Flourishing coral sanctuary discovered off East Africa
The coral sanctuary is a wildlife hotspot where species are thriving despite warming events that have killed their neighbours
The coral sanctuary is a wildlife hotspot where species are thriving despite warming events that have killed their neighbours
Mention Africa to most divers and the Red Sea or South Africa usually springs to mind. To many travellers, let alone divers, Mozambique is not exactly high on most people’s bucket list. Less than 20 years ago, the very idea of visiting the country would have been regarded as a madman’s folly.
Four hundred and fifty kilometres north of Maputo, Mozambique’s capital, and half an hour from the historic Portuguese trading town of Inhambane and its airport, Tofo is a laid-back village popular for its endless pristine beaches and, of course, scuba diving.
The warm waters of the Indian Ocean provide sustenance for an abundance of marine life here, but the mantas and the whale sharks are the stars of the show.
As one of the eight new natural sites that have been added to the World Heritage List, following IUCN’s recommendations you find the Socotra Archipelago in Yemen. Socotra is a small archipelago of four islands and islets in the Indian Ocean off the coast of the Horn of Africa some 190 nautical miles (220 mi/350 km) south of the Arabian peninsula. It is a part of the 'Adan Governorate of the Republic of Yemen.