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Blog
The island of Socotra is famed for its stunning landscapes and unique flora and fauna resulting from its geological past. There is indeed a marked variety in topography and geological features on Socotra. There are Precambrian granite outcrops, Palaeocene–Eocene limestone plateaux with steep cliffs and large cave systems and Quaternary coastal sandy regions. During our short trip with the Socotra Dream, we were able to sample them all.
Socotra had been a bucket-list destination for many years since the island was practically closed to tourists for over a decade due to the raging war in Yemen. So, when, 13 years after its last trip there, DNHG announced a new expedition to the island, people flew from all over the world to take advantage of the long-awaited opportunity. It felt like a reunion!
The Socotra Archipelago Man and Biosphere Reserve (Yemen) is situated in the western Indian Ocean, adjacent to the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. It is an insular biodiversity hotspot with a diverse fauna and flora, and a large proportion of unique species.
On Yemen’s island of Socotra in the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean we have held events to celebrate our Egyptian Vultures and other birds of prey for several years. This year we organised another event for these special birds. Under the patronage of the Governor of the Socotra Archipelago, Eng. Rafat Ali Ibrahim Al -Thaqali, the Socotra Islands Foundation for the Environment and Sustainable Development and the Socotra Wildlife Association, we organized a Bird of Prey Day on 3 […]
Over 40 students collected environmental DNA (eDNA) samples in the Socotra Archipelago World Heritage site, as part of the global eDNA expeditions. UNESCO is currently piloting across 25 marine World Heritage sites to better understand ocean biodiversity and the effects of climate change. From 28 June to 3 July 2023, 44 students aged 11 to 16 years from four schools collected water samples at 5 different marine protected areas across the Socotra Archipelago World Heritage site, namely Roosh, Qariah Lagoon, […]