The Seven Brothers Islands, also known as the Sawabi Islands or Seba Islands, is an archipelago in the Dact-el-Mayun section of the Bab-el-Mandeb strait (between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden). They are within the Obock sub-prefecture of Djibouti, and are a notable diving site. Even in English publications, the group is often called by its French name, îles des Sept Frères.
In 2025, the islands were designated as biosphere reserves by UNESCO.
Geography The archipelago proper is a chain of six volcanic islands spanning about in a rough east-west line:Sailing Directions (Enroute) - Red Sea and Persian Gulf, page 162. National Geospatial Intelligence Agency pub. 172. Accessed 2012-07-6.
West Island, or Red Island (H̱amra), 62 m high Double Island (Ounḏa Dâbali), 46 m high Low Island (Tolka), 17 m high Big Island (Kaḏḏa Dâbali), 114 m high East Island (H̱orod le ‘Ale), 83 m high South Island (‘Ounḏa Kômaytou), 47 m high
The "seventh brother" is not an island, but the volcanic hill at the northern tip of the Ras Siyyan peninsula.
West Island lies about east from the Siyyan peninsula and northeast from the coast of Djibouti.
All the islets are surrounded by reefs. All are brownish, except Big Island, which is yellowish. There is a masonry marker on the summit of Big Island.
Important Bird Area The archipelago has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports a breeding colony of lesser and greater crested terns.
Climate The warmest month of the year is July with an average temperature of 39.0 °C. The archipelago consists of the main island of Kaḏḏa Dâbali, the five smaller islands of Ounḏa Dâbali, H̱amra, Tolka, H̱orod le ‘Ale, and Ounḏa Kômaytou, as well as small rock outcrops that are uninhabitable for humans but important for seabirds. The sky is always clear and bright throughout the year. The climate of Seven Brothers Islands is classified in the Köppen climate classification as BWh, meaning a desert climate with a mean annual temperature over 29 °C or 84 °F.
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