Nelsons Island

British Indian Ocean Territory, United Kingdom

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Nelsons Island, also known as Île Nelson or Île Legour, is a small uninhabited coral islet in the Great Chagos Bank of the British Indian Ocean Territory, administered by the United Kingdom but set to transfer to Mauritius per a 2025 agreement.

Stretching 1.6 km east-west and 250 m wide at coordinates 05°40′53″S 72°18′39″E, it stands as the northernmost and easternmost emerging reef in this vast atoll structure, 35 km south of Salomon Atoll and featuring a tiny adjacent islet called Îlot Legour.

Designated a Strict Nature Reserve and Important Bird Area, it hosts thriving seabird colonies including around 3,000 red-footed boobies, brown boobies, wedge-tailed shearwaters, and 6,500 nesting pairs of lesser noddies, with access restricted without government permission.