Moyenne Island: The world’s smallest national park – BBC News

As Grimshaw grew older, he became increasingly aware that he had limited time left to protect the island's future. He had no children to whom he could pass on custodianship of the island, and when Lafortune passed away in 2007, Grimshaw decided to act. With Patel and others, he set up a perpetual trust to protect the island and signed an 2009 agreement with the 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.

It can be easy to imagine Grimshaw as an eccentric figure. After all, he moved alone to the other side of the world, bought an island, believed in pirates and spent a lifetime restoring a seemingly inconsequential speck of land. But many Seychellois remain grateful for what he bequeathed to his adopted nation.

"Personally, I don't think he was crazy," said Isabelle Ravinia from the Seychelles National Parks Authority. "He gave the island back to the country, which was a noble thing to do. Normally people would try to sell off the island before they die so they can obtain money to do something else. Instead, he did something incredible."

Grimshaw died in 2012 and his grave sits alongside that of his father (who later came to live with Grimshaw) and the two unknown pirates. At his request, Grimshaw's tombstone reads, "Moyenne taught him to open his eyes to the beauty around him and say thank you to God." In his last will and testament, he expressed his final wishes: "Moyenne Island is to be maintained as a venue for prayer, peace, tranquillity, relaxation and knowledge for Seychellois and visitors from overseas of all nationalities, colours and creeds."

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Moyenne Island: The world's smallest national park - BBC News