St. Brandon

{{Short description|Mauritian atoll in the Indian Ocean}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{for|the Irish saint|Brendan the Navigator}} {{Infobox islands |name = Saint Brandon |image_name = Cargados carajos 76.jpg |image_caption = |image_size = 200px |map_image = Cargados Carajos Shoals in Mauritius.svg |map_caption = Saint Brandon highlighted with a red circle in Mauritius |native_name =Cargados Carajos |native_name_link = |location = Indian Ocean |coordinates= {{coord|16|35|S|59|37|E|region:MU_type:isle|display=inline,title}} |archipelago = Cargados Carajos |total_islands = 22 |major_islands = Albatross Island, Raphaël, Avocaré Island, L'Île Coco and L'île du Sud |area_km2 = 1.3 |highest_mount = |elevation_m = |country = Mauritius |country_largest_city = Île Raphaël |country_largest_city_population = 30 |population = 40 |population_as_of = 2022 |density_km2 = 48 |ethnic_groups = |image_map_alt=Cargados Carajos Shoals in Mauritius.svg}}

'''Saint Brandon''' ({{langx|fr|Saint-Brandon}}), also known as the '''Cargados Carajos Shoals''', is a southwest Indian Ocean archipelago of sand banks, shoals and islets belonging to the Republic of Mauritius. It lies about {{cvt|430|km}} northeast of the island of Mauritius. It consists of five island groups, with about 28-40 islands and islets in total, depending on seasonal storms and related sand movements.{{sfn|PRB: OIDC|}}

The archipelago is low-lying and is prone to substantial submersion in severe weather, but also by annual tropical cyclones in the Mascarene Islands. It has an aggregate land area estimated variously at {{cvt|1.3|sqkm}} and {{cvt|500|acre|order=flip}}.{{sfn|PRB: OIDC|}} The islands have a small resident population of around 60 fishermen working for the Raphael Fishing Company.<ref>{{cite web |year=2001 |title=Introduction |url=http://statsmauritius.gov.mu/English/Documents/Education/Educational%20Characteristics/intro.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413124832/http://statsmauritius.gov.mu/English/Documents/Education/Educational%20Characteristics/intro.htm |archive-date=13 April 2014 |access-date=11 April 2014 |publisher=Central Statistics Office, Mauritius}}</ref> The bulk of this population, approximately 40 people, reside on Île Raphael, with smaller settlements existing on Avocar�� Island, L'Île Coco, and L'île du Sud.

In the early 19th century, most of the islands were used as fishing stations. Today, only one resident fishing company operates on the archipelago with three fishing stations and accommodation for fly fishermen on L'île du Sud, Île Raphael and L'Île Coco. The isolated Albatross Island reverted to the State of Mauritius in May 1992 and has since been abandoned.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://oidc.govmu.org/oidc/?page_id=39/|title=The lease of 15 of these islets expired in May 1992 and have not been renewed since then. The 15 islets are now under the direct control of the Outer Islands Development Corporation (OIDC)|website=oidc.govmu.org|access-date=17 May 2024}}</ref> Thirteen of the thirty islands were subject to a legal challenge from 1995 until 2008 between a certain Mr. Talbot (acting with the government) and the Raphael Fishing Company, this being resolved by Mauritius's highest Court of Appeal in 2008<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Raphael Fishing Company Ltd v The State of Mauritius and Another (Mauritius) |url=https://vlex.co.uk/vid/the-raphael-fishing-company-805328577 |access-date=2023-07-08 |website=vLex |language=en}}</ref> which converted the erstwhile permanent lease into a permanent grant for the resident fishing company.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Raphael Fishing Company Ltd v. The State of Mauritius & Anor (Mauritius) [2008] UKPC 43 (30 July 2008) |url=http://www.saflii.org/mu/cases/UKPC/2008/43.html |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=www.saflii.org}}</ref>

As is common amongst small, remote islands, the fauna and flora display a high degree of endemism which attracts visitors and international conservationists because of the critical role these remote islands play in the conservation of endangered species. The endangered green sea turtle (''Chelonia mydas'') nests here as does the critically endangered Hawksbill turtle (''Eretmochelys imbricata'') which may be unique to the extent that they are eventually confirmed as being genetically different from those further north in the Chagos islands and the Seychelles. [[File:St. Brandon Cargados Carajos, corals and turtle.png|thumb|263px|Critically endangered Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) on L'Île Coco in Saint Brandon]] The islands, designated a Key Biodiversity Area under CEPF, are also instrumental in the preservation of many bird species that are either vulnerable or near-threatened and were recommended as a Marine Protected Area (MPA) by the World Bank (1998). The World Bank's management plan was accepted, with a few changes, at Mauritian ministry level in its "Blue Print for the Management of St. Brandon" in 2002 and thereafter approved by the government of Mauritius in 2004.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/8593/-Mauritius%20Environment%20Outlook%20Report%20-2011Mauritius-Environment-Outlook-2011.PDF?sequence=3&isAllowed=y |title=Ministry of Environment & Sustainable Development Mauritius Environment Outlook Report 2011 |year=2011 |page=223 |language=English |quote=''Blue Print for the Management of St. Brandon : A Blue Print on future economic development for St. Brandon was prepared in 2002 so as to manage and develop the islets with better land use, improvement in services, environmental protection, fisheries management, tourism development and diversification of the economy. The Blueprint has been approved by Government in 2004 and needs to be implemented. The salient issues in the Blue Print which are based on recommendations made in the World Bank Report 2001 are as follows: Declaration of St. Brandon as a Marine Protected Area. Division of the Archipelago into five distinct zones with specific recommendations for the sound management of each zone. No major economic activities to be carried out on the Archipelago except fishing within the sustainable limits of 680 tons of fish per year. No resort or hotel accommodation or supporting infrastructure such as harbours and runways to be set anywhere in St. Brandon. The Fisheries Division and the National Parks and Conservation Service to monitor at least once every year the populations of birds, turtles and fish. Restoration of the native fauna through eradication of introduced animals. Reinforcement of the Coast Guard Service on St. Brandon by the provision of patrol vessels and through training of officers.''}}</ref>

== Etymology == In the early 1500s, the Portuguese labelled the islands Cargados Carajos on charts such as the Cantino Planisphere of 1502, which identified them as ''baixos'' ("low-lying"), with a surround of crosses to identify the danger to shipping.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}

Various explanations have been given for the islands having subsequently been named ''Saint Brandon''. One of these is that it is an anglicized name of the French town of Saint-Brandan, possibly given by French sailors and corsairs that sailed to and from Brittany.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Jean-Marie Chelin |title=Histoire Maritime de L'Ile Maurice 1791 -1815 |date=2010 |isbn=978-99949-32-71-9 |location=Tamarin |pages=74–76 |language=French |chapter=Annee 1796}}</ref>

Another explanation is that the name derived from the mythical Saint Brendan's Island that goes back to Saint Brendan of Clonfert, Brendan the Navigator, because French sailors associated the atoll with the patron saint of sailors.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}

The name ''Cargados Carajos'', which refers to the "loaded crow's nest" of a Portuguese caravel that was required to successfully sail through the dangerous atoll, remains in use as well.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}

==Climate== {{Weather box | width = auto | metric first = yes | single line = yes | collapsed = yes | location = Saint Brandon (1991–2020) | Jan record high C = 35.6 | Feb record high C = 35.1 | Mar record high C = 35.4 | Apr record high C = 34.0 | May record high C = 33.0 | Jun record high C = 31.0 | Jul record high C = 30.1 | Aug record high C = 29.8 | Sep record high C = 30.5 | Oct record high C = 31.7 | Nov record high C = 33.8 | Dec record high C = 34.3 | year record high C = | Jan high C = 31.4 | Feb high C = 31.4 | Mar high C = 31.4 | Apr high C = 30.5 | May high C = 29.0 | Jun high C = 27.2 | Jul high C = 26.2 | Aug high C = 26.3 | Sep high C = 26.9 | Oct high C = 27.9 | Nov high C = 29.4 | Dec high C = 30.9 | year high C = 29.0 | Jan mean C = 28.4 | Feb mean C = 28.5 | Mar mean C = 28.5 | Apr mean C = 27.9 | May mean C = 26.6 | Jun mean C = 25.0 | Jul mean C = 24.1 | Aug mean C = 23.9 | Sep mean C = 24.2 | Oct mean C = 25.1 | Nov mean C = 26.4 | Dec mean C = 27.7 | year mean C = 26.4 | Jan low C = 26.0 | Feb low C = 26.2 | Mar low C = 26.2 | Apr low C = 25.7 | May low C = 24.7 | Jun low C = 23.2 | Jul low C = 22.2 | Aug low C = 21.9 | Sep low C = 22.3 | Oct low C = 23.2 | Nov low C = 24.2 | Dec low C = 25.3 | year low C = 24.3 | Jan record low C = 22.5 | Feb record low C = 21.4 | Mar record low C = 21.0 | Apr record low C = 21.8 | May record low C = 20.0 | Jun record low C = 19.2 | Jul record low C = 18.0 | Aug record low C = 17.6 | Sep record low C = 18.9 | Oct record low C = 19.2 | Nov record low C = 20.6 | Dec record low C = 21.4 | year record low C = | precipitation colour = green | Jan precipitation mm = 141.5 | Feb precipitation mm = 184.7 | Mar precipitation mm = 140.0 | Apr precipitation mm = 125.5 | May precipitation mm = 71.2 | Jun precipitation mm = 46.1 | Jul precipitation mm = 47.5 | Aug precipitation mm = 46.6 | Sep precipitation mm = 29.3 | Oct precipitation mm = 27.2 | Nov precipitation mm = 36.9 | Dec precipitation mm = 77.6 | year precipitation mm = 974.1 | unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm | Jan precipitation days = 11.3 | Feb precipitation days = 12.2 | Mar precipitation days = 12.4 | Apr precipitation days = 11.4 | May precipitation days = 9.2 | Jun precipitation days = 10.0 | Jul precipitation days = 10.9 | Aug precipitation days = 10.8 | Sep precipitation days = 7.1 | Oct precipitation days = 5.9 | Nov precipitation days = 5.2 | Dec precipitation days = 8.1 | year precipitation days = 114.6 | source = NOAA<ref name="WMONormals">{{cite web |url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/4.4/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Mauritius/CSV/St_Brandon_61986.csv |title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Plaine Magnien |publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date = January 4, 2024}}</ref> }}

==Geography== {{Location map |Indian Ocean |label=Saint Brandon |lon_dir=E |lat_dir=S |lat_deg=16|lat_min=35 |lon_deg=59|lon_min=37 |position=right |width=263 |float=right |mark=Cercle rouge 100%.svg |marksize=20 |caption=Location of Saint Brandon in the Indian Ocean }} Geographically, the archipelago is part of the Mascarene Islands and is situated on the Mascarene Plateau formed by the separation of the Mauritia microcontinent during the separation of India and Madagascar around 60 million years ago from what is today the African continent.

The reef measures more than {{cvt|50|km}} from north to south and is {{cvt|5|km}} wide, cut by three passes. The reef area is {{cvt|190|sqkm}}. The total number of islands on the reef varies but usually number around 40. Siren Island, L'île du Sud, Pearl Island, and Frigate Island are west of the reef, while North Island is about {{cvt|4|km|mi}} northeast of the northern tip of the reef. Albatross Island, about {{cvt|18|km|mi}} north, is geographically a separate single coral island.

Albatross Island is the highest point at {{cvt|6|m|ft}} above sea level and the largest of the islands in the group, with an area of {{cvt|1.01|sqkm}}, followed by Raphaël, Tortue, Avocaré Island, L'Île Coco and L'île du Sud.

Temperatures range from {{cvt|23|-|26|C}}, with rainfall of {{cvt|1050|mm}} a year, most falling in January to April. The climate is dominated by the south-east trades. Cyclones can cause considerable damage. In 1948, Il aux Fous disappeared and Avoquer was submerged by two meters of water. Petit ile Longue was swept away in a later cyclone, but is now reappearing. The South Equatorial Current is dominant.<ref name="UNEP">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/coralreefsofworl0000unse/page/212 |title=Coral Reefs of the World Volume 2 IUCN and UNEP |date=1988 |publisher=UNEP |isbn=2-88032-944-2 |page=[https://archive.org/details/coralreefsofworl0000unse/page/212 212]}}</ref>

=== List of named islands === thumb|263px|St. Brandon

{| class="wikitable sortable" ! colspan=2|Name(s) !! Area !! Coordinates |- | Albatross Island|| || {{cvt|1.01|sqkm}} || {{coord|16|14|27|S|59|35|31|E|name=Albatross Island |region:MU_type:isle}} |- | Îlot du Nord (Île du Nord)|| North Island || || {{coord|16|23|16|S|59|38|32|E|name=Îlot du Nord |region:MU_type:isle}} |- | Île Raphael||(Raphaël Island) || || {{coord|16|26|00|S|59|36|18|E|name=Île Raphaël |region:MU_type:isle}} |- |Îlot Siren || || || {{coord|16|28|05|S|59|34|49|E|name=Îlot Siren |region:MU_type:isle}} |- |Île Tortue || || {{cvt|0.13|sqkm}} || {{coord|16|29|00|S|59|41|014|E |name=Île Tortue |region:MU_type:isle}} |- |Pearl Islet||(Île Perle) || || {{coord|16|32|46|S|59|30|20|E|name=Pearl Islet |region:MU_type:isle}} |- |L'île du Sud l'île Boisées||(South Island)|| || {{coord|16|48|55|S|59|30|09|E|name=L'île du Sud (South Island, l'île Boisées)|region:MU_type:isle}} |- |Avocaré Island||(Avoquer, L'Avocaire) || {{cvt|0.02|sqkm}} || {{coord|16|36|10|S|59|38|26|E|name=Avocaré Island |region:MU_type:isle}} |- |L'île du Gouvernement||(Government Island) || || {{coord|16|23|39|S|59|38|59|E|name=l'île du Gouvernement|region:MU_type:isle}} |- |Petit Capitaine || || || {{coord|16|36|0.0|S|59|34|0.0|E |name=Petite Capitaine |region:MU_type:isle}} |- |Grande Capitaine || || || {{coord|16|40|0.0|S|59|50|0.0|E |name=Grande Capitaine |region:MU_type:isle}} |- |Mapare Islet || ||{{cvt|0.4|sqkm}} || {{coord|16|34|22|S|59|42|08|E|name=Mapare Islet |region:MU_type:isle}} |- |Frigate Islet||(Île Frégate) || || {{coord|16|35|55|S|59|30|49|E|name=Frigate Islet |region:MU_type:isle}} |- |Îlote du Paul (Île Paul) || || || {{coord|16|37|0.0|S|59|33|0.0|E |name=Îlote du Paul |region:MU_type:isle}} |- |Puits A Eau || || || {{coord|16|39|0.0|S|59|34|0.0|E |name=Puits A Eau |region:MU_type:isle}} |- |Baleine Rocks||(La Baleine) || || {{coord|16|40|0.0|S|59|31|0.0|E |name=Baleine Rocks |region:MU_type:isle}} |- |Île Verronge||(Verronge) || || {{coord|16|40|43|S|59|36|23|E|name=Île Veronge |region:MU_type:isle}} |- |Veronge Ilot || || || {{coord|16|42|0.0|S|59|38|0.0|E |name=Veronge Ilot |region:MU_type:isle}} |- |Île Poulailler || || || {{coord|16|44|0.0|S|59|46|0.0|E |name=Île Poulailer |region:MU_type:isle}} |- |Palm Islet || || || {{coord|16|45|0.0|S|59|35|0.0|E|name=Palm Islet |region:MU_type:isle}} |- |Chaloupe|| || || {{coord|16|45|08|S|59|34|21|E|name=Chaloupe |region:MU_type:isle}} |- |Courson || || || {{coord|16|48|0.0|S|59|30|0.0|E |name=Courson |region:MU_type:isle}} |- |L'Île Coco (Île Cocos, Île aux Cocos) || || {{cvt|0.5|sqkm}} || {{coord|16|48|56|S|59|30|09|E |name=L'Île Coco|region:MU_type:isle}} |}

==Ecology== ===Reefs=== thumb|Map delineating The Saint Brandon Marine Protected Area. St. Brandon comprises about {{cvt|190|sqkm}} of reefs. It has one of the longest algal ridges in the Indian Ocean. Coconut trees can be found on a few islands as well as a variety of bushes and grass. The islands are covered with white granular sand from eroded coral, and a thick layer of guano can be found on some islands.

The western part of the bay has a coral bank and a fringing reef, dominated by staghorn Acropora, with an irregular front which merges with the coral banks; the reef flat has appreciable coral cover. North of this, or deeper into the bay, are several isolated patches of coral growing in deeper water.

The eastern border has reefs with a greater diversity of corals, in particular, enormous hillocks of ''Pavona'' {{abbr|spp.|species}} with ''Mycedium tenuicostatum'' which is unusual in Mauritius. On the sandy substrate, ''Goniopora'' and ''Pontes'' provide hard substrate for several other species, notably Acropora and ''Pavona''. Large tabular 'Acropora corals are also conspicuous, and when dead or overturned, provide substrate for other colonizers. These patches have expanded and fused to provide the numerous, large coral banks found in the Bay. Only twenty-eight coral species have been recorded which is probably due to the uniform habitat. Further offshore lies a peripheral fringing reef. left|thumb|Satellite image of St. Brandon

This complex of low islands, coral reefs and sand banks arises from a vast shallow submarine platform. The main structure is a large, {{cvt|100|km}} long crescent-shaped reef whose convex side faces towards the south-east trades and the South Equatorial Current. The reef front of the main reef recurves inwards at both ends and is cut by two or three passes. [[File:Heliotrope-moth.jpg|alt=Utetheisa pulchelloides|thumb|200x200px|''Utetheisa pulchelloides'', the heliotrope moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae found in Saint Brandon.]] The main reef has a very broad reef flat, extending up to several hundred metres across in parts. Together with much of the broad reef flat it is emergent at low tides. Apart from calcareous red algae it supports a few pocilloporoid corals. Down to at least {{cvt|20|m}} depth the substrate is swept clear of attached biota, although on the sides of spurs or buttresses a few corals exist. Underwater photographs of some of the numerous knolls and banks behind the reef show that the density of corals and soft corals is typical of many very sedimented areas and shallow lagoons in the Indian Ocean.

The islands are home to at least 26 species of seabirds such as Red-footed booby, sooty terns, and white terns. Endangered Green turtles and Critically Endangered hawksbill turtles nest on the islands.

Given the total isolation of the atoll and the low level of investment and scientific research carried out to date, there is the possibility of the discovery of new species. In May 2013, ''Novaculops alvheimia'', a new species of labrid fish, was discovered on the St Brandon atoll.<ref>{{cite web |title=Novaculops alvheimi Randall, 2013 - St. Brandon's sandy |url=https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Novaculops-alvheimi.html |website=fishbase}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Seven new species of labrid fishes (Coris, Iniistius, Macropharyngodon, Novaculops, and Pteragogus) from the Western Indian Ocean |url=https://zenodo.org/record/1041964 |journal=Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation |year=2013 |doi=10.5281/zenodo.1041964 |access-date=30 December 2022|last1=Randall |first1=John E. |volume=7 |pages=1–43 }}</ref>

===Molluscs=== right|369x369px|Ophioglossolambis violacea (Swainson, 1821) Naturalis Biodiversity Center

Among molluscs found in Saint Brandon, ''Ophioglossolambis violacea'' is famous for its violet hue. It is a very rare species of large sea snail (a marine gastropod mollusc in the Strombidae family) endemic to Saint Brandon. It is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, which is an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological species. Below is a selection of other molluscs from Saint Brandon.

<gallery mode=packed> Image:Tridacna lorenzi (MNHN-IM-2000-30800) 003.jpeg|{{center|Tridacna_lorenzi_(MNHN-IM-2000-30800)_003}} Image:Conus lecourtorum (MNHN-IM-2000-24257).jpeg|{{center|Conus_lecourtorum_(MNHN-IM-2000-24257)}} Image:Bistolida piae (MNHN-IM-2000-9546).jpeg|{{center|Bistolida_piae_(MNHN-IM-2000-9546)}} Image:Ficus dandrimonti (MNHN-IM-2000-25145).jpeg|{{center|Ficus_dandrimonti_(MNHN-IM-2000-25145)}} Image:Chicoreus janae (MNHN-IM-2000-26871).jpeg|{{center|Chicoreus_janae_(MNHN-IM-2000-26871)}} Image:Turbo lorenzi (MNHN-IM-2000-27219).jpeg|{{center|Turbo_lorenzi_(MNHN-IM-2000-27219)}} Image:Tridacna lorenzi (MNHN-IM-2000-30800) 001.jpeg|{{center|Tridacna_lorenzi_(MNHN-IM-2000-30800)_001}} Image:Bistolida nanostraca (MNHN-IM-2000-24515).jpeg|{{center|Bistolida_nanostraca_(MNHN-IM-2000-24515)}} </gallery>

==History== [[File:Cantino planisphere (1502).jpg|thumb|400px|The Cantino Planisphere (1502), in the Biblioteca Estense, Modena, Italy]] thumb|400px|This figure illustrates the path of Vasco da Gama heading for the first time to India (black) as well as the trips of Pêro da Covilhã (orange) and Afonso de Paiva (blue). The path common to both is the green line. Because all Portuguese maps of discovery were destroyed by the 1 November 1755 Lisbon Earthquake,<ref>{{Cite web |title=1755 The Great Lisbon Earthquake and Tsunami, Portugal |url=https://www.sms-tsunami-warning.com/pages/tsunami-portugal-1755#:~:text=The%201755%20Lisbon%20earthquake%20was,tsunami%20triggered%20by%20the%20earthquake.|access-date=2024-03-11|website=www.sms-tsunami-warning.com}}</ref> there is no way of knowing for certain, but hearsay suggests that Saint Brandon was discovered around 975 A.D. by Arabian sailors along with Dina Arobi (''"Abandoned Island"''), now known as the island of Mauritius. It can also be found listed as {{lang|pt|Baixos}} on the 1502 Cantino Planisphere map, which was an illegal copy of a Portuguese map that documented the Arab discoveries and was smuggled to Italy and, for this reason, survived.

It was named ''Cargados Carajos'' in 1506 by Portuguese sailors who went ashore for provisioning after having been blown off course from their attempted passage through the Mozambique Channel (the shortest and safest route) on their way to India. Pirates and French corsairs have also used the islands as a refuge.

In 1598, the Dutch occupied the islands.

On 12 February 1662, the East India Ship ''Arnhem'' ran aground on the Saint Brandon Rocks.<ref name="wrecksite">{{cite web | url=http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?139346 | title=Arnhem (+1662) | publisher=Wrecksite | access-date=July 1, 2011}}</ref> Volkert Evertsz, the captain, and other survivors of the wreck survived by piloting a small boat to Mauritius, and are thought to have been the last humans to see living dodos.<ref>{{cite journal| pmid=14628039 | doi=10.1038/426245a | volume=426 | title=Flightless birds: when did the dodo become extinct? | date=November 2003 | journal=Nature | page=245 | author=Roberts DL, Solow AR| issue=6964 | bibcode=2003Natur.426..245R | s2cid=4347830 | doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="ChekeHume2010">{{cite book|author1=Anthony Cheke|author2=Julian P. Hume|title=Lost Land of the Dodo: The Ecological History of Mauritius, Réunion and Rodrigues|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8xXSBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA78|date=30 June 2010|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=978-1-4081-3305-7|pages=78–}}</ref> They survived the three months until their rescue by hunting "goats, birds, tortoises and pigs".<ref name="Parish2013">{{cite book|author=Jolyon C. Parish|title=The Dodo and the Solitaire: A Natural History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bp8wK8zCg7wC&pg=PA45|year=2013|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=978-0-253-00099-6|pages=45–}}</ref> Evertsz was rescued by the English ship ''Truroe'' in May 1662.<ref name="Parish2013"/><ref>{{cite book|title=Rijks geschiedkundige publicatiën: Grote serie|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YxQOKQ_ZaU8C|year=1979|publisher=Martinus Nijhoff|isbn=978-90-247-2282-2}}</ref> Seven of the survivors chose not to return with the first rescue ship.<ref name="Vaughan2005">{{cite book|author=Megan Vaughan|title=Creating the Creole Island: Slavery in Eighteenth-Century Mauritius|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kNK6nFrRwTMC&pg=PA11|date=1 February 2005|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=0-8223-3399-6|pages=11–}}</ref>

Mauritius and its associated islands were colonised by the French some time around 1715, granted by the King of France to the {{lang|fr|Compagnie des Indes}} in 1726 but retroceded to the French Crown in 1765. Saint Brandon was referred to as ''Cargados'' in Samuel Dunn's world map of 1794.

On 9 June 1806, the French general Charles Decaen ordered the corsair Charles Nicolas Mariette to send a spying mission to Saint Brandon and to leave six men on the most prominent island and, on his return trip to Mauritius, to ascertain once and for all that Cargados Carajos and Saint Brandon were the same shoal. The frigate ''Piemontaise'' under the command of Louis Jacques Eperon le Jeune departed on 11 June 1806.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jean Marie |first1=Chelin |title=Histoire Maritime de L'Ile Maurice 1791 -1815 |date=2010 |location=Tamarin, Mauritius |isbn=978-99949-32-71-9 |pages=188, 189, 190 |edition=vol. 2}}</ref>

In 1810, the islands were taken by force by Britain, becoming a British crown colony.

From October to November 1917, the Saint Brandon Islands and, in particular, the lagoon of L'Île Coco, were used as a base by the German raiding vessel {{lang|de|{{SMS|Wolf|1916|2}}|italic=unset}}, commanded by Karl August Nerger.<ref>{{cite web |title='The German Cruiser "The Wolf" Uses Saint Brandon as a transhipment point for the cargo of captured allied ships in 1917 |url=https://archive.org/stream/ReviewOfGermanCruiserWarfare19141918#page/n23/mode/2up/search/cargados+carajos |access-date=28 August 2017}}</ref> On the island, {{lang|de|Wolf}} transferred stoking coal and stores from the captured Japanese ship {{transliteration|ja|Hitachi Maru}} which took three weeks. The coal was necessary for the raider's return to Germany. To do so, {{lang|de|Wolf}} had to run a gauntlet of Allied warships from near the Cape of the Good Hope to the North Atlantic. On 7 November 1917, the Germans scuttled {{transliteration|ja|Hitachi Maru}} {{cvt|16|mi|order=flip}} off shore and {{lang|de|Wolf}} departed.<ref>{{cite book |title=Raider Wolf: the voyage of Captain Nerger, 1916-1918 by Edwin P Hoyt P150-P157 | year=1974 | isbn=978-0-8397-7067-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/raiderwolfvoyage00hoyt?q=cargados+carajos |access-date=28 August 2017 | last1=Hoyt | first1=Edwin Palmer | publisher=P. S. Eriksson }}</ref>

The most common employment on St. Brandon in 1922 was agriculture, with a manager, assistant manager and eleven labourers. Only two young men were recorded as working as fishermen. Three men worked as carpenters, one as a mason, one as a shoemaker and another as a domestic servant. There was no indication that the guano mines were operating.{{sfn|1921 Census|pp=cciii–ccvii}} The islands were later mined for phosphates derived from guano until mining activities ceased in the mid-20th century.

Amateur radio operators have occasionally conducted DXpeditions on Saint Brandon. In February and March 2023, the 3B7M expedition made more than 120,000 radio contacts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Saint Brandon expedition 3B7M|url=https://3b7m.com/about/|access-date=2023-12-23 |website=3b7m.com}}</ref>

==Shipwrecks== Shipwrecks on the low-lying, rocky reefs of Saint Brandon have been recorded since as early as 1591. *On 12 February 1662, the Dutch East Indiaman sailing ship ''Arnhem'' wrecked itself on the rocks at Saint Brandon.<ref name="BruijnGaastra1979">{{cite book|author1=J. R. Bruijn|author2=F. S. Gaastra|author3=Ivo Schöffer|title=Dutch-Asiatic Shipping in the 17th and 18th Centuries: Outward-bound voyages from the Netherlands to Asia and the Cape (1595-1794)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8rtoAAAAMAAJ|year=1979|publisher=Nijhoff|isbn=978-90-247-2270-9}}</ref><ref name="Moree1998">{{cite book|author=Perry J. Moree|title=A Concise History of Dutch Mauritius, 1598-1710: A Fruitful and Healthy Land|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rHHjAAAAMAAJ|date=January 1998|publisher=Kegan Paul International|isbn=978-0-7103-0609-8}}</ref><ref name="ChekeHume2008">{{cite book|author1=Anthony S. Cheke|author2=Julian Pender Hume|title=Lost Land of the Dodo: An Ecological History of Mauritius, Réunion & Rodrigues|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mYIpAQAAMAAJ|year=2008|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0-300-14186-3}}</ref> *1703 - The English ship ''Falcon'', possibly associated with the East India Company or a private merchant ship, ran aground in St. Brandon and was ''nearly lost'' by Captain Edward Ledger.<ref name=NYPL>{{cite web | url=https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/0bf4f440-c603-012f-1e97-58d385a7bc34 | title= (cartographic) A chart of the Island of MAURITIUS (1702 - 1707) | author=Digital Collections, The New York Public Library | accessdate=August 4, 2025 | publisher=The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Highlights of St. Brandon's History | url = https://saintbrandonconservation.org/the-conservator-programme/highlights-of-st-brandons-history/ | publisher = Saint Brandon Conservation | access-date = August 4, 2025 }}</ref> *1780s - The English ship, the ''Hawk'', foundered on Saint Brandon on her return to Europe from Surat.<ref name="archive.org">{{cite web |title=The history of Mauritius, or the Isle of France, and the neighbouring islands; from their first discovery to the present time; Page 320 by Charles Grant |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofmauriti00vaux |access-date=27 August 2017}}</ref> [[File:Cabalva wrecked 1818.jpg|thumb|1820 oil painting of the survivors of the Cabalva wreck in Saint Brandon.]] *On 25 October 1795, a vessel called ''l'Euphrasie'' arrived in Port Louis with five survivors from a shipwreck in St. Brandon related to a corsair ship called ''La Revanche''. A certain crewman called Landier is described as leading this group of survivors. The other eight crew members perished.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Jean-Marie Chelin |title=Histoire Maritime de L'Ile Maurice 1791 -1815 |date=2010 |publisher=Jean-Marie Chelin |isbn=978-99949-32-71-9 |page=69 |language=French |chapter=Année 1795}}</ref> *On 7 July 1818, the sailing vessel Cabalva, built by Wells, Wigram & Green in 1811 and owned by the East India Company, struck the reef at St. Brandon on its way to China and was destroyed. Captain James Dalrymple and several other lost their lives.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cabalva (+1818) |url=https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?139046}}</ref><ref name="Horsburg's Charts">{{cite book|title=The Nautical Magazine and Naval Chronicle for 1851|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yCJHkv2yL_MC&q=letitia%20frigate%20island&pg=PA231|date=26 January 2024|publisher=Cambridge University Press|page=231|isbn=978-1-108-05443-0 }}</ref> *On 15 September 1845, the sailing ship ''Letitia'' ran aground on the Frigate islet. Captain Malcolm drowned.<ref name="Various2013">{{cite book|author=Various|title=The Nautical Magazine and Naval Chronicle for 1846|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nqenSi2pg3EC&pg=PA180|date=28 February 2013|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-108-05434-8|pages=180–}}</ref> *On 16 November 1850, the barque 'Mary' also foundered on Frigate island in Saint Brandon, probably for a similar reason, namely a navigational confusion (using Horsburg's Charts) of St. 'Brandon Rocks' with the reefs of Cargados Carajos when they should be considered as one and the same group of isles, islands and reefs.<ref name="Horsburg's Charts"/>{{Clarify|reason=This doesn't make sense. One confuses one thing for a different thing. One doesn't confuse something for itself.|date=June 2024}} *In 1850, the sailboat 'Indian' also sank on the Saint Brandon shoals. Not much is on record about this shipwreck.<ref name="Horsburg's Charts"/> *On 3 October 1969, the Russian tugboat ''Argus'' wrecked itself on the reef at Saint Brandon. A total of 38 men were rescued.<ref>{{cite web |title=MV Argus 1969 |url=https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?102140 |website=wrecksite |access-date=4 January 2023}}</ref><ref name="Hooke1989">{{cite book|author=Norman Hooke|title=Modern shipping disasters, 1963-1987|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pIcTAAAAYAAJ|year=1989|publisher=Lloyd's of London Press|isbn=978-1-85044-211-0}}</ref> *In 2012, a tuna longliner ran aground on the reef crest of Saint Brandon's atoll. It broke into three pieces which were moved by currents and storms into the lagoon.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339135077|title=longliner ran aground on the reef crest of St Brandon's Atoll|date=20 Feb 2020|access-date=26 December 2020}}</ref> *On 29 November 2014, during the second leg of the 2014–15 Volvo Ocean Race, the sailing boat Team Vestas Wind ran aground on Saint Brandon.<ref>{{cite web|title=Grounded|url=http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/news/8084_Grounded.html|website=Volvo Ocean Race official website|access-date=30 November 2014}}</ref> *On 1 February 2015, the fishing vessel Kha Yang, with 250,000 liters of fuel in its tanks, ran aground on the reef of Saint Brandon.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lexpress.mu/article/258407/echouage-dun-bateau-peche-une-catastrophe-ecologique-menace-saint-brandon|title=Échouage d'un bateau de pêche: une catastrophe écologique menace Saint Brandon|date=6 February 2015|access-date=24 November 2017}}</ref> Its crew of 20 were rescued shortly after its grounding, and a salvage operation pumped the fuel from its tanks a few weeks later.<ref>{{cite web |title=AU LARGE DE SAINT-BRANDON : Naufrage d'un bateau de pêche - Le Mauricien |url=http://www.lemauricien.com/article/au-large-saint-brandon-naufrage-d-bateau-peche |access-date=24 November 2017 |website=www.lemauricien.com|date=2 February 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fleetmon.com/maritime-news/2015/6507/fv-kha-yang-aground-salvage-under-way/|title=f/v Kha Yang aground, salvage under way|website=FleetMon.com|access-date=24 November 2017}}</ref> *On 2 February 2017, the long bulk carrier ''Alam Manis'' ran aground on its way to Pipavav from Richards Bay.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shipwrecklog.com/log/tag/cargados-carajos-shoals/|title=Alam Manis Runs aground in St Brandon. |date=8 February 2017 |publisher= Shipwreck Log}}</ref> *On 5 June 2021, the ''FV Sea Master'' belonging to the Mauritian company Hassen Taher was shipwrecked on Albatross Island.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hassen Taher Seafoods |url=https://defimedia.info/hassen-taher-seafoods-quatre-generations-de-succes |access-date=3 January 2023 |website=defimedia}}</ref> *On 5 December 2022, the Taiwanese fishing vessel FV Yu Feng 67 ran aground off L'île du Sud.<ref>{{Cite web |title=LEE TSANG FISHERY CO LTD, Kaohsiung City, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) {{!}} World Shipping Register |url=https://world-ships.com/company/ff40c1155b21b6ac184f85843560878d#.Y-uMhHZByuU |access-date=2023-02-14 |website=world-ships.com}}</ref> The twenty crew were saved by Raphaël Fishing Company vessels at the direct request of the Government at crisis meetings held in Port Louis. Seventy tonnes of diesel and around twenty tonnes of rotting bait fish gradually flowed into the lagoon and poisoned flora and fauna.<ref>{{Cite web |title=aiwanese Longliner Goes Aground on Mauritius' Saint Brandon Shoal|url=https://oceancrew.org/news/taiwanese-longliner-goes-aground-on-mauritius-saint-brandon-shoal_13-12-2022/|access-date=2024-03-20|website=oceancrew.org}}</ref>

== Demographics == The main settlement and the administrative centre of Saint Brandon is Île Raphaël and can have up to 35 resident employees, a coast guard outpost and meteorological station (with eight residents in 1996). Smaller settlements exist on Avocaré Island, L'Île Coco, and L'île du Sud. The settlement on Albatross was abandoned in 1988.

=== Historical population === right|129px|thumb|The Virgin Mary of Coco Island, Mauritius The Saint Brandon archipelago was surveyed by British colonial authorities on 31 March 1911 as part of the Census of Mauritius. They found a total population of 110, made up of 97 men (86 non-Indian and 11 Indian) and 13 women (10 non-Indian and 3 Indian).{{sfn|1911 Census|p=iv, Abstracts iv}} While the archipelago likely had a resident population at this point, as indicated by the 8 children under the age of 15 and the 5 people over the age of 60, there was also likely a seasonal component, with the largest population segment being men between 20 and 35.{{sfn|1911 Census|p=Abstracts xcvi, xcviii}} 73 men worked in fishing, 11 at the guano mines and 4 were ship's carpenters.{{sfn|1911 Census|p=Abstracts cxii}} Only one (male) person was recorded as having been born on Saint Brandon.{{sfn|1911 Census|p=Abstracts cxvii}}

In the 1921 census, the population had plummeted to just 22. There were 21 men (ages 19–48) and just one woman, a married Catholic, aged 31. A further 14 people were identified as part of the "general population", with 11 of them born on Mauritius, one on Rodrigues and two in the Seychelles. In addition, there were 3 Indo-Mauritians and 5 "other Indians" from Madras, Calcutta and Colombo.{{sfn|1921 Census|pp=13,15,16, cciii–ccvii}} {| class="wikitable sortable" !Year ! Resident ! Transient ! Total ! class="unsortable"|Notes |- | 1861 | || ||35||All were men.{{sfn|1901 Census|p=168}}{{sfn|1881 Census|pp=481–482}} |- | 1871 | || ||9||All were men.{{sfn|1901 Census|p=168}}{{sfn|1871 Census|loc=Part 2, p.2}}{{sfn|1881 Census|pp=481–482}} |- | 1881 | || ||6||All were men.{{sfn|1901 Census|p=168}}{{sfn|1881 Census|pp=481–482}} |- | 1891 | || ||0||<ref>{{citation |title=Census of Mauritius and its Dependencies |date=1 April 1892 |place=Mauritius |publisher=Census Commission for Mauritius and its Dependencies |url=http://statsmauritius.govmu.org/English/StatsbySubj/Documents/archive%20esi/External%20Trade/Report/1.%20POPULATION%20CENSUS/REPT%200394/REPT_0394_0001.pdf |pages=38, 41|ref={{harvid|1891 Census}} }}</ref><ref name="Census1901">{{citation |title=Census of Mauritius and its Dependencies |date=21 March 1902 |place=Mauritius |publisher=Census Commission for Mauritius and its Dependencies |url=http://statsmauritius.govmu.org/English/StatsbySubj/Documents/archive%20esi/External%20Trade/Report/1.%20POPULATION%20CENSUS/REPT%200395/REPT_0395_0001.pdf |page=168|ref=CITEREF1901_Census}}</ref> |- | 1901 | || ||87||85 men and 2 women. 54 men and one woman were from the "general population"; 29 men were Indo-Mauritians, and two men and one woman were "other Indians"<ref name="Census1901"/> |- | 1911 | || ||110||<ref>{{citation |title=Census of Mauritius and its Dependencies |date=1912 |place=Port Louis, Mauritius |publisher=Census Commission for Mauritius and its Dependencies |url=http://statsmauritius.govmu.org/English/StatsbySubj/Documents/archive%20esi/External%20Trade/Report/1.%20POPULATION%20CENSUS/REPT%200396/REPT_0396_0001.pdf |page=iv|ref=CITEREF1911_Census}} </ref> |- | 1921 | || ||22||14 people were identified as part of the "general population", with 3 Indo-Mauritians and 5 "other Indians". 21 were men and just one was a woman.<ref>{{citation |title=Census of Mauritius and its Dependencies |date=1921 |place=Port Louis, Mauritius |publisher=Census Commission for Mauritius and its Dependencies |url=http://statsmauritius.govmu.org/English/StatsbySubj/Documents/archive%20esi/External%20Trade/Report/1.%20POPULATION%20CENSUS/REPT%200397/REPT_0397_0001.pdf |page=13,15,16|ref=CITEREF1921_Census}}</ref> |- | 1931 | || ||61||All were men, of whom nine were married and one was an ethnic Indian. Fishing was the occupation of 59 of the men, while two were domestic servants. Most were Catholics, but one Muslim lived on the island.<ref>{{citation |title=Census of Mauritius and its Dependencies |date=1931 |place=Port Louis, Mauritius |publisher=Census Commission for Mauritius and its Dependencies |url=http://statsmauritius.govmu.org/English/StatsbySubj/Documents/archive%20esi/External%20Trade/Report/1.%20POPULATION%20CENSUS/REPT%200398/REPT_0398_0001.pdf |page=lxii–lxiii|ref=CITEREF1931_Census}}</ref> |- | 1944 | || ||93||All were men, two of them ethnic Indians, and the remainder of the "general population".<ref>{{citation |title=Census of Mauritius and its Dependencies |date=1944 |place=Port Louis, Mauritius |publisher=Census Commission for Mauritius and its Dependencies |url=http://statsmauritius.govmu.org/English/StatsbySubj/Documents/archive%20esi/External%20Trade/Report/2.%20POPULATION%20CENSUS/REPT%200343/REPT_0343_0001.pdf |page=3|ref=CITEREF1944_Census}}</ref> |- | 1952 | || ||136||124 men (one of whom was ethnically Chinese) and 12 women.<ref>{{citation |title=Census of Mauritius and its Dependencies |date=1 June 1953 |place=Port Louis, Mauritius |publisher=Census Commission for Mauritius and its Dependencies |page=6|url=http://statsmauritius.govmu.org/English/StatsbySubj/Documents/archive%20esi/External%20Trade/Report/2.%20POPULATION%20CENSUS/Rept%20%200344/REPT_0344_0001.pdf |ref=CITEREF1952_Census}}</ref> |- | 1962 | || ||90||<ref>{{citation |title=Census of Mauritius and its Dependencies |date=1962 |place=Port Louis, Mauritius |publisher=Census Commission for Mauritius and its Dependencies |url=http://statsmauritius.govmu.org/English/StatsbySubj/Documents/archive%20esi/External%20Trade/Report/2.%20POPULATION%20CENSUS/REPT%200348/REPT_0348_0001.pdf |pages= 42–43|ref=CITEREF1962_Census}}</ref> |- | 1972 | || ||128||<ref>{{citation |title=Preliminary Results of the 1983 Population Census |date=January 1984 |place=Port Louis, Mauritius |publisher=Central Statistical Office |url=http://statsmauritius.govmu.org/English/StatsbySubj/Documents/archive%20esi/Population/ESI%200002/ESI_0002_0002.pdf |page=1|ref={{harvid|1983 Census Preliminary Report}} }}</ref> |- | 1983 | || ||137||<ref>{{citation |title=1983 Housing and Population Census of Mauritius |volume=1 |date=October 1984 |place=Port Louis, Mauritius |publisher=Central Statistical Office |url=http://statsmauritius.govmu.org/English/StatsbySubj/Documents/archive%20esi/External%20Trade/Report/2.%20POPULATION%20CENSUS/REPT%200359/REPT_0359_0001.pdf |page=1|ref={{harvid|1983 Census Volume 1}} }} </ref> |- | 2000 | 0||63||63||No permanent residents. Only transient population.<ref>{{citation |title=Population Tables: 2000 Housing and Population Census |date=November 2001 |place=Port Louis, Mauritius |publisher=Central Statistical Office |url=http://statsmauritius.govmu.org/English/Documents/Demogra/intro.htm |ref={{harvid|2000 Census}} }}</ref> |- | 2011 | 0|| || ||No permanent residents. Transient population not reported.<ref>{{citation |title=Census 2011 Atlas |date=2011 |place=Port Louis, Mauritius |publisher=Central Statistical Office |page=1|url=http://statsmauritius.govmu.org/English/CensusandSurveys/Documents/2011HousingPopCensusXL/Atlas%20final%20200515.1.pdf |ref={{harvid|2011 Census}} }} </ref> |}

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading== * {{citation |title=Census of Mauritius and its Dependencies |date=27 December 1871 |place=Mauritius |publisher=Census Commission for Mauritius and its Dependencies |url=http://statsmauritius.govmu.org/English/StatsbySubj/Documents/archive%20esi/External%20Trade/Report/1.%20POPULATION%20CENSUS/REPT%200392/REPT_0392_0001.pdf |ref=CITEREF1871_Census}} * {{citation |title=Census of Mauritius and its Dependencies |date=6 December 1881 |place=Mauritius |publisher=Census Commission for Mauritius and its Dependencies |url=http://statsmauritius.govmu.org/English/StatsbySubj/Documents/archive%20esi/External%20Trade/Report/1.%20POPULATION%20CENSUS/REPT%200393/REPT_0393_0001.pdf |ref=CITEREF1881_Census}} * {{cite web |title=Pay Research Bureau: Outer Islands Development Corporation |url=http://prb.pmo.govmu.org/English/Pages/PRB%202008%20PART%20II/Outer-Islands-Development-Corporation.aspx |access-date=8 June 2017 |ref=CITEREFPRB:_OIDC |archive-date=23 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180523102313/http://prb.pmo.govmu.org/English/Pages/PRB%202008%20PART%20II/Outer-Islands-Development-Corporation.aspx }} * {{cite web |url=http://localgovernment.govmu.org/English/Pages/outer%20Island/stbrandon.aspx |title=Ministry of Local Government and Outer Islands - St Brandon |access-date=8 June 2017 |ref=CITEREFMLGOI_St_Brandon |archive-date=24 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424090356/http://localgovernment.govmu.org/English/Pages/outer%20Island/stbrandon.aspx }}

==External links== *{{Commons category-inline|Cargados Carajos Shoals}} *[http://mauritius.africa-atlas.com/ Map of Mauritius] *{{Commons category-inline}} *[https://regeneration.org/nexus/marine-protected-areas Marine Protected Areas] by Project Regeneration *[https://mpatlas.org/ Marine Protection Atlas] - an online tool from the Marine Conservation Institute that provides information on the world's protected areas and global MPA campaigns. Information comes from a variety of sources, including the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), and many regional and national databases. *Marine protected areas - viewable via [http://www.protectedplanet.net/ Protected Planet], an online interactive search engine hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme's World Conservation Monitoring Center (UNEP-WCMC).

{{Marine protected areas}} {{fishery science topics}} {{Marine ecosystem topics}} {{Mauritius Territories}} {{Mauritius topics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Brandon}} Category:Islands of St. Brandon Category:Outer Islands of Mauritius Category:Reefs of the Indian Ocean Category:Fishing areas of the Indian Ocean Category:Important Bird Areas of Mauritius Category:Marine reserves Category:Flora of Mauritius Category:Atolls of the Indian Ocean Category:Protected areas of Mauritius Category:Fly fishing Category:Mascarene Islands Category:Insular ecology

St. Brandon

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