Republic of Mauritius

Top 30 Must Visit places in Mauritius || Mauritius Travel Guide Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrNeeUWX2Jw

 

 

 

Republic of Mauritius

아프리카 남동부에 위치한 섬나라.

 영토의 면적은 2,040km²이고  인구는 1,301,978명이다.

속령으로 로드리게스 섬, 카르가도스 카라호스 제도, 아갈레가 제도가 있으며, 근교에 프랑스령인 레위니옹이 있다.

 

 역사

1507년부터 포르투갈인들이 방문하기 시작했다. 1598년, 네덜란드가 점령하여 1638년 식민지가 되었으나 원주민이 없는 무인도였다. 이후 1710년부터 프랑스 동인도회사의 지배를 거쳐, 1810년 영국의 식민지배를 받다가 1968년 영국 식민지에서 독립했다.

국호인 모리셔스는 네덜란드의 국가원수였던 오라녀 공작 마우리츠(Maurits)의 이름에서 따왔다. 이 인명을 라틴어식인 마우리티우스(Mauritius)로 옮기고 영어식(/məˈrɪʃ(i)əs/)으로 읽은 것이다. 프랑스어로는 모리스(Maurice), 모리셔스 크레올어로는 모리스(Moris)로 표기한다.

 

자연

화산섬으로 최고봉 리비에르 누아르 산은 828m로 아주 높은 편은 아니다. 

 

생물학적으로도 역사에 한 줄 남긴 곳이기도 한데, 바로 멸종된 새의 대명사 도도새가 이곳에서 서식하고 있었다. 이미 도도새는 1681년에 멸종되어 볼 수 없지만 도도 기념품은 많이 팔고 있다. 도도새는 빙산의 일각으로, 오래 고립된 무인도의 특성상 독특한 생물들이 많이 살았으나 인간의 상륙 이후 대부분이 멸종을 당했다.

동해안이 매우 아름답다. 또한 남쪽 해안은 검은 화산 바위로 이루어져있으며 수도 포트루이스 근처와 동쪽에 많은 수의 리조트와 빌라를 가지고 있어 세이셸과 함께 휴양하기 좋은 곳이다.

 

풍광 중 가장 유명한 것이 해당 사진의 '바다 속 폭포'이다. 모리셔스섬은 지질학적으로 굉장히 최근에 형성된 대륙붕 위에 위치하고 있는데, 기껏해야 200미터를 넘지 않는 섬 주변의 수심은 이 대륙붕을 넘어서자마자 킬로미터 단위로 증가한다. 이 때 섬 주변의 모래가 해류에 의해 바닷속으로 떠밀리면서 폭포처럼 보이는 것. 즉, 단순하고 일방적인 침식 작용이 만들어낸 그림 같은 풍경이다.

 

2020년 7월 25일 일본 해운회사 쇼센미쓰이(商船三井)의 벌크선인 MV 와카시오호가 해안 경비대의 경고를 무시하고 섬에 근접 운행 중 모리셔스 앞바다에서 암초에 걸려 좌초되었는데, 8월 6일부터 선미에 있는 1,180t짜리 연료탱크가 파손되어 중유가 새어나가 인근 바다를 오염시키는 바람에 모리셔스 정부는 2020년 8월 7일에 환경 비상사태를 선포했다.# 8월 9일에 일본 외무성은 모리셔스에 6명으로 구성된 전문가팀을 파견한다고 밝혔다.# 환경비상사태가 선포된 모리셔스에서 국민들이 기름유출을 막기 위해 머리카락 모으기 등 자원봉사에 나섰다.# 기름유출 사고가 발생된 것과 관련해 원상복구에 수십년이 걸릴지도 모른다는 분석이 나왔다.# 자세한 내용은 와카시오 호 기름유출 사고 문서 참조.

 

 

Île aux Aigrettes,

Egrets Island,

 Ile-aux-aigrettes-aieral-view

 

 

Île aux Aigrettes,

often called Egrets Island,

is a small island off the southeastern coast of Mauritius,

known for its unique coral-limestone formation and as a nature reserve. 

Ile aux Aigrettes tropical atoll in turquoise lagoon, Pointe d'Esny, Mahebourg, Mauritius

 

 

The island got its name from the egrets, or white herons, that once lived there. 

It's a popular tourist destination where visitors can take guided tours and learn about the island's conservation efforts, including the restoration of its native vegetation and wildlife. 

 

• Location and Size:
• It's located about 850 meters (2,790 feet) off the southeast coast of Mauritius, near the coastal village of Mahebourg. The island covers an area of 27 hectares (67 acres). 

• Geological Composition:
• Unlike the majority of Mauritius, which is volcanic, Ile aux Aigrettes is made of coral-limestone. 

• Historical Uses:
• Historically, the island has been used as a coconut plantation (17th century), a quarantine station for ships arriving from Europe (19th century), and for military purposes during World War II (20th century). 

• Nature Reserve and Conservation:
• In 1965, the island was declared a nature reserve, and the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF) has been actively involved in restoring its native vegetation and wildlife. 

• Wildlife and Flora:
• Ile aux Aigrettes is home to various rare and endangered species, including the pink pigeon, the Mauritius kestrel, and the Mauritius olive dove, as well as the last remnants of dry coastal forest once found around most of coastal Mauritius. 

• Tourism:
• Visitors can take guided tours to learn about the island's history and the conservation efforts being carried out by the MWF. 

 

 

Ile aux Aigrettes Nature Reserve Eco Tour, Mauritius

 

Dimitrios Fanourios Pischinas

Filed Under: My Travel Stories

Published: July 31, 2024 - Updated: October 1, 2024 

 

Ile aux Aigrettes (French for Egret Island) is a protected islet off the southeastern coast of Mauritius, near the city of Mahebourg. Lying about half a km off the coast at Pointe d’Esny Beach, the island has a round shape with a diameter of 500 meters.

 

Since 1965, Ile aux Aigrettes has been designated a nature reserve to conserve its rare ecosystem. It is covered by what is called Mauritius Dry Coastal Forest: a plant community that once, in pre-human times, occupied much of coastal Mauritius. This invaluable forest harbors several endemic plant species and shelters critically endangered animals.

The coast of Ile aux Aigrettes in the turquoise lagoon

 

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Visit Ile aux Aigrettes, Tickets, Price

 

During our two-month stay in Mahebourg, I observed Ile aux Aigrettes almost daily on my afternoon runs to Blue Bay. Something about its lonely, lush presence amid the tranquil lagoon tempted me to visit it before we even learned of its acclaimed ecological significance. Once we discovered its status, we promptly added it to our travel itinerary.

 

Our original idea was to rent a kayak and paddle it. But soon we realized that a visit to Ile aux Aigrettes is permissible only by joining a tour organized by the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation which oversees the reserve. So we saved our arm strength for a kayaking trip from Mahebourg to Blue Bay instead, and near the end of our time in Mauritius, we booked the tour on MWF’s official site.

 

The ticket for the basic 1.5-hour tour cost €21 per person. There was also a 2.5-hour “VIP” option for €50. Tours departed every half hour from 9:30 to 14:30 and were offered in English and French. While not certain, I assume it’s possible to join the tours on the spot without prior booking.

 

How to get there

 

The tours to Ile aux Aigrettes depart from the nature reserve’s headquarters, a little hut at Pointe Jerome, right opposite the island (location). If you don’t drive, the closest bus stops are in Mahebourg and Blue Bay. From either of these bus stops, you can either walk (30–40 minutes) or take a taxi (5–10 minutes). For taxi services, I recommend using this site. You might also be interested in this combination tour to Ile aux Aigrettes and Blue Bay including hotel pick-up.

 

Ile aux Aigrettes tour

 

We drove to Pointe Jerome shortly before our scheduled departure, parked our bike easily (there was plenty of space for cars, too), and proceeded to the office. We were a tad worried because we hadn’t received a confirmation for our late-last-night booking, but it had gone through fine. Our guide, a polite and friendly young woman, showed us to a comfy couch while the final preparations were made.

 

We soon embarked on a yellow speedboat, with a dozen other travelers, and set off. Some ten minutes later, we disembarked on a concrete quay at the islet’s northern coast. Several sailboats and yachts were anchored around, their passengers relishing dips in the crystal waters. Boat tours visit Ile aux Aigrettes commonly, but they aren’t permitted to let people on the island. You can check out some popular ones below if you’d like to explore more of the stunning Mauritian coastline.

 

Disembarking on the islet

Boat tours for swimming by Ile aux Aigrettes

 

As soon as we entered the forest, where the quay ended, we were greeted by a giant tortoise. He was a 100+ year-old male, one of about 50 adult individuals reintroduced to Ile aux Aigrettes from Madagascar. The islet’s original tortoises, which had longer necks to reach higher vegetation, went extinct in the 18th century. The oldest member of the current population, whom we saw later deeper in the forest, was named George and was more than 150 years old.

Centenarian giant tortoise

 

In the company of the tortoise, standing on a branch, loitered a striated heron. He was either too chummy with people or, most likely, injured. I approached him within a breath’s reach, and he didn’t show the slightest urge to fly away.

Sociable striated heron

 

Overtaking several leisurely tortoises along the trail to the interior, we stopped by a large cage. It was used to monitor baby tortoises before their release at two years of age. A few flying foxes also inhabited this space, fluttering about within the enclosure.

Tortoise profile picture

 

Our next stop was a bird feeder they had installed to allure the island’s most famous creature: the pink pigeon. Indeed, one hung out on the spot, pink as a cherry blossom. But it flitted away before I could pull out my camera, and we didn’t see another one. At least, I got a chance to snap a shot of a Madagascar fody. While not as rare as the endemic Mauritius fody, this was redder and prettier.