Andrea Debono was born in Isla on 7 November 1821. His family emigrated to Alexandria, Egypt, but after his parents died, he moved to Cairo and later went to Sudan, Khartoum.

Andrea was a merchant and made money selling ivory. During all this, he began to explore the Soba River which is a tributary of the White Nile. Debono died in Cairo on 29 October 1871 at the age of 49.