S.E.Proposed tour location
Île de la Passe
A historic islet guarding the entrance to Grand Port.
The place
Grand Port carries several layers of maritime history. A Dutch squadron landed here in 1598; the first Dutch settlement followed in 1638. The defining naval battle came in August 1810, when HMS Sirius, HMS Nereide, HMS Iphigenia and HMS Magicienne fought French ships in the harbour. The crews of Sirius and Magicienne later burned their ships; the Mahébourg National History Museum holds artefacts recovered from the Magicienne wreck. The battle sits within a wider story of the Dutch, French and British periods on this coast.
On the outing
From the water, the island places the old channel and the battle’s geography in view. The story can be followed from the first Dutch landfall through the French and British naval actions.
Landing and the exact boat route have not been confirmed by the operator.
Source: Mauritius Museums Council — National History MuseumSource: Mauritius Ocean Observatory — HMS Sirius surveySource: National Heritage Fund — Grand Port