Mahe Shipping book now available on Amazon Kindle

SEYCHELLES, SHIPS AND THE SEA, is now available at Amazon at this link:

SEYCHELLES, SHIPS AND THE SEA: The Story of the Lifeline of Seychelles

This is a maritime history of a maritime nation. There is a symbiotic relationship between ships, the islands and the people of Seychelles: islands are vital to ships as stepping stones across a vast ocean, ships have provided Seychelles with the means for cultural diffusion and for interaction between the people of Europe, Africa and Asia. Ships continue to provide the means to supply the islands on a major highway of maritime trade. The sound and sight of the sea is ever-present to those who live in Seychelles, and the sea is in the blood of Seychellois.
Seychelles is one of the smallest nations on earth in terms of land area but punches above its weight because of the richness and strategic importance of its surrounding ocean. With a vast Exclusive Economic Zone - the second largest in Africa and twenty-fourth in the world. The marine assets of Seychelles are the focus of the tourism industry and tuna fishing industry. The isolation of the islands has blessed Seychelles with a unique biodiversity, including 14 endemic birds, huge seabird colonies and the world’s largest population of giant tortoise. This is all thanks to the vastness of the ocean surrounding the islands. Seychelles was the last nation on earth to be inhabited by humans and it remains dependent upon ships crossing the Indian Ocean for its existence. This book was published in 1969 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of local shipping agents, Mahe Shipping Company, whose story is entwined with the maritime history of Seychelles from the steamship era to the modern age.