It sounds like the beginning of a castaway fantasy: a lone man buys a deserted tropical island, battles isolation, and brings it back to life with nothing but sheer will and a shovel. But this isn’t fiction, it’s the astonishing true story of Brendon Grimshaw, a British journalist who turned an overgrown speck in the Indian Ocean into a thriving sanctuary teeming with giant tortoises, birds, and ancient trees. If ever there was a real-life Robinson Crusoe, Grimshaw might be it, with one major twist: he chose this life.
From Newsrooms to Palm Fronds
In 1962, Brendon Grimshaw was no longer content with the bustle of Fleet Street. Seeking a quieter, more meaningful life, he bought Moyenne Island in the Seychelles for just £8,000. At the time, it was an uninhabited, mosquito-ridden dot on the map, choked with weeds and abandoned graves.
Most would have called it a lost cause. Grimshaw called it home. By 1973, he’d left the mainland behind, moved to the island permanently, and started the monumental task of rewilding the land. He was joined by René Lafortune, a Seychellois man with a machete and a heart just as big as Grimshaw’s dream.
The Island that Birds and Tortoises Now Call Home
Grimshaw and Lafortune worked tirelessly for decades, without power tools or support crews. They planted over 16,000 trees, including 700 towering mahoganies, transforming the island into a green cathedral. They hacked out nearly 5 kilometres of trails and reintroduced over 100 Aldabra giant tortoises, a species nearly wiped out in the wild.
Soon, the island buzzed with life. Birds returned in droves, more than 2,000 of them, drawn by the forest’s canopy and the safety it provided. What had once been an empty, lifeless outcrop became a thriving microcosm of biodiversity, echoing with bird calls and the slow shuffle of ancient reptiles.
The Park Built by a Man and a Machete
Despite receiving eye-watering offers, some reportedly as high as $50 million, Grimshaw refused to sell Moyenne. Developers salivated at the idea of luxury resorts, but Grimshaw stood firm: the island wasn’t for sale. His dream was to preserve it forever, not pave it over.
After years of lobbying and meticulous stewardship, his efforts paid off. In 2008, Moyenne Island was officially declared a national park, the smallest in the world. The government’s recognition cemented Grimshaw’s mission, offering permanent protection for the island and the creatures he had so lovingly cared for.
A Legacy That Lives and Breathes
Grimshaw passed away in 2012, five years after his friend René. But their fingerprints are everywhere on Moyenne, etched into the winding paths, standing tall in the forests, and shuffling slowly in the tortoise herds.
Today, visitors to the island can walk the same trails, marvel at the wildlife, and sit by the simple grave where Grimshaw now rests. His story is a testament to what one person (plus a very good friend) can accomplish with stubborn determination and a deep love for nature. In a world obsessed with growth and profit, Grimshaw chose roots, literally and figuratively.
