Europa Island was the setting of "Search in the Deep", a 1968 episode of The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau,[2] partly focusing on the breeding habits of the green sea turtle.

It is surrounded by coral beaches and a fringing reef and encloses a mangrove lagoon of around 9 square kilometres (3.5 sq mi) and open to the sea on one side.

Its exclusive economic zone, contiguous with that of Bassas da India, is 127,300 square kilometres (49,200 sq mi).

The island has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because it supports a large and diverse population of breeding seabirds and other waterbirds.

[5] Europa Island's climate is affected by the Agulhas Current with water temperatures usually above 30 °C (86 °F), southeast trade winds during the (austral) winter and occasional cyclones.