COUSIN ISLAND SPECIAL RESERVE

The island Cousin to the Seychelles is an excellent example of ecotourism and is one of the world's first island protected areas. To protect the small, endangered population of the Seychelles Warbler, the granitic island was declared a nature reserve in 1968 by the International Council for Bird Preservation (now Birdlife International).

The whole island, including the reef up to 400m off the island, is a protected area. It is managed by Nature Seychelles (formerly Birdlife Seychelles), which operates as a local non-governmental organisation (NGO).

Cousin Island is completely reserved for nature conservation and is the only granite island in the Seychelles whose natural vegetation is protected. It is one of the best protected breeding grounds for Hawksbill turtles in the world and boasts the highest density of lizards per hectare.

Cousin is home to five native land bird species and is visited by 300,000 breeding seabirds each year. It is also home to the most protected and diverse fish population of any protected area within the granitic islands.