The Îlots des Apôtres or Îles des Apôtres (English: Apostle Islets or Islands) are a group of small and uninhabited rocky islands in the north-western part of the Crozet Archipelago in the southern Indian Ocean, 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Île aux Cochons. Their total area is about 2 km2 (0.77 sq mi).
Nickname: Apostle Islets | |
|---|---|
Satellite Image of Îlots des Apôtres (NASA - Landsat) | |
| Geography | |
| Coordinates | 45°57′18″S 50°25′30″E |
| Area | 2.011 km2 (0.776 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 289 m (948 ft) |
| Highest point | Mont Pierre |
| Administration | |
France | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | Uninhabited |
There are two larger islands (Île Grande - Big Island, and Île Petite - Little Island), together occupying almost 90 percent of the area. The highest peak is Mont Pierre (289 m or 948 ft on Île Grande. In addition, there are about 20 rocks, with elevations between 15 and 122 m (49 and 400 ft). The islands are very steep. Despite their small size, Île Grande reaches a height of 289 m (948 ft), and Île Petite 246 m (807 ft).
On the night of 1 July 1875, the Strathmore, a three-masted ship sailing between the United Kingdom and New Zealand, was wrecked in the vicinity after striking a reef. Of the 89 passengers on board, 44 survived on Île Grande until 21 January 1876, when they were rescued by another ship.[1]
The islets have been identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International as a breeding site for seabirds, with at least 25 species nesting there. The birds include wandering, grey-headed, light-mantled, sooty, black-browed and Indian yellow-nosed albatrosses, great-winged, soft-plumaged, white-chinned and blue petrels, medium-billed prions, northern giant petrels, common diving petrels, Crozet blue-eyed shags and Kerguelen terns.[2]
| # | Island or Rock (English) | Area (ha) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rocher Nord (Northern Rock) | 6.0 |
| 2 | L’Enclume (The Anvil) | 1.5 |
| 3 | Grande Île (Big Island) | 150.0 |
| 4 | Le Clown (The Clown) | 0.4 |
| 5 | La Sentinelle perdue (The Lost Sentinel) | 0.2 |
| 6 | Les Jumeaux (The Twins) | 0.5 |
| 7 | Rocher Fendu (Split Rock) | 3.0 |
| 8 | Petite Île (Little Island) | 30.0 |
| 9 | Les Sentinelles du Diable (The Devil's Sentinels) | 1.0 |
| 10 | La Grande Aiguille (Big Needle) | 1.0 |
| 11 | La Petite Aiguille (Little Needle) | 0.2 |
| 12 | Le Hangar (The Hangar) | 1.5 |
| 13 | Le Donjon (The Keep) | 2.5 |
| 14 | (unnamed rock) | < 0.1 |
| 15 | Rocher Sud (Southern Rock) | 1.5 |
| 16 | Le Torpilleur (The Destroyer) | 0.1 |
| 17 | Le Caillou (The Stone) | 0.4 |
| 18 | L'Obélisque (The Obelisk) | 0.3 |
| 19 | Rocher Percé (Bored Rock) | 1.0 |
| Îlots des Apôtres (Apostle Islets) | 201.1 |
also see "This barren rock", by Silvie Haisman. ISBN 978-0-7333-2555-7, also a radio play on the ABC National radio - tell me a shipwreck
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Outlying territories of European countries | |
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Territories under European sovereignty but closer to or on continents other than Europe (see inclusion criteria for further information). | |
| Denmark |
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| France |
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| Italy |
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| Netherlands | |
| Norway |
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| United Kingdom |
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Important Bird Areas of the French Southern Territories | |
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| Amsterdam and Saint Paul Islands |
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| Crozet Islands | |
| Kerguelen Islands | |
| Scattered Islands | |