9OntheTrail

Close to well-known Mauritius, two remote islands in the Indian Ocean are a secret haven for many endemic, fascinating species

REUNION AND RODRIGUES, THE OTHER MASCARENES

THE FORGOTTEN ISLANDS

HEREGOOGLE EARTH COORDINATES HERE

RÉUNION AND RODRIGUES, THE OTHER MASCARENES

THE FORGOTTEN ISLANDS

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éunion and Rodrigues islandsbelong to the Mascarene archipelagoin the Indian Ocean. Both are a naturedestination that should not to be missedunder any circumstance! Let's discoverthese two islands characterized by wildnature and exceptional environments.The Mascarene archipelago consists ofthree islands: Réunion, Mauritius andRodrigues island. They are a thousandkilometers away from the east coast ofMadagascar, between the nineteenthparallel south and the Tropic ofCapricorn. Mauritius is definitely themost popular destination of thisarchipelago for tourism. Its large whitesand beaches, luxury hotels and masstourism are particularly popular withtour operators. Unfortunately, on thisisland, the environment has beendamaged due to economicaldevelopment. Rodrigues island is small(108 sqkm), surrounded by a lagoontwice as big as its terrestrial surface.Rodrigues is part of the Republic ofMauritius but has benefitedindependence on some matters in2002. The population is around40,000 inhabitants and the capital is

Port Mathurin. It is located about 800km East of Réunion island.Réunion island is a French overseasdepartment, located about 700kilometers East of Madagascar. It is2,512 sqkm and its highest peak, thePiton des Neiges, is 3,075 meters high.Its growing population is of 800,000inhabitants and is expected to reach 1million by next decade.The volcanic islands of the Mascarenearchipelago are all originated from thehotspot that feeds the Piton de laFournaise in Réunion island. Thisvolcano is the only active one in theregion. Volcanism reliefs areomnipresent and may be seen in everylandscape. Rodrigues was the first ofthe Mascarene islands to emerge,followed by Mauritius and then Réunionisland, that emerged about three millionyears ago.Réunion Island being the youngestisland of the archipelago, its relief is stillvery steep. The combination ofvolcanism, tectonic landslide events,heavy rainfalls and stream erosion haveformed a rugged and dramaticlandscape of striking beauty,

RTEXT AND PHOTOSBY OLIVIER ESNAULT

A volcanic eruption onRéunion; on the opening

spread, a Fairy Tern Gygisalba on Rodrigues.

A cluster of islands alive with fire and water

continued on page 13 ›

11The rugged coastline at Saint-Philippe, on Réunion.

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Nesting Brown Noddy Anous stoliduson the Ile aux Cocos, Rodrigues.

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dominated by two towering volcanoes,the dormant Piton des Neiges and thevery active Piton de la Fournaise. Othermajor landscape features include"remparts", steep rock walls of varyinggeological age and character, and so-called "cirques", which can bedescribed as massive naturalamphitheatres with an imposing heightand verticality. There are also deep,partly forested gorges andescarpments, with subtropicalrainforests, cloud forests andheathlands, thus creating a remarkableand visually appealing mosaic of

ecosystems and landscape features. Inthe Piton des Neiges massif, severalpeaks dominate above 2,200 meters:Cimendef, Roche Ecrite, Grand Bénare."Pitons", "cirques" and "remparts" ofRéunion island were integrated to theUNESCO world heritage sites onAugust 1st, 2011.The last eruption of the Piton de laFournaise took place on December10th, 2010 and lasted about a day.Being a spectator of an eruption is amagical moment that remains etched inyour memory. Eruptions from the Pitonde la Fournaise are effusive, which

Panther Chameleon Furcifer pardalis, Grande Anse, Réunion.

A paradise for naturalists in search of endemics

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Lesser Noddy Anous tenuirostris, fishing in shallow water

at the Ile aux Cocos, Rodrigues.

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The stunning, otherworldly landscape of the Plaine des Sables on Réunion.

Left,Réunion’sGreen GeckoPhelsumaborbonnicaborbonnica;right, top,Green Geckoof ManapanyPhelsumainexpectata;right, bottom,another imageof the samespecies.

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makes them relatively safe to watchfrom close distances. The many hikingtrails on the slopes of the volcano arefully secured and clearly marked. Theclimate at such a high altitude (2,632m) is very inconstant and it is notuncommon to suffer as much from heatas from cold. One must therefore beequipped appropriately and forgetneither a windbreaker nor sunscreen !On Rodrigues island, traces ofvolcanism are older and consequentlyharder to identify. A few basalt peaksare reminders of the presence of ancientmagmatic chambers. Old lava flowsare still distinct in the eastern part of theisland, especially on the coast. Therelief is much more attenuated than that

of Réunion island and the highest peak,Mont Limon is 398 meters high.These variable reliefs affect localclimatology. Generally speaking, theclimate is tropical humid, with a fairlystrong seasonality. The dry season startsin April/May and ends in September.The rainy season lasts the rest of theyear, when tropical storms andhurricanes occur. The numerous microclimates in Réunionisland (117 identified microclimates)are mainly due to the geography of theisland. In the highest regions, frosts arenot uncommun during the dry and coldseason, and it may occasionally snow.The climate is also very differentbetween the eastern windward shore

The supreme grace of the soaring Tropicbird

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White-tailed Tropicbird Phaeton lepturus soaring at Saint-Philippe on Réunion island.

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Far left,African Grass

Blue Zizeriaknysna; center,

PantherChameleon

Furcifer pardalis;right, Zisina

antanossa - allthree species

taken at Réunion.

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Another far-ranging, stunninglandscape of volcanic origin at the Rivière de l’Est on Réunion.

Left,ChangeableLizard Calotesversicolor;right, top,RodriguesYellow FodyFoudiaflavicans;right, bottom,CommonWaxbillEstrilda astrildon Rodrigues.

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and the western lee shore.Due to a relatively low relief, the climateof Rodrigues island is much moreuniform than that of Réunion island.

ENDEMISM AND SPECIES

In the Mascarenes, indigenous speciesmay be found on various islandswhereas endemic species only exist onone of the islands, in specific habitats.Both indigenous and endemic specieswere present before man, who arrivedwith many exotic (and often invasive)animal and plants species.The mainnaturalistic attraction of Réunion andRodrigues is their incredibly highendemism rate. For example, Réunionisland is a paradise for botanists withover 200 species of indigenous andendemic ferns; over 150 orchid species

(mainly originary from Madagascar),are distributed in various ecosystems.Excluding a few bat species, therearen't any endemic mammals either inRéunion or Rodrigues island. On theother hand, there are endemic reptiles.These have all disappeared fromRodrigues island but three green diurnalgecko species remain in Réunion island(Phelsuma inexpectata, Phelsumaborbonnica borbonnica and Phelsumaborbonnica mater). The green gecko ofManapany (P. inexpectata) is located inan area of a dozen square kilometers inthe South of the island. Numerous otherPhelsuma have been introduced fromother islands (Madagascar, Mauritius,Seychelles, etc.) and proliferate, often tothe detriment of endemic species.On Rodrigues Island, two endemic birdspecies may be seen: the Rodrigues

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Fairy Tern Gygis albawith its single egg at the

Ile aux Cocos on Rodrigues.

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RodriguesFlying FoxPteropusrodricensisroostingduring theday atSolitude,Rodrigues.

23Left, the beach at Saint-Pierre;

right, the lunar landscape of the Plaine des Sables - both on Réunion island.

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bourbonnensis bourbonnensis) and theRéunion bulbul Hypsipetes borbonicusl ive in forests. Two seabirds areendemic to Réunion island: the Reunionpetrel Pseudobulweria aterrima and theBarau’s petrel Pterodroma baraui. Lastbut not least, the Réunion cuckooshrikeor "tuit- tuit" Coracina newtoni iscritically endangered, being a victim ofthe proliferation of rats.Where butterflies are concerned, manyspecies can easily be observed onRodrigues island, such as Junoniarhadama, although there isn't any

endemic species. There exist a fewendemic butterflies and moths onRéunion island. One species, Salamisaugustina augustina, is criticallyendangered due to the disappeareanceof its host-plant Obetia ficifolia. Someindividuals are bred at the insectariumin the city of Le Port and may beobserved there. As for Odonatas, thereare almost 15 species in Reunion,including dragonflies and damselflies.One pretty endemic damselfly,Coenagriocnemis reuniensis, lives nearwater falls.

warbler Acrocephalus rodericanus andthe Rodrigues fody Foudia flavicans.The Réunion harrier Circus maillardi isthe only endemic bird of prey ofRéunion island. Other endemic birdspecies exist on the island, such as theRéunion Olive White-eye Zosteropsolivaceus and the Réunion Grey White-eye Z. borbonicus. The Réunionstonechat, also called "tec-tec" in thecreole language (Saxicola tectes) is abird familiar to high regions. TheMascarene paradise flycatcher – locallycalled "zoizo la vierge" (Terpsiphone continued on page 28 ›

A Humpback WhaleMegaptera novaeangliae

breaches briefly at Saint-Gilles on Réunion.

Left, BrilliantBlue Junoniarhadam at theEtang Salé onRéunion; right,Reunion GreyWhite EyeZosteropsborbonicus at Le Tampon,again onRéunion.

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The atmospheric waterfall of the Bassin la Paix on Réunion.

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Left, dawn onthe coral reefs atGrands Bois on

Réunion; right, top,Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaat the Rivière Saint-

Etienne, Réunion;right, bottom,

Grey PloverPluvialis squatarola

at the Etang duGol on Réunion.

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IMPACTS ON BIODIVERSITY

Man has had - and still has - direct orundirect disastrous impacts on thebiodiversity of both islands. In the past,Réunion and Rodrigues islands weresupply stops for ships sailing throughthe Indian Ocean. In order to refill freshmeat, hundreds of giant turtles wereloaded aboard the ships. It was a goodway to avoid deficiencies of vitamins orproteins. Furthermore, turtles were ableto survive quite a long time on a boat.The populations were thus very quicklyreduced to almost nothing beforedisappearing from both islands. Thesame sad story has happened tonumerous endemic flightless birds, suchas the Rodrigues solitaire Pezophapssolitaria. The development of humansettlements made the populations ofintroduced rats and cats increase. These

two species have a huge impact onbreeding seabirds like the Barau’spetrel. Rats, for example, areresponsible for the near extinction of the"tuit-tuit” and the extinction of theRéunion owl Mascarenotus grucheti.Noddies and tropic birds are quitecommon in Rodrigues. A small islandNorth-West of the lagoon, l'Ile auxCocos, is worth the detour. One side ofthe sandy islet is open to visitors wherehuge populations of Brown NoddiesAnous stolidus and Lesser Noddies A.tenuirostris can be seen. In the highseason, there are over 50,000thousand noddies on the island – morethan the inhabitants of Rodrigues! SootyTerns Onychoprion fuscatus haveestablished their colony in the areaclosed to visitors. Finally, the delicateand subtle Fairy Tern Gygis alba lays itssingle egg in the hollow of unstable

A Réunion Harrier Circus maillardi soars above the forest at Tévelave on Réunion.

continued on page 33 ›

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Top left, Red FodyFoudiamadagascariensisat Le Tampon,Réunion;bottom left,CommonWaxbillEstrilda astrildagain at LeTampon; left,Village WeaverPloceuscucullatusat Petite Ile,Réunion.

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Secret glimpses of a forgotten Eden

Rainforest landscape withwaterfalls and rocky stream at Grand Galet on Réunion.

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Left, Red-WhiskeredBulbulPycnonotusjocosus at LeTampon; right, ReunionStonechatSaxicola textesat the Plainedes Cafres on Réunion.

Pounding surf at the Pointe au Sel on Réunion.

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Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea,Sanderling Calidris alba, CommonSandpiper Actitis hypoleucos, CommonGreenshank Tringa nebularia, GreyPlover Pluvialis squatarola, CommonRinged Plover Charadrius hiaticula,Greater Sandplover Charadriusleschenaultii, Bar-tailed Godwit Limosalapponica, Lesser SandploverCharadrius mongolus, Crab PloverDroma ardeola. I am always amazedat the capacity of migratory birds to

branches. Réunion and Rodriguesislands are salutary migratory halts fornumerous species, especiallyshorebirds. Species present in thesummer are practically the same onboth islands. The Eurasian CurlewNumenius phaeopus is certainly themost common shorebird. AlthoughRodrigues is much smaller than Réunionisland, it is host to a higher speciesdiversity and to a greater quantity ofindividuals. Encountered species are:

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Top, Whimbrel Numeniusphaeopus at the Rivière Saint-Etienne, Réunion; right, ReunionStonechat Saxicola textes at thePlaine des Palmistes; far right,Mascarene Paradise FlycatcherTerpsiphone bourbonnensis.

cross oceans to spend the summer inthe lagoons of tiny islands. In 2010, Iwas lucky to watch Terek SandpipersXenus cinereus in the estuary of SaintEtienne river (Réunion island). Andthese birds reproduce in northernScandinavia! The two individuals Iobserved stayed for two days beforeflying off to an unknown destination.Two migratory falcon species,Eleonora’s Falcon Falco eleonorae and

Sooty Falcon Falco concolor also stop onRéunion island.

CONSERVATION PROGRAMS

All of these frail insular ecosystems areprotected on both islands. In 2007, aNational Park was created in Réunionisland. It covers a large area of the islandand its main goal is to preserveendemism. In Rodrigues island, the

Mauritian Wildlife Foundation manages anature reserve of about fifteen acres. A bigrestoration program has been establishedand many endemic plants are beingreintroduced. This environment allows thesurvival of the two endemic birds and theendemic Rodrigues flying fox Pteropusrodricensis.Rodrigues is also a diving paradise with alagoon that is rather well preserved. Onemay also bask on the numerous great

white sand beaches. On Réunion island, theso-called lagoons are actually fringing reefs.However, they are full of fish and very nicefor scuba diving. During winter, theseislands are on the humpback whales'migration route. It’s a magical show toobserve whales, but this must be done ingood conditions, with respect towards theanimals. One may see mothers with theirnew-born calves, mating males andimpressive jumps. .

Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea,

Rivière Saint-Etienne, Réunion.

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The spectacular, far-ranging view at Piton des

Neiges on Réunion.

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HoveringFairy TernGygis albaat the Ile auxCocos onRodrigues.

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Rocky shore at Saint-Philippe, Réunion.

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Far left, theendemic RéuniondamselflyCoenagriocnemisreuniensis; center,a forest trail atHell Bourg onRéunion; right,Barau’s PetrelPterodromabaraui at Saint-Etienne, Réunion.

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CommonGreenshank

Tringa nebulariaat the RivièreSaint-Etienne;

right, dawn onthe coral reef

lagoon at GrandsBois on Réunion.

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Sunlight and clouds at thePlaine des Cafres on Réunion.

Clouds at dawn set afire by sunlight

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Ghost Crab Ocypode saratanat the Grande Anse beach on Réunion island.

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USEFUL TIPS FOR YOUR EXPEDITIONSome simple, common sense, field-tested advice and information to make the best out of your trip and avoid hassles, worries and problemsROUTE: La Réunion is served by three airlines (AirAustral, Air France and CorsairFly) with departuresfrom France. You can also fly with Air Mauritius, viaMauritius. There are two international airports on theisland: Saint-Denis (Roland Garros) and Saint-Pierre(Pierrefonds).Contacts:Saint-Denis: +262 262 48 80 00http://www.reunion.aeroport.fr/Saint-Pierre: +262 262 96 80 00http://www.grandsudreunion.org/Best time to travel: each season has its own charmbut the best periods, climatewise, are April/Mayand October/November. In December and January,

you will be able to gorge yourself on lychees andmangoes. Summer is also the best moment toobserve numerous migrating birds and insects.During winter, in July and August, you will definitelysee humpback whales.Rodrigues is served by two airlines (Air Austral andAir Mauritius), with a compulsory stop in Mauritius.Sir Gaëtan Duval airport is located in Pointe Corail,South West of the island.Contact: +230 832 78 88http://www.airportofrodrigues.com/Best time to travel: all year round, with maybe arecommendation for Apri l/May andSeptember/November.

MEANS OF TRANSPORT: Local car and scooterrentals possible and suggested, many offers both inRéunion and Rodrigues. Wildlife photographersshould be prepared for long - although very pleasant- walks in a tropical climate.

CURRENCY: Mauritian Rupee for Mauritius andRodrigues, French Franc in Réunion.

ACCOMODATION: In Réunion many local guesthouses, a few luxury hotels. In Rodrigues many localguest houses. We suggest to avoid staying in luxuryhotels, because that’s really not the best way todiscover Rodrigues and its inhabitants.

At-a-glance travel guideCOUNTRY OF DESTINATION: RÉUNION & RODRIGUES

FOOD: Typically Indian Ocean/Creole food withfresh vegetables, rice and fish dishes - a lovely (andoccasionally hot!) fusion between Indian, Chinese,Malay, African and European cuisine. The mainlocal specialty is curry, a savory stew of meats, fishor shellfish, simmered with garlic, onions, ginger,cloves, turmeric, and other local spices. Curry isserved with white rice, legumes (beans or lentils) anda spicy condiment called rougail made withtomatoes, lemon, and pistachios. Don’t miss the localfruit such as mangoes or lychees when in season.

LANGUAGE: French and Creole, plus ChineseHakka and Malay in a few areas.

WORRIES: None worth mentioning, but like in somany other places it’s definitely better avoiding latenight walks alone, especially if carrying expensivecamera or video equipment.

HEALTH: No serious risks of dangerous tropicaldiseases. However it is worth mentioning that in2005 and 2006, Réunion was hit by a cripplingepidemic of chikungunya, a disease spread bymosquitoes. 255.000 people on Réunion hadcontracted the disease as of 26 April 2006. FrenchPrime Minister Dominique de Villepin sent anemergency aid package worth 36 million Euro(57.6 mil l ion U.S. dol lars) and deployedapproximately five hundred French troops in aneffort to eradicate mosquitoes.

CLIMATE: All the islands experience a humidtropical climate with monsoon rains from Novemberto April. It might be worth noting that between 15and 16 March 1952, Cilaos at the centre of Réunionreceived 1,869.9 millimetres (73.62 in) of rainfall.This is the greatest 24-hour precipitation total everrecorded on Earth. The island also holds the record

for most rainfall in 72 hours, 3,929 millimetres(154.7 in) at Commerson's Crater in March 2007,from Cyclone Gamede. Commerson also holds therecord for most rainfall over all periods ranging from4 to 15 days from a storm in 1980.

BESIDES: Given the warm and humid climate, westrongly recommend to travel light when visitingthese islands. A good reflex camera, a medium focallength (a multipurpose 300mm f/4 is really useful),a wide-angle and a trans-standard zoom areenough. The fauna is not that wild, so very long focallengths are not necessary and possibly not evenuseful. In certain cases, like in primary forests, aluminous lense, such as a 300mm f/2.8 is reallyadapted. Don’t forget a tripod for landscapes. .(Special thanks to Hélène Deglaire and Zoé Glénardfor the help).

Indian Ocean islands with an amazing incidence of endemisms

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