Boulay Island is an island of about 20 km² located in the Ebrié Lagoon near Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, in the immediate vicinity of the autonomous port and the Atlantic Ocean. A canal connects the ocean and the lagoon, preventing the waters surrounding Boulay Island from remaining stagnant. The island is very sparsely populated and has no telephone, electricity or paved roads. Almost the entire surface is covered by coconut plantations – in the west of the island these plantations are managed by a company, in the east by the inhabitants themselves. To the southwest the coast is bordered by a dense mangrove, about 50 m wide, dominated by Rhizophora racemosa. Boulay Island has been a popular resort for over 30 years because of its isolation while being close to downtown Abidjan (15 minutes by boat). Private individuals have installed more or less luxurious straw huts at their own expense and pay the traditional chiefs a rent for the land. The place is ideal for water sports and in particular water skiing. International champions have trained there. Officially, the autonomous port of Abidjan owns this area and could requisition it in order to expand the port of Abidjan. A project was planned to extend the autonomous port of Abidjan to Boulay Island from 2008, but has not yet started.