Seychelles

In a Nutshell . . .
Discovered for the first time on 1502 by a navigator who didn’t give them a name. The Portuguese called them later the "Seven Sisters." In 1756, Seychelles became a French colony under the name of Séchelles, named for Moreau of Séchelles, Minister of Finance under the kingdom of Louis XV. During the XIX century,  the English gave them the name of Seychelles. Seychelles remained an English colony from 1903 until 1976, when the archipelago gained   independence, becoming the Republic of Seychelles.
(photo of lithograph courtesy of Michael Adams)

...And More
The Arabs, Phoenicians, Indonesians, Portuguese, English and French all played a part in creating this unique island nation which today is enjoyed by fortunate travelers from all over the world.

Very likely these islands were first spotted by Arab traders as much as 1000 years ago. Their location would make them an ideal provisioning stop for early seafaring peoples like the Arabs, Phoenicians and Indonesians. Almost 500 years ago Vasco de Gama, the Portuguese explorer/navigator, is credited with the official discovery. Part of the island, group, the Amirantes (islands of the Admiral) is named in his honor. A Portuguese map of 1544 shows the islands as the Seven Sisters; Petite Soeur and Grande Soeur retain these names today.

The British landed there in 1609 on an expedition for the East India Company. For the next 133 years they became a provisioning base for the merchant navy as well as for plundering Indian Ocean pirates and buccaneers. To this day there are still stories of fabulous treasures hidden on Mahe.

The French expedition led by Lazare Picault to Mahe in 1742 gave Baie Lazare its name and in 1756 the islands were formally claimed on behalf of Louis XV of France. The Stone of Possession, now in the national museum, was laid and the islands were officially named in honor of Jean Moreau de Sechelles, French Minister of Finance. French colonization and agricultural settlement of the fertile soil and favorable climate continued uninterrupted until the end of the century.

During the Napoleonic War period Seychelles were regarded as a strategic acquisition as the British fought to contain French expansion. The French were forced to give up the islands, yet without a permanently stationed British force, control changed seven times in 13 years. The 1814 Treaty of Paris confirmed British rule.

Throughout the 19th century the population increased as Seychelles first produced high quality cotton, then harvested whales from local waters and finally began the large coconut plantations which became the economy's mainstay. Plantation labor was drawn from former slaves freed in 1835 when the institution was abolished. By the end of the century export of guano improved the island economy and in 1903 Seychelles became a separate Crown Colony.

After the two World Wars Seychelles saw rapid change as modern conveniences and communications were introduced. At the 1971 opening of its airport, the landing of the BOAC VC-10 was witnessed by virtually the entire population. Improved accessibility brought tourism. On June 29, 1976 Seychelles became an independent republic and gradually evolved a multi-party democracy. Under government stability tourism flourished and the economy boomed.

Today Seychelles is sound, safe and very scenic...46% of its total area has been designated as Nature Reserve or Parks to preserve the reason tourists visit -- its incredible natural beauty.

Location
Seychelles lies in the western part of the Indian Ocean, north of Madagascar and 1,593km (995 miles) east of Mombasa, Kenya. It is between 4 and 5 degrees south of the equator at a longitude between 55 and 56 degrees east.  

The Country  is an isolated archipelago of outstanding natural beauty comprising about 115 islands.  About 35 islands of the "Inner Islands Group" are granitic, rocky and hilly with narrow coastal strips.  The other islands are coralline and flat with elevated reefs.

Time
GMT + 4. Four hours ahead of London;  nine hours ahead of New York (EST).  Daylight savings time is not observed.

Area
Land: 455 sq km (175 sq miles). Total: 400,000 sq km (150,000 sq miles) Maritime zone (Exclusive Economic Zone): more than 1.3m sq km. (487,500 sq miles) To compare, the 175 sq miles of land is roughly 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Coastline
306 m (491 km)

Elevations
Lowest point: Indian Ocean, 0 m
Highest point: Morne Seychellois, Mahe,  2969 ft (905 m)

Land Use
arable land: 2%
forests and woodland: 11%
permanent crops: 13%
other: 74% (1993 est.)

Vegetation
The granite islands support luxuriant tropical forest on the mountain slopes. The coral islands are also densely covered with vegetation more characteristic of sandy coral soils. Generally, the most common trees are the coconut palm and casuarina. Others include banyans, screw pines and tortoise trees and the giant coco de mer palm, which is unique to the Seychelles and lives for up to 1,000 years. Of about 200 plant species, 80 are indigenous, including the bois rouge, the giant bois de fer and the capucin.

Wildlife
Fruit bats, flying foxes, geckos and skinks are common and there are more than 3,000 species of insect. The giant tortoise (which appears on the Seychelles coat of arms) survived near-extinction; there are now over a hundred thousand on Aldabra. There are many species of rare bird, such as the bare-legged scops owl, Seychelles kestrel, black parrot, magpie robin and paradise flycatcher. Four islands are bird sanctuaries, including Bird Island, which is inhabited by millions of fairy terns.

Natural Resources
Fish, copra, cinnamon trees.

Climate
Although tropical and generally warm and humid, there are nonetheless two distinct seasons.

• May - September.  Southeast trade winds bring cooler temperatures, lower humidity (average 70%) and less rain along with gentle breezes.
• November - March.  Northwest monsoons bring more rain, sometimes in heavy squalls, higher humidity (average 80%) and warmer weather.  The heaviest rainfall is usually during mid-December to mid-January

The transition periods of April and October are fairly hot, with little breeze and calm seas.

Seychelles lies outside the cyclone belt and enjoys stable weather year round with a mean maximum temperature of 29ºC and 12 hours of daylight.

Detailed weather forecasts and information can be obtained from the Seychelles Meteorological Office.

Timing Your Visit
Even though conditions for visiting Seychelles are generally good all year, there are certain times which are slightly more advantageous for certain activities.  

• Scuba divers will find April, May, October and November have the highest visibility and calmest seas although conditions are excellent year round. 
• Anglers will find that the southeast trade winds: from May to September are better for Big Game though the seas can sometimes be rough;    from November to February the northwest  bring calmer seas for bottom fishing.  October and April are perhaps the most enjoyable with calm seas.
• For birdwatchers, April heralds the new breeding season and Bird Island will be found to be overrun with seabirds from May through September;  migration periods are from September to December.
• Hiking and walking is best from May to September because of the dry conditions, lower temperatures and lower humidity.

Weather Charts

Monthly average minimum and maximum temperatures:
December, January and part of February have more rainfall than the other months but it comes in short bursts, rarely more than an hour or two long.