversity, including two endemic and Critically Endangered plants and the last stronghold of one of the world’s most endangered animals, the Sheath-tailed Bat.
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ICS Activity
Silhouette Island Conservation Centre opened in 2011. ICS implements conservation projects and programmes, including vegetation restoration and the monitoring of turtles, bats and birds.
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In 1503, Thomé Lopes, a member of the Portuguese voyage of discovery led by Vasco da Gama, wrote, “On 15 March we saw another island that is situated by northwest and southeast in relation to Mogadiscio, and we estimated that it lay beyond Mogadiscio. Whoever wants to look for it must go to the southeast of Mogadiscio: it is an elevated land, and we were not able to find out if it was inhabited”. An elevated island southeast of Mogadishu 23 days after departing India can only be one of the granitic islands of Seychelles, almost certainly Silhouette. The first recorded visitors to Silhouette and indeed Seychelles were the crew of an English East India Company vessel, the Ascension in 1609. Graves discovered at Anse Lascars were thought to be of an earlier Arabic origin (hence the name, which is the local term for an Arab). However, when bones from the graves were taken for investigation, they were dated to around 1800. Charles Oger took possession of it in the name of the King of France on the 28 January 1771. One of the first landowners was Jean-François Hodoul, a successful corsair who was able to retire from this precarious way of life with what was reputed to be quite a tidy fortune. The island was later leased and then sold to the Dauban family, whose impressive mausoleum still stands. The Daubans bought the island in 1860 and owned it for one hundred years. They were plantation owners who cleared forest on the flat land in order to plant coconut palms and fruit trees, and building the necessary supporting infrastructure. The Dauban era came to an end when Henri Dauban sold the island to a French group. Following the purchase by Seychelles Government in 1983, a small hotel was constructed. The Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort later replaced this. There is also one guesthouse, La Belle Tortue Lodge. Silhouette Island was named for Etienne de Silhouette, (1709-1767), Controller General of Finances in France in the reign of Louis XV.
Silhouette supports an exceptional biodiversity, including endemic birds, amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates, bats and plants. The whole of Silhouette has been classified as an Important Bird Area, mainly because of the population of 10-20 pairs of Seychelles Kestrel. Other land birds include three more endemics, Seychelles Blue Pigeon, Seychelles Bulbul and Seychelles Sunbird. About one-third of the almost 200 species of angiosperm recorded are Seychelles endemics including several endemic to Silhouette. Particularly noteworthy are two endemic and Critically Endangered plants, Bwakoulev Silwet and Bouskiya. One of the world’s most endangered animals, the sheath-tailed bat has its last stronghold on Silhouette. The Seychelles Fruit Bat is also present in large numbers. There is a significant Hawksbill nesting population. There are two endangered amphibians: Seychelles Palm Frog (unique to Silhouette) and Thomasset’s Frog (restricted to Silhouette and Mahé). The waters around Silhouette are protected as a Marine National Park since 1987. At 30.45 sq km, this is the largest marine park in Seychelles. In 2010, 93% of the landmass was declared as a national Park.
In 2008, Silhouette Foundation was formed, bringing together stakeholders including IDC, ICS, Ministry of Environment and tourism investors on the island. In 2010, 93% of the island was declared as a National Park. In 2011, ICS opened a Conservation Centre implementing conservation and restoration programmes. ICS has created the “Silhouette Native Plants Garden Trail”, allowing visitors to view a wide variety of native plants within the vicinity of La Passe. This trail winds through a hybrid natural ecosystem and botanical garden. Invasive exotic plants such as Cinnamon are regularly removed to allow native plants to recolonise. Many indigenous plants species are labelled and endemics are indicated by a Seychelles flag. The forest restoration is expected to benefit native fauna including land birds, invertebrates, and Sheath-tailed Bats. ICS conducts monitoring programmes and turtle patrols, in which guests of Labriz resort are able to participate. Mountain hikes, Sheath-tailed Bat observation nights and nature talks are also conducted.
Silhouette supports an exceptional biodiversity, including endemic birds, amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates, bats and plants. The whole of Silhouette has been classified as an Important Bird Area, mainly because of the population of 10-20 pairs of Seychelles Kestrel. Other land birds include three more endemics, Seychelles Blue Pigeon, Seychelles Bulbul and Seychelles Sunbird. About one-third of the almost 200 species of angiosperm recorded are Seychelles endemics including several endemic to Silhouette. Particularly noteworthy are two endemic and Critically Endangered plants, Bwakoulev Silwet and Bouskiya. One of the world’s most endangered animals, the sheath-tailed bat has its last stronghold on Silhouette. The Seychelles Fruit Bat is also present in large numbers. There is a significant Hawksbill nesting population. There are two endangered amphibians: Seychelles Palm Frog (unique to Silhouette) and Thomasset’s Frog (restricted to Silhouette and Mahé). The waters around Silhouette are protected as a Marine National Park since 1987. At 30.45 sq km, this is the largest marine park in Seychelles. In 2010, 93% of the landmass was declared as a national Park.
In 2008, Silhouette Foundation was formed, bringing together stakeholders including IDC, ICS, Ministry of Environment and tourism investors on the island. In 2010, 93% of the island was declared as a National Park. In 2011, ICS opened a Conservation Centre implementing conservation and restoration programmes. ICS has created the “Silhouette Native Plants Garden Trail”, allowing visitors to view a wide variety of native plants within the vicinity of La Passe. This trail winds through a hybrid natural ecosystem and botanical garden. Invasive exotic plants such as Cinnamon are regularly removed to allow native plants to recolonise. Many indigenous plants species are labelled and endemics are indicated by a Seychelles flag. The forest restoration is expected to benefit native fauna including land birds, invertebrates, and Sheath-tailed Bats. ICS conducts monitoring programmes and turtle patrols, in which guests of Labriz resort are able to participate. Mountain hikes, Sheath-tailed Bat observation nights and nature talks are also conducted.
Island Gallery
