From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Îlots des Apôtres (English: Apostle Islets) are a group of small and uninhabited rocky islands in the northwestern part of the Crozet Archipelago in the southern Indian Ocean, located at 45°58′S, 50°27′E, 10 km north of Île aux Cochons, the largest of the Crozet Islands. Their total area is about 2 km². 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) on Île Grand. In addition, there are about 20 rocks, with elevations between 15 and 122 meters. The largest islands and rocks, with together more than 95 percent of the area:
- Île Grande (Big Island)
- Île Petite (Little Island)
- Rocher Nord (Northern Rock)
- Rocher Fendu (Split Rock)
- Le Donjon (The Keep)
The islands are very steep. Despite their small size, Île Grande reaches a height of 289, and Île Petite 246 m. The rocks and groups of rocks are listed from north to south:
Satellite Image of Îlots des Apôtres (NASA -
Landsat)
| # |
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 |
In the night of July 1, 1875, the Strathmore, a three-masted ship sailing between the United Kingdom and New Zealand wrecked in the vicinity after striking a reef. 44 on the 89 passengers survived on Île Grande until January 21, 1876, when they were rescued by another ship.[citation needed]
[edit] External links
[edit] Bibliographie
- Ian Church, William Lesquin, John Nunn, Le naufrage du Strathmore en 1875 in Trois naufrages pour trois îles, Terres australes françaises au XIXème siècle, Éditions de La Dyle (1998), ISBN 9080112496
