Fregate Island, a private island 55km east of Mahé in the Seychelles, is preparing to reopen after a major redevelopment — currently listed as 'coming back soon', with travel reports pointing to a possible late-2026 return. But the reason to care about this one isn't the villas. It's the wildlife that was nearly lost and is now thriving.
Fregate covers around 200 hectares, and only about 10% of it is developed. The rest belongs to conservation: it's a designated Important Bird Area, and its best-known success story is the Seychelles Magpie Robin. By the late 1970s just 40 of these birds were left, with Fregate one of their last refuges. There was a scary moment when Norway rats invaded in 1995 — an initial eradication attempt failed — but a second operation in 2000 cleared them out. Today more than 197 Magpie Robins live on the island, and birds from Fregate have helped re-establish populations elsewhere in the Seychelles.
The tortoises are even more numerous. From an original group of about 150 brought from Aldabra, the island now hosts more than 3,000 Aldabra giant tortoises, some wearing GPS trackers so researchers can follow their movements. Guests may well find one ambling across their path.
Turtles still come ashore too. During the 2025–2026 season, the team recorded 513 turtle tracks and 229 nests, mostly Hawksbills along with some Greens, with vulnerable nests relocated away from crabs and erosion. A first-ever survey of nearby uninhabited Little Fregate in late 2025 also confirmed nesting seabird habitat.
The work continues underwater. Fregate has run coral restoration since 2018, partnering with Coralive and using Mineral Accretion Technology, with a rotating 'Wheel of Corals' system moving mature structures into damaged areas. Bleaching hit about 20% of the reef in 2024, but follow-up monitoring found new coral growth over the restoration structures — early signs of recovery.
As for the guest side, the redevelopment is expected to deliver 17 villas and estates, upgraded infrastructure and new facilities, with earlier plans including partial solar power. No reopening date or pricing has been confirmed yet.
Why it matters: luxury private islands are everywhere in the Indian Ocean. What sets Fregate apart is that the wild stuff — the robins, the tortoises, the nesting turtles — wasn't staged for guests. It was rescued, over decades, and guests get to stay inside that story. For conservation-minded travellers with a serious budget, it's one of the most meaningful splurges in the Seychelles, worth watching as the reopening date firms up.
