Amirante Islands - Marie Louise Island

Marie Louise Island

Marie Louise Island is located at the southern end of the Amirantes 13 km from its nearest neighbour, Desnoeufs. The island is a low and sandy coral cay, roughly oval in shape, with a 1250 m long north-south axis, and a width of 600 m, has a maximum elevation of 9 m, although more generally 5 to 6 m, and an area of 52.6 ha. It is permanently inhabited with a population of about 15 agricultural workers and beach fishermen based in a small settlement on the west coast above the beach and opposite the only safe anchorage. Landing by boat is difficult. There is a paved airstrip with a length of 518 m along the northern part of the eastern shore (ICAO code FSMA). There are no regular, scheduled flights. More than half of the island, in the northwestern part, is cultivated with coconut palms. Part of the island is covered with casuarina (Casuarina equisetifolia) trees. There is a coral reef on the east side of the island which breaks.

The site is used as a support base for the collection of Sterna fuscata eggs on the neighbouring island of Desnoeufs to the south-west, where there is no resident population outside the nesting season.

The Island was named by the Chevalier du Roslan in 1771 after his ship Marie Louise. Since the end of the 19th century, the island has been leased and inhabited without interruption. In 1905, the population numbered 86. There was an export of 3500 tons of guano that year. Guano has been the main economy until 1963, when still 3000 tons were produced. Additional products were copra and dried fish.

In the 1980s there have been attempts in developing the island into a tourist destination. Some bungalows were constructed. The attempts failed because of air traffic limitations by the large number of sea birds. Additionally, airplane landing is difficult, because of the steep coast that is littered with rocks.