Honestly, most of us have had that "burn it all down" moment at work. You’re staring at a spreadsheet or a stack of papers, and you think, what if I just bought an island and left? Well, back in 1962, a guy named Brendon Grimshaw actually did it.
He wasn't some tech billionaire or a crypto mogul. He was a British newspaper editor working in Africa. He was 37, probably tired of the news cycle, and on the hunt for something real. On the very last day of his vacation in the Seychelles, literally four minutes before midnight, he signed the papers to buy Moyenne Island.
The price? £8,000. That’s roughly $10,000 back then.
The Island That Nobody Wanted
You might think he bought a ready-made paradise. Not even close. When Grimshaw first stepped onto Moyenne, it was a mess. It had been abandoned for half a century. The scrub was so thick that falling coconuts supposedly never hit the ground—they just got tangled in the weeds.
There were four trees. Four.
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It was a silent, overgrown rock off the coast of Mahé. But Grimshaw saw something. He teamed up with a local man named René Antoine Lafortune, the son of a fisherman, and they started a project that would last for the next forty years.
They didn't have heavy machinery. They had hands, shovels, and a ridiculous amount of patience. Over the decades, they planted 16,000 trees. We’re talking mahogany, palm, mango, and pawpaw. They basically hand-built a rainforest on a piece of land that's only about 400 meters long.
The "Reptilian Cat Lady"
If you visit Moyenne Island today, the first thing you’ll notice isn't the trees. It’s the movement on the ground. Grimshaw decided that a paradise needed inhabitants, so he brought in Aldabra giant tortoises.
He didn't just "own" them; he lived with them. He knew them by name. He painted numbers on their shells to keep track of them and even gave them names like "Four Degrees South." At one point, people started calling him the "reptilian version of a cat lady," which is hilarious but also kinda accurate.
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- Population Growth: He started with a few; now there are over 120.
- The Vibe: These guys roam free. They aren't in cages. If you’re walking the trails, you’re the guest in their living room.
- Age: Some of these tortoises are over 100 years old. They’ll likely outlive all of us.
He also brought in birds. He’d fly them in from other islands, hoping they’d stay. Eventually, they did. Now, thousands of birds call the island home, and it’s one of the most biodiverse spots in the Indian Ocean.
Turning Down the $50 Million Check
As the Seychelles became a massive tourist destination in the 80s and 90s, developers started circling Moyenne like sharks. It’s prime real estate. A Saudi prince reportedly offered him $50 million for the island.
Most people would take the money and run. Not Brendon.
He knew exactly what would happen if he sold. The trees would be cleared. A concrete luxury resort would go up. The tortoises would be "relocated" (which usually means gone). He told the investors no. Every single time. He didn't want a "playground for the rich"; he wanted a sanctuary for everyone.
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The World’s Smallest National Park
Grimshaw lived on the island until he died in 2012 at the age of 86. Before he passed, he worked tirelessly with the Seychelles government to ensure the island stayed protected.
In 2008, his wish came true. Moyenne Island was declared a National Park. It is officially the smallest national park in the world. It’s a 24-acre speck of green that proves one person can actually reverse environmental decay if they’re stubborn enough.
He’s buried on the island next to his father (who moved there at age 88 to live out his final years with Brendon). His tombstone says it all: "Moyenne taught him to open his eyes to the beauty around him and say thank you to God."
How to Visit Moyenne Island Today
If you’re heading to the Seychelles, you can actually visit this place. It’s a short boat ride from Victoria, the capital.
- The Trails: There are about 5km of paths that Brendon and René cut by hand. They take about 45 minutes to walk.
- The Pirate Graves: Legend says there’s buried treasure on the island. Grimshaw spent years digging for it but never found a cent. He did find two old graves, though—supposedly belonging to pirates.
- The Cost: There’s a small landing fee that goes toward the island’s upkeep.
- The Museum: His old house is now a small museum filled with his personal items and history.
What you can do next:
If you want to see the legacy of Brendon Grimshaw for yourself, the best way is to book a day trip through the Sainte Anne Marine National Park. Most tours from Mahé include a stop at Moyenne. Bring comfortable shoes—the granite paths can be slippery—and remember to give the tortoises right of way. They’ve been there longer than you.