One Man’s Island: The Incredible True Story of Brendon Grimshaw

How an English Journalist Bought a Deserted Island in Seychelles and Turned it into a Thriving Wildlife Sanctuary

Who among us hasn’t wondered if they could live alone on an island and thrive for years?

People who risk it all inspire me. Brendon Grimshaw didn’t just think about it; he did it.

One man’s dream, one island’s transformation

An Englishman from Yorkshire, Grimshaw bought a tiny, uninhabited island in Seychelles named Moyenne in 1962. He lived there for 50 years with his father, joining him in 1981. Grimshaw died in 2012.

Seychelles islands lie off the coast of East Africa in the warm Indian Ocean north of Madagascar and Mauritius.

When Grimshaw bought the island for £10,000, no human had been there for 50 years. He found a companion among the locals, a man named René Lafortin. Together, they began to transform the island.

A labor of love

For 39 years, Grimshaw and Lafortin planted 16,000 trees by hand, built 4.8 kilometers of nature paths, and saved rainwater from irrigating the island. They also installed electricity and a phone line.

Grimshaw spoke about how he learned to listen to the island. “The island gradually taught you what to do,” he said. “As you went along, you thought to do things, but then you look to the island and realize, oh, this island knows itself what it wants to do.”

In 2007, Lafortin died, leaving Grimshaw alone on the island. He was 81 years old but continued caring for the island and its wildlife. By the time he died in 2012, Moyenne Island had become a thriving wildlife sanctuary, home to two-thirds of Seychelles’ fauna.

A legacy of conservation

It is said that a Saudi prince once offered Grimshaw a blank check for the island, but he refused. He had made Moyenne his home and wanted to ensure that it would be protected for future generations.

In 1996, Grimshaw wrote a book about his experiences on Moyenne Island titled A Grain of Sand. The book is a testament to his vision, determination, and love of nature.

Grimshaw received other offers to sell the island but he persisted in accepting no overtures from the ‘greedy’ people. Instead, he set up a perpetual trust to protect the island.

He signed a 2009 agreement with Seychelles’ Ministry of Environment that included Moyenne as part of Ste Anne Marine Park but granted it its own special status.

With that, Moyenne Island National Park, the world’s smallest national park, was born.

Brendon Grimshaw was a remarkable man who left an indelible mark on the world.

His story is an inspiration for me, and I hope for all of us.

Cathy Lee Taylor — entrepreneur, life coach, podcaster, and freelance writer. I like to help people realize their highest potential. You can find my eBook here.