In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Africa and South America, lies St Helena, one of the most remote islands in the world. Along with Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, St Helena forms part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena.
The island boasts some extraordinarily scenic, untouched landscapes ranging from dramatic cliffs and towering sand dunes to the lush green hills of the sub-tropical interior, all of it is surrounded by pristine beaches and glistening ocean where dolphins and whales are often spotted. Visitors will be blessed with world-class opportunities for a variety of outdoor activities including hiking, ornithology, marine trips, diving and fishing.
What looks like a microscopic, insignificant dot on a map, is in fact 122 km-squared of fascinating history, endemic birds and fish, and the only place in the world where male and female adult whale sharks are seen in equal numbers during an annual aggregation between January and March. Coupled with regular sightings of pregnant females, this has led to recent speculation that the island may be the specie’s hitherto unfound breeding ground. Other than the Galapagos, it is the only place to our knowledge where you can frequently encounter adult whale sharks on scuba. The biggest we have seen so far was a 13-metre mamma-to-be. Multiple encounters on a dive are not uncommon, and on snorkel trips seeing a dozen or more happens regularly in peak season.
St Helena’s scenery is spectacular. From the clear Atlantic waters past sheer cliffs and breath-taking rock formations, through arid red desert dotted with cacti, rolling green fields and flax-covered hillsides to a pinnacle of prehistoric cloud forest.
Probably best known as Napoleon’s last place of incarceration, albeit it in the luxuriously appointed Longwood House, and death, the island has a rich history as a key revittalling station in the middle of Atlantic. In the heyday of the East India Company and the British Empire, this fertile, volcanic island had a 3,000-strong garrison to defend it and serviced over 1000 ships a year. The island has two large forts, a castle, and a plethora of batteries and defensive positions to visit.
However, this history is not only on land. In the harbour, the wreck of the 100-metre-long SS Papanui, sunk after she caught fire in 1911 on her way to Peru, is excellent for diving and snorkelling. Slightly further out, the 142-metre long RFA Darkdale, 47 metres deep, lost to a U-boat in 1941, is great for technical diving.
The limestone cliffs on the leeward side of the island host some beautiful caverns, also packed with fish, many of which are endemic, and make for superb photo opportunities. Lava fingers running into the sea attract Chilean devil rays and pinnacle sites are home to schools of Rainbow runner and jacks.
Humpback whales cruise by in winter, and three species of dolphin (Bottlenose, Spotted pantropical, and Rough-toothed) are resident year-round. We organise combined dolphin and bird-watching trips, where we get close to Black noddies, brown noddies, Red-billed tropicbirds, fairy and sooty terns, petrels, brown and masked boobies and the occasional Pomarine skua. Bird enthusiasts also get excited about the abundance of elsewhere-rare Java sparrows, and the island’s endemic St. Helena plover, known as the wirebird, and the island’s own moorhen.
For the energetic, there are 22 “post box walks’ to the prominent viewpoints. At the summit of each, there is a stamp to prove you made the hike. There are also a dozen short walks that take around an hour each, from different points around the island. If that sounds too strenuous, we organise guided 4x4 tours around the island too. If all that isn’t enough, there is a quirky nine-hole golf course.
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