"BASSAS DA INDIA A land of no Land much... " a Bassas da India Travel Page by Ekahau

I flew over this dot in the Indian Ocean some years ago on a flight from South Africa to Reunion and took a few photos of this place and another Island Europa . It is a little chunk of seamount top that is above water from time to time in the low Spring tides -- it is claimed by France. According to Wikipedia it is under water from 3 hours before hightide until 3 after

Situated halfway between Mozambique and Madagascar, this seamount thrusts up 9000 feet from the floor of the Mozambique Channel. Few people have had the pleasure of visiting this site, which is uninhabited and can only be reached by private boat. I have not been on BASSAS DA INDIA just looked in wonder from the plane and wondered what the heck it was.

However it is not that tough to get to as they run fishing and diving trips orginised by South African companies out of Mozambique to BASSAS DA INDIA.

It was claimed in 1897 as a possession of France; administered by the Administrateur Superieur of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands it is also claimed by Madagascar. In 1897 when France claimed the place Madagascar was a French colony.

By the way there are other scattered Islands out there in the Mozambique Channel they are Europa Island which has 20 so french on it, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island and Tromelin Island plus of course the Comoros and Mayotte.