Socotra Island - Seeing is Believing

Socotra Island - Seeing is Believing

Socotra Island (derived from Sanskrit meaning "Island of Bliss") blows away any notion about what is considered "normal" for a landscape on Earth. It is like being on a different planet... These pictures and information are excellent viewing and reading.

Imagine waking up on the Socotra Island and taking a good look around you. After a yelp of disbelief, you'd be inclined to think you were transported to another planet - or traveled to another era of Earth's history. The second would be closer to the truth for this island, which is part of a group of four islands, has been geographically isolated from mainland Africa for the last 6 or 7 million years. Like the Galapagos Islands, this island is teeming with 700 extremely rare species of flora and fauna, a full 1/3 of which are endemic, i.e. found nowhere else on Earth.

The climate is harsh, hot, and dry, and yet - the most amazing plant life thrives there. Situated in the Indian Ocean 250 km from Somalia and 340 km from Yemen, the wide sandy beaches rise to limestone plateaus full of caves (some 7 km in length) and mountains up to 1,525 metres high.

The name Socotra is derived from a Sanskrit name, meaning "The Island of Bliss"... Is it the beaches? The isolation and quiet? Or the strange and crazy botanical allure? Alien-looking plants: H.P. Lovecraft's secret inspiration? Was the famous Chtulhu myths creator aware of these forbidding mountains with their hauntingly weird flora (think of plant mutations from his "The Colour Out of Space")? We’re almost tempted to call Socotra the other "Mountains of Madness" - the trees and plants of this island were preserved through the long geological isolation, some varieties being 20 million years old... We begin with the dracena cinnibaris or Dragon's Blood Tree, the source of valuable resin for varnishes, dyes, and "cure-all" medicine; also (predictably) used in medieval ritual magic and alchemy.

The branches spread out into the sky and from below appear to hover over the landscape like so many flying saucers... and from above, they have a distinct mushroom look:

There is also the Desert Rose (adenium obesium) which looks like nothing so much as a blooming elephant leg:

This island is a birder's paradise as well, with 140 different species of birds, 10 of which are not found anywhere else in the world. A unique Socotra warbler, sunbird, starling, bunting, sparrow, and cisticola are among the ones found here. There are also Socotra Cormorants:

Socotra is one of those "lost world" islands (separated from the world six million years ago) where intrepid travellers - particularly those seeking exotic nature and wildlife in a remote tropical setting - can go days on end without rubbing shoulders with that less-than-endangered species: tourists.