Table of contents:
Video: Earthly Paradise in the Middle of the Indian Ocean: How the Island of Socotra looks like a scenery for a fairy tale
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
Socotra is a Yemeni-owned island located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia. It is one of the most isolated islands of continental (non-volcanic) origin. Many millions of years ago, it broke away from the mainland, and this event preserved the unique nature of the island. Its flora and fauna turned out to be, as it were, "conserved" from any external influence. The island does not look like a fragment of the earth's land, but like a fragment of another planet. Everything seen there often does not resemble the usual terrestrial landscapes at all. This is some kind of Jurassic Park.
Unique island
Life on this island has developed in its own special way. Over time, it has evolved into something completely unique and amazing. Climate features: wild heat, drought, seasonal hurricane monsoons all summer, and warm and humid in winter. All this, together with the special climatic conditions in the mountainous regions, helped to form, as a result, an absolutely unique flora and fauna of the island. It is not for nothing that Socotra Island is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. These kilometer-long dunes on the shores of the azure Indian Ocean, puffer and bottle trees blooming like sakura - it looks like a fairy tale come to life.
Socotra symbol
Socotra's symbol is Dracaena cinnabari (Dragon tree). This tree looks like a huge umbrella or a giant mushroom. If you cut off the bark from it, then a blood-red juice will begin to flow, which solidifies very quickly. Since ancient times, local residents have used this magical remedy for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. Aboriginal people say that dracaena cinnabari juice can stop any bleeding. It helps a lot with painful and prolonged periods in women.
Local animals are very fond of eating young shoots of these plants. Therefore, it is incredibly difficult to meet the young growth of the famous dragon tree. Most often these are already mature trees several hundred years old. This plant is not only a symbol, but also the main attraction and hallmark of this unusual island. It is the dragon tree that gives the landscape of the mountainous landscape a certain poetry and fabulousness. Everyone who has visited the island would certainly like to capture themselves against this magical alien background.
Reserve
It is difficult to recall even one case when human intervention would benefit nature, and not vice versa. The property of intelligent bipeds is to spoil absolutely everything they touch. Socotra is fortunate that human influence is minimal here. Looking at this unearthly beauty, one can only rejoice that such a phenomenon as mass tourism does not threaten it. Otherwise it would have killed the beautiful island.
The main threats to Socotra's unique nature are alien species, climate change and anthropogenic impact. In addition to the latter, when goats eat young shoots of bottle trees and dragon trees, which harms the endemic of Socotra, the rest can be influenced.
Human intervention was stopped here on time. Now the wonderful place is a nature reserve under the special control of the authorities. Being here, it is difficult to resist the temptation to photograph each bush.
Life on Socotra
The island is home to about forty thousand people. Local residents have their own language. Despite the fact that the aborigines do not have a written language, local folklore is incredibly rich in poetry and prose. Socotrian belongs to the Semitic group of languages. Unfortunately, the language of the islanders is gradually dying out, giving way to Arabic.
You can see unusual drawings on the rocks of the island. What kind of drawings they are, what they mean and where they came from - no one knows. No research has been conducted on this matter. The most interesting thing is that they can be viewed only when part of the water evaporates and they become open to the eye.
Tourists should keep in mind that there are practically no hotels on Socotra. In those that are available, someone is unlikely to want to stop. Travelers take tents with them. You can get into this fairy tale only by plane through the capital of Yemen, Sana'a. The trip must be made through a local travel agency. This does not interfere at all, but even helps a lot. After all, they will take you directly to all the most iconic places, and there you can already explore the area as you please.
There are stunningly beautiful mountains here. White dunes frame an endless azure horizon. Mysterious caves can give a tired traveler romance and coolness. And what are the stars! I am immediately drawn to talk about the incomprehensibility of the Universe and the power of the Creator. Socotra's story may not bring exploratory ecstasy, but incredible amounts of indescribable emotions are a must. This is a fairy tale revived or a lost paradise, whichever you prefer.
The world is beautiful and amazing, read our other article on 15 mystical and alluring places in India that are worth seeing at least once, even for the uninitiated.
Recommended:
8 princes of our cinema: How was the fate of the actors who played fairy-tale characters in Soviet fairy tales
They were the idols of the girls of the Soviet Union. They dreamed of them, postcards with their photographs were carefully kept for years. On the screen, their characters were invariably happy, because in fairy tales, good always triumphs over evil. But outside the set, not all the princes of our childhood had a good fortune
5 loving couples who, like in a fairy tale, died on the same day
These couples have very little in common - they are from different eras, from different classes, and the degree of reliability of information about their existence is also different. What they have in common is that they were destined to die with a difference of less than a day. “We lived happily and died in the same day” - what is behind this cliché from fairy tales?
Voltaire and his "divine" Emilia: 15 years of "earthly paradise" with his beloved and muse
Contemporaries considered the French writer and philosopher Voltaire a genius. Aristocrats and kings listened to his thoughts, and his literary works were a great success. Intelligence and talent are certainly important, but Voltaire would not have made a brilliant career if the Marquis du Châtelet had not appeared in his path. This woman became a muse, a lover, a lightning rod for the writer. It was she who held back the impulses of an excessively ardent Voltaire, directing his energy in the right direction
Why critics called the tale of Masonic initiation the fairy tale "The Black Chicken" by Pogorelsky
The first author's fairy tale for children in Russian was written back in 1829. In this story, researchers in different centuries have found very diverse motives - up to an accurate description of the ceremonies of the Freemasons. The story was accused of excessive morality and infernality, however, 200 years later, "The Black Hen, or Underground inhabitants" remains the same exciting and still teaches children simple and eternal truths
Sanctuary Island: The Amazing Flora of Socotra
Socotra, a small archipelago of four islands in the Indian Ocean, is a true nature reserve. Presumably, about 6 million years ago, it separated from Africa, and since then it has developed an amazing flora and fauna, which is not found anywhere else in the world. The largest island of the archipelago of the same name is located near Yemen, and 825 species of unusual plants grow here! In addition, here you can see unique reptiles and a diverse underwater world: Socotra 25