Cousin Island

Cousin Island Special Reserve lies just off the coast of Praslin and is managed by the ‘Nature Seychelles’ organisation. The Island was bought in 1968 to protect the remaining population of Seychelles warblers, of which there were only 28 in existence at the time. Now the population is thought to be over 3000 and conservation efforts, including the eradication of alien pests, has meant the return of many endemic species.

Cousin is visited by 300,000 nesting birds every year and has the highest density of lizards per hectare in the world. It is also the most important breeding site in the Western Indian Ocean for the critically endangered, Hawksbill turtles.

The Special Reserve area also includes the surrounding marine area up to 400 metres off shore. As a result, Cousin presents one of the best snorkelling points in the Seychelles. Its biomass is reported to be the most diverse of any reserve in the granitic islands.