Mon, Sep 2 - To Anakao by Boat

Nosy Ve

Bags out by 6 AM, and then to breakfast before leaving our lovely resort at 6:30 in the bus.  We drove south to Tulear, through the somewhat messy downtown, and surprisingly out onto a very long jetty where various sized boats were docked.  There was a stack of huge shipping containers, so this must be a pretty active port. 

"Jack Sparrow"

A huge pile of canvas sacks were being offloaded from an old wooden sloop (?), the “Jack Sparrow”, proudly flying the Madagascar flag.  It was like a history lesson in shipping!

Our luggage was unloaded from the bus and carried by some young men though the water to a docked motorboat. 

Loading luggage

The boat then motored around to the other side of the pier and was attached by ropes to two other motor boats.  We had to climb on the first boat, and then onto the second before we could get to our boat!  Slippery but without mishap.

We took off speedily as the boat had two 120 hp motors!  It headed straight for the breakers on the coral reef.  After 30 minutes we slipped through a pass in the reef and shortly after approached the small island of Nosy Ve.  This island is a sacred place for the local tribes; the nesting Red-tailed Tropicbirds are protected from harm as it is fady (taboo) to bother them, but visiting for a day is OK.  Our timing was critical as the tide must be correct so that our motor boat could back up close to the beach and we could jump off, which we all managed to do without getting too wet.  

We immediately saw a group of large Crab Plovers which was a new bird for Bob and one which he hadn’t expected to see there!  I just basked in the incredible beauty of the area: white sand, bands of turquoise and deep blue water, surf crashing on the reefs!  And the picturesque pirogues with their square sails, some colorfully made of patchwork material.

We walked into the scrub on the center of the island and easily saw nesting Red-tailed Tropicbirds scrunched under bushes with their fluffy young. 

Red-tailed Tropicbird with chick

After a couple of hours we had to leave as the tide was changing and clambered back onto the boat again for the short ride to our next hotel: Anakao Ocean Lodge. 


 Our motor boat approached the shore and a line of uniformed hotel staff greeted us on the beach!  Like a tropical Downton Abbey! 

We got wetly out of the boat and were given damp towels with which to freshen up and sugar-rimmed glasses of fresh pineapple juice, while our luggage was offloaded and taken to our bungalows.  Ours, #20, is a spacious glass-walled room overlooking the desert garden between us and the beach.  Difficult to believe this is a rough birding trip - the long walks and early hours offset by amazing luxury!

#20

We met for lunch overlooking the beach.  The hotel manager had assured us that all veggies are sanitary and ice is safe, as we have been careful not to eat raw vegetables, lettuce, etc, so far.  We had a stunning lunch of homemade bread sticks, salad with fish, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and green beans, and then fish fillet with lemon butter and really good potatoes.  Coffee cream custard for dessert.  We’re going to roll out of here!

It is possible to get to our hotel by car but it takes 6.5 hours on bad roads, unless you can get a car ferry across a small river which doesn’t run with any regularity.  Because of that, we will have to take the boat back to Tulear in a couple of days and reunite with our bus.

David gave us until 3:30 to relax.  The wind was picking up and we were glad to be on shore!  We walked on some trails in back of the hotel, through a different kind of spiny forest than in Ifaty.  This one has white sand with large euphorbia shrubs and no baobabs.  There were a flock of goats eating every bit of greenery, and pawing the soil for remaining roots.

Euphorbia forest

Littoral Rock Thrush

A Zebu cart passed hauling a load of euphorbia clippings.  The young man riding on the cart said they have nothing to feed their cattle and are using this non-toxic euphorbia instead!

We returned and met for drinks and the List at 6:30.  A good dinner of fish soup and papaya cake.   Early start tomorrow.