The Îlots des Apôtres () or Îles des Apôtres () are a group of small and uninhabited rocky islands in the north-western part of the Crozet Archipelago in the southern Indian Ocean, north of Île aux Cochons. Their total area is about .
Description 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 ( on Île Grande. In addition, there are about 20 rocks, with elevations between . The islands are very steep. Despite their small size, Île Grande reaches a height of , and Île Petite .
History 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.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),
Important Bird Area 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.BirdLife International. (2012). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Îles des Apôtres. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 2012-01-09.
The islets
Island or rock English name Area(ha) Îlots des Apôtres Apostle Islets 201.1 Rocher Nord Northern Rock 6.0 L’Enclume The Anvil 1.5 Grande Île Big Island 150.0 Le Clown The Clown 0.4 La Sentinelle perdue The Lost Sentinel 0.2 Les Jumeaux The Twins 0.5 Rocher Fendu Split Rock 3.0 Petite Île Little Island 30.0 Les Sentinelles du Diable The Devil's Sentinels 1.0 La Grande Aiguille Big Needle 1.0 La Petite Aiguille Little Needle 0.2 Le Hangar The Hangar 1.5 Le Donjon The Keep 2.5 Rocher Sud Southern Rock 1.5 Le Torpilleur The Destroyer 0.1 Le Caillou The Stone 0.4 L'Obélisque The Obelisk 0.3 Rocher Percé Bored Rock 1.0
See also Administrative divisions of France French overseas departments and territories Islands controlled by France in the Indian and Pacific oceans List of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands
References
also see "This barren rock", by Silvie Haisman. , also a radio play on the ABC National radio - tell me a shipwreck
External links Map