COUSIN ISLAND SPECIAL RESERVECousin Island, the last remaining home of the Seychelles warbler, was made a nature reserve in 1968. It was bought by the Birdlife International to save the tiny population of Seychelles warblers from extinction. Prior to that, it had been a coconut plantation where the native vegetation had been cleared. The island is now managed by Nature Seychelles. What's so special? - Cousin is an island with no development and totally reserved for conservation.
- The only granitic island totally rehabilitated with natural vegetation.
- The most important nesting site for hawksbill turtles in the western Indian Ocean.
- Has the highest density of lizards per hectare in the world.
- Giant Tortoises
- Terrestrial Hermit crabs
- Has five endemic land birds
- 300,000 nesting seabirds with seven different species
- The longest millipede in the world.
- The best protected and diverse reef fish population of any reserve in the granitic islands.
- A reserve managed and protected by Seychellois benefiting local communities
Tourism Code of Ethics for Cousin
A high quality tourism experience depends on the conservation of our environment, and respecting both International and local practices and regulations. We have developed and adopted a Code of Ethics to achieve these objectives. This code involves requirement both from the visitor and the management of Cousin Island Special Reserve. For the Visitor
Please follow instructions given by the wardens. - Follow guidelines for photography. Commercial photographers should pay required fees. The following should not be used: large equipment which could slow down your group, could get damaged or hurt someone; bright flashes and tripods that disturb the animals.
- Do not smoke or light fires or use hazardous chemicals.
- Do not litter.
- Do not take any natural materials and products.
- Please ensure you have personal insurance cover for any accident, loss or damage.
- Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear and protect yourself with sunscreen and personal mosquito repellent.
- Please adhere strictly to the opening and closing hours.
- Following the above, will help you enjoy our natural heritage and help us to preserve it!
From the Management of Cousin Island
We want to continue to welcome visitors and to preserve this natural treasure. We undertake to: - Conserve and protect our rich biodiversity.
- Maintain the Reserve as a heritage for all mankind.
- Provide the visitor with an enjoyable experience.
- Make proper use of the fees you pay to enter the Reserve.
- Reach out to the local people through awareness and educational programmes.
- Preferentially hire local people.
- Assist in providing economic benefits to stakeholders
- Use locally made products
List of interesting trees, reptiles, seabirds and Land birds of Cousin Island Trees
Pisonia / mapou / Pisonia grandis
Casuarina / pye sed / Casuarina equisetifolia
Indian mulberry / bwa torti / Morinda citrifolia
Ochrosia / bwa sousouri / Ochrosia oppositifolia
Banyan / lafous / Ficus sp.
Screwpine / vakwa bord-mer / Pandanus balfouri
Mangrove / mangliye / Avicennia marina Reptiles
Seychelles skink / lezar mangouya / Manbuya seychellensis
Wright skink / teng teng / Manbuya wrightii
Bronze gecko / lezar ver / Ailuronyx Seychellensis
Green gecko / lezar ver / Phelsuma astriata / Aldabra giant tortoise/torti-d-ter
Geochelone gigantea / Hawksbill turtle / kare / Eretmochelys imbricata -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Giant millipede / milpat / Seychelleptus seychellarum Seabirds
Lesser noddy / kelek / Anous tenuirostris
Brown noddy / Common noddy / makwa / Anous stolidus
White tern / Fairy tern / Golan / Gygis alba
Bridled tern / fansen / Setrna anaethetus
White-tailed tropicbird / payanke / Pahethon lepturus
Audubon's Shearwater / riga / Puffinus Iherminieri
Wedge-tailed shearwater / fouke / Puffinus pacificus Land Birds
Seychelles warbler / timerl dezil / Acrocephalus sechellensis
Seychelles sunbird / kolibri / Nectarinia dussumieri
Seychelles fody / tok tok / Foudia sechellarum
Seychelles blue Pigeon / pizon olande / Alectroenas pulcherrima
Seychelles Magpie-Robin/pisantez / Copsychus seychellarum
Moorhen/pouldo / Gallinula chloropus Quick facts and tips - Opening Schedule are Tuesdays to Fridays, 9:30hrs to 12:00hrs and 14:00hrs to 16:00hrs with closure on public holidays; landing of visitors takes place between 9:30hrs to 10:00hrs and 13:45hrs to 14:00hrs.
- Visitors are not permitted to land on the island by any means other than the Reserve boats.
- Landing and return are by small Reserve boats and may be bumpy and rough.
- Visitors must be in possession of a valid ticket.
- The management reserves the right to close the Reserve without giving prior notice.
- Typical tours last up to about 1hr and 30 minutes.
- Tours enter a forest which may be hot and humid and may contain mosquitoes.
- Cousin staff have the legal right to stop any tour, persons or boat if conservation laws are being violated.
- Cousin is protected under several national laws.
- Soft drinks and souvenirs are available for sale.
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