island history

A three-kilometre square fragment splintered from the prehistoric ark-continent of Gondwana, which once united South America, Africa, India and the Antarctic: like much of the Seychelles, Frégate Island remained beyond the reach of the major evolutionary developments, and man, for hundreds of millions of years. This allowed secluded pockets of untouched nature to flourish. The first settlers on Frégate Island were probably pirates during the 16th and 17th centuries, seeking shelter following raiding trips. The island provided them with all the natural bounty they needed: secluded hideaways, fresh water and an abundant supply of fresh food. When Lazare Picault explored the Seychelles in 1744, Frégate Island was one of the first islands he deemed suitable for both settlement and agriculture. The first settlers treated it as a living storehouse, only for it to be looted later by European colonists, whose imported animals also posed a huge threat for the indigenous flora and fauna. Today, after many years of concerted effort, Frégate Island is once again a treasure trove of natural beauty - one of the last remaining places on Earth that truly deserves the name 'paradise'.