Home » Mozambique » Day 11. Wed 27th April. The Bazaruto Archipelago

The Bazaruto Archipelago lies 10Km off shore to the north of Vilankulos, and consists of five Islands, Magaruque (Santa Isabel), Benguera (Santo Antonio), Santa Carolina ('Paradise Island'), Bazaruto and Banguè, plus Pansy Island which is completely submerged at high tide, but at low tide the sand dries squeaky clean, and the shoreline is rimmed with perfect pansy shells. Beyond the islands are the two coral reefs, 5-mile reef and 2-mile reef. The islands were formed from sand deposits from the Limpopo river hundreds of thousands of years ago, although the estuary of this great river has now been shifted by various tectonic forces several hundred kilometres to the south. Bazaruto is the largest coral reef island off the east coast of Africa and is home to some 2,300 people who mostly subsist on fish. In the 1970s the islands and the channel were declared a national park, and now funding and management is provided by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, South African Nature Trust and the Endangered Wildlife Trust. They control long-line fishermen, the sale of shell-fish, traditional fishing and conserve the wildlife on the islands. In 2001 the Government of Mozambique declared the entire Bazaruto Archipelago a protected area.

Day 11. Wed 27th April. The Bazaruto Archipelago

DaveMidgley
2005-10-22 18:41:22

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The Bazaruto Archipelago lies 10Km off shore to the north of Vilankulos, and consists of five Islands, Magaruque (Santa Isabel), Benguera (Santo Antonio), Santa Carolina ('Paradise Island'), Bazaruto and Banguè, plus Pansy Island which is completely submerged at high tide, but at low tide the sand dries squeaky clean, and the shoreline is rimmed with perfect pansy shells. Beyond the islands are the two coral reefs, 5-mile reef and 2-mile reef. The islands were formed from sand deposits from the Limpopo river hundreds of thousands of years ago, although the estuary of this great river has now been shifted by various tectonic forces several hundred kilometres to the south. Bazaruto is the largest coral reef island off the east coast of Africa and is home to some 2,300 people who mostly subsist on fish. In the 1970s the islands and the channel were declared a national park, and now funding and management is provided by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, South African Nature Trust and the Endangered Wildlife Trust. They control long-line fishermen, the sale of shell-fish, traditional fishing and conserve the wildlife on the islands. In 2001 the Government of Mozambique declared the entire Bazaruto Archipelago a protected area.

We are supposed to catch the dhow to Benguera Island at 7, so we are up at six, but it is nearly 8 before the dhow turns up. I am rather hoping that we will get to sail across, but in the light winds it would take forever, so we motor across in just over an hour. Blondie grits her teeth and is very glad when the voyage is over.
We are staying at Gabriel's Lodge, which is one of two lodges on Benguela Island. The island is beautiful, and it is so nice just to chill out and not have to drive. We are here for two days, so we can finally relax (and get some laundry done - this is handed over to Sonia and Isabella who promise that it will be back first thing in the morning).

I am still getting pains in my gut - I have a sandwich and a couple of biscuits, but that's it.

We go for a walk along the beach, and then return to the lodge for drinks, siestas and a bit of lunch (but not for me). I sit in the bar and chat with a farmer from Zim, and his son, daughter and son's girlfriend who have brought their own boat up and are staying on the mainland and have come over to the island for the day. There are hardly any people here, just a few guests at the lodge and a few day trippers, and miles and miles of beautiful untouched beach. We speculate what it will be like in ten years' time when Mozambique finally gets its tourist industry up and running.
I decide to risk some dinner and we make our way to the restaurant. Our waiter is a dour young man who displays all the symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder. He takes great pains to lay out the knives and forks neatly, and to arrange the condiments precisely in the centre of the table. We all order different combinations of lulas, potatoes, rice and vegetables with scant regard for the dishes specified on the menu, which upsets him greatly. He never does get it quite sorted out and none of us gets quite what they ordered. We also annoy him further by moving the vinegar half an inch every time he goes out to the kitchen. He never fails to scowl and replace it on his return.