Island Nature

Read about our island’s natural environment

There is perhaps no other spot in the whole world which geographically presents so great an interest to the naturalist as St. Helena.
St Helena: A Physical, Historical and Topographical Description of the Island, including the Geology, Fauna, Flora and Meteorology, by John Melliss, published in 1875

As if being a beautiful sub-tropical island paradise is not enough, St Helena’s natural environment has many interesting aspects.

Some of them are mentioned here. If there is something about St Helena’s natural environment that we have not covered please contact us and we’ll try to add it in.

The Pages

Random Nature Page: …

Information Index
Start here… • This is the master index of all our island information pages

Subject Index
These are the pages you are searching for • All good books contain an index…

Glossary
Terms used and other reference information • Here are some terms used on St Helena or within Saint Helena Island Info that we thought might benefit from further explanation

Image Search
Find images on our site • This page provides a facility to find images on our site

Air-Quality
In the top 15% globally • Of all the world’s reporting stations, St Helena’s air is in the top 15%

Birds
Masters of the air • We have an eclectic collection of birds

Castle Gardens
Sit and watch the world go by • Castle Gardens, in the heart of Jamestown, is a great place to just sit and watch the world bustle by.

St Helena Coffee
‘The only good thing about St Helena is the coffee’ - Napoleon Bonaparte • St Helena coffee has been judged the best in the world. It’s also possibly the rarest in the world. And the best place to buy it is here!

Diana’s Peak
Our highest point • Diana’s Peak is highest place on our island, and also one of the more interesting.

Diving
For old wrecks - and anyone else • The clear and unpolluted waters around St Helena provide ample opportunities for divers of all abilities. And the island’s seafaring history contributes plenty to explore. Read on to find out more …

Dolphin watching
And other marine activities • The waters around St Helena provide ample opportunities for all sorts of marine activities.

Donkeys
Formerly the backbone of St Helena transport • For many years before the arrival of the motor car donkeys equus africanus asinus were the mainstay of St Helena transport.

Endemic Species
They only live here • St Helena is officially recognised as Britain’s wealthiest place on Earth when it comes to natural treasures.

Fishing
Hook, line and sinker • Surrounded by sea, fishing is inevitably part of our culture.

The Flax Industry
Economic lifeline or ecological disaster? • From 1907 until 1966 St Helena’s flax industry was the engine of its economy. Now there is nothing left.

Geology of St Helena
Upon this rock… • St Helena was created not just by one but by two volcanoes.

The Heart Shaped Waterfall
For lovers everywhere • If you travel out of Jamestown towards the Napoleonic Sites you can’t miss the Heart Shaped Waterfall.

How Small Is St Helena?
Stand by to be surprised • Most people cannot grasp how small St Helena actually is.

Islands
All around us • St Helena is a small island…surrounded by even smaller ones.

Jonathan the tortoise
The world’s oldest land resident? • Jonathan is believed to be the world’s oldest living land animal.

Lemon Valley
Everything but the lemons • Lemon Valley is a popular recreation spot, with added historic interest.

The Millennium Forest
Haven’t you grown… • St Helena aims to recreate the ‘Great Wood’ - a natural forest destroyed in the 17th Century.

National Flower
Unique to St Helena • Our national flower was thought to be extinct and only rediscovered in 1980.

Renewable Energy
Being a ‘green’ island • With support from DFID, St Helena is moving forward with the use of renewable energy.

Rollers
Rough Seas • Mostly the sea around St Helena is calm, but just now and again… These are the ‘Rollers’.

‘Seabirds’
Fairy Terns… and others • One of our sea-birds is known as a ‘Seabird’. Confused? Read on…

Weather and climate
Be prepared! • St Helena was first settled by the English, so of course we like to talk about the weather…

Whale Sharks
Fun to swim with! • Every year in February/March Whale Sharks visit St Helena, and you can swim with them!

White Ants
A pest by any other name… • More than just slaves were liberated from the intercepted slave ships.

The Wirebird
St Helena Plover Charadrius Sanctaehelenae • The Wirebird is St Helena’s only surviving endemic bird.

Zzyzx
Anything that didn’t fit in elsewhere • A collection of items that, while about or related to St Helena, did not justify a page of their own or fit into any of our other pages.

If what you’re looking for isn’t in this index, please consult our Information Index page (the master index) or use the Page Search facility (below). We have some more advice on our About This Site page.

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