Astola island
A view of the northern face of Astola Island, the skeletal lighthouse is in the upper left
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 Pakistan
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| Location | Astola Island Arabian Sea offshore Pakistan |
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| Coordinates | 25°07′08.4″N 63°49′59.7″E / 25.119000°N 63.833250°E |
| Year first constructed | 1982 |
| Foundation | concrete basement |
| Construction | metal skeletal tower |
| Tower shape | square pyramidal skeletal tower |
| Markings / pattern | grey tower |
| Height | 10 metres (33 ft) |
| Focal height | 89.7 metres (294 ft) |
| Current lens | Type LASE-28/6 |
| Light source | solar power |
| Intensity | 25,500 cd |
| Range | 16.4 nautical miles (30.4 km; 18.9 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl W 15s. |
| Admiralty number | D7740 |
| NGA number | 28508 |
| ARLHS number |
PAK-005 |
PAK-005
Astola Island, also known as Jezira Haft Talar (Balochi: زروان ءِ هفت تلار) Satadip or 'Island of the Seven Hills', is a small uninhabited Pakistani island in the Arabian Sea approximately 25 km (16 mi) south of the nearest part of the coast and 39 km (24 mi) southeast of the fishing port of Pasni. Astola is Pakistan's largest offshore island at approximately 6.7 km (4.2 mi) long with a maximum width of 2.3 km (1.4 mi) and an area of approximately 6.7 km2 (2.6 sq mi). The highest point is 246 ft (75 m) above sea level. Administratively, the island is part of the Pasni subdistrict of Gwadar District in Balochistan province. The island can be accessed by motorized boats from Pasni, with a journey time of about 5 hours to reach the island.
The earliest mention of Astola is in Arrian's account of Admiral Nearchos, who was dispatched by Alexander the Great to explore the coast of the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf in 325 BCE. The sailors in Nearchos's fleet were "frightened at the weird tales told about an uninhabited island, which Arrian calls Nosala".
The island consists of a large tilted plateau and a series of seven small hillocks (hence the local name "Haft Talar" or "Seven Hills"), with deep chasms and crevices, which are several feet wide. There are several natural caves and coves on the island. The south face of the island slopes off gradually whereas the north face is cliff-like with a sharp vertical drop.
Isolation has helped maintain several endemic life forms on Astola. The endangered green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbracata) nest on the beach at the foot of the cliffs. The island is also an important area for endemic reptiles such as the Astola viper (Echis carinatus astolae). The island is reported to support a large number of breeding water birds including coursers, curlews, godwit, gulls, plovers and sanderling. Feral cats, originally introduced by fishermen to control the endemic rodent population, pose an increasing threat to wildlife breeding sites. E.g. the sooty gull (Larus hemprichii) had a major breeding colony on the island, now extirpated because of introduced rats.
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