Îlet Hardy is an uninhabited islet on the Sainte-Anne peninsula. It is part of the Réserve Naturelle des îlets de Sainte-Anne (Sainte-Anne islets nature reserve). It is the most important nesting site in the Lesser Antilles.
Its elongated shape culminates at 13 meters above sea level.
It is a protected islet, as it is a breeding ground for avifauna.
Five bird species are found on the islet: the Sooty Tern, the Bridled Tern, the Brown Noddy, the Audubon Shearwater and the White-tailed tropicbird. They come here to breed from March to December.
The 2.52-hectare Hardy islet has a special feature of major interest. In fact, it is a limestone islet with a network of underground galleries running right through it, providing birds with choice niches.
It also boasts abundant vegetation, notably a mangrove and mangrove hem.
Îlet Hardy is also home to kamenitzas. These are small, closed basins formed by dissolution and often filled with water. If the water is not too brackish, it will serve as a water reserve for the development of vegetation in and around it.
In the most exposed areas, the vegetation is short and burnt. You have to wait until the rainy season to see it turn green again. Trees are generally excluded. There is a combination of the direct effects of wind, sea spray and sun.
The pink manjack on îlet Hardy can reach 3 meters in height.
The flora of the islets in the Îlets de Sainte-Anne Nature Reserve is not very diverse. There are just 21 species on the 4 islets (Burgaux, Hardy, Poirier and Percé).
Access to the islet is easy thanks to the islet's sand tongue. It is not, however, a tourist islet, but a protected area for migratory seabirds.