SOCOTRA ISLAND

Adenium Socotranum. Photo by Jan Vandorpe

Assalamualaikum everyone. How was your day? Are you ready to explore new things? hehe

Today I will explore about Socotra Island? Have you ever heard that this island is the most peculiar in this world. This island is an exotic place where we could see it as a fantasy world. This island is filled by the bizarre floras and faunas. Whoever visits this island will think they are in the other world.

Weird creature only can be seen at Socotra Island. Photo by Tomas Van Houtryve

The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all tapped the treasures of Socotra’s natural world: aromatic resins such as frankincense, medicinal aloe extract, and the dark red sap of the dragon’s blood tree, used for healing and as an artist’s color. 

Adventurers came to harvest the island’s wealth, despite stories that it was guarded by giant snakes living in its caves. The Queen of Sheba, Alexander the Great, and Marco Polo were among those who coveted Socotra’s riches.

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 kilometers in length) and mountains up to 1525 meters high.

Plant that stored water and does not has root. Photo by Jan Vandorpe

Many plants here rely on mists for water. Some of Socotra’s rarest endemics grow on steep cliffs in the mountains and around the island’s perimeter, where they soak up moisture that collects when mist condenses on rocks. 

Those upturned dragon’s blood branches are in fact an evolutionary adaptation to gather precious moisture from mist in the air—and there is less of that water available now. 

If climate change is responsible for the lack of regeneration of dragon’s blood and other rare plants, there may be no short-term solution. In the meantime Banfield and other conservationists are equally concerned about other human-caused threats to Socotra’s biodiversity.

According to Mohd Hafiz (2011), this island has been awarded from UNESCO on July 2008. The people there must keep this place and cannot do any construction at this island.

Do you want to travel to Socotra Island? to see by yourself all the bizarre floras and faunas that you will never see at your place? 

Do watch this video to see more about Socotra Island :)

Hope you enjoy, and see you in the next post! Bye!