Mauritius is a volcanic island, measuring 58km (36mi) from north
to south and 47km (29mi) from east to west - about two-thirds the
size of Luxembourg or the US state of Rhode Island. It lies in the
Indian Ocean, roughly 800km (500mi) east of Madagascar, 3860km (2400mi)
south-west of India and 220km (135mi) north-east of its nearest
neighbour, Réunion. With about 600 people per square kilometre,
Mauritius has one of the highest population densities in the world.
As a country, it includes the inhabited island of Rodrigues, some
560km (350mi) to the north-east, and other scattered coral atolls
such as Cargados Carajos and Agalega.
The
island rises steeply in the south to a central plateau and slopes
gently down to the northern coast beyond the mountains that back
the capital, Port Louis. Unlike neighbouring Réunion, Mauritius
has no active volcanoes, although remnants of volcanic activity
- such as Trou aux Cerfs crater in Curepipe and millions of lava
boulders - pepper the island. Mauritius is surrounded by a coral
reef and lined by a few long stretches of white sand beach. The
reef is broken in several places, with the largest break evident
in the pounding surf along the black cliffs between Souillac and
Le Bouchon on the southern coast. A smaller, less spectacular
break occurs at Flic en Flac on the west coast.
The
last decade has seen Mauritian conservationists scrambling to
protect the paltry 1% of original forest remaining on the island.
The largest nature reserve is the Black River Gorges National
Park at the south-western end of the island. Other reserves include
Le Pouce, Île Ronde, Île aux Serpents, Île aux
Aigrettes and Bois Sec. Visitor access is (or will be) restricted
at many reserves, as most are tiny in size and enclose the last
vestiges of rare species.
There's
not much to mention in the way of Mauritian wildlife. You're likely
to bump into a mongoose or two during your stay and perhaps the
odd Java deer, but without heading deep into the interior, the
ubiquitous 'domestic' guard dog is about all you'll see. Inland,
look for wild pigs and bands of macaque monkeys. Conversely, Mauritius'
trees and skies are rich with birdlife, although many of the most
spectacular species are following in the footsteps of the island's
most famous one-time resident, the dodo. On the endangered species
list are the Mauritius kestrel (once the rarest bird on earth),
the echo parakeet (still the rarest of that species) and the pink
pigeon. Sadly, the 'threatened' list goes on from there. The predominant
species on the island are introduced songbirds, such as the little
red Madagascar fody, the jive talking Indian mynah and - most
common of all - the red-whiskered bulbul. Beneath the waves, the
tally improves. The abundant marine life found in Mauritian waters
includes corals, mollusks, turtles, dolphins, four types of whale
and innumerable fish. Of the island's 900 plant species, almost
a third are endemic to Mauritius. Some of the most common examples
are giant Indian banyans, beach-hugging casuarinas and brilliant
red-flowering flamboyants.
The
Mauritian climate is a mixed affair. Atop the plateau, Curepipe's
temperatures average a few degrees cooler than those on the coast;
it's also common to find rain in Curepipe while the beaches enjoy
blue skies and vice versa. Similarly, east coast weather differs
from that of the west coast - the former being much drier during
January and February, when prevailing winds drive in from the
east, race up the mountains and dump rain on central and western
Mauritius. There is no monsoon season, though cyclones hit the
island every 15 years or so between November and May. During these
months, there are usually a few days of heavy rains that keep
everybody cooped up indoors. Light rains fall year round. The
highest average daytime temperatures occur from January to April
and top out around 35°C (95°F). The coolest period is
from July to September, when temperatures average 24°C (75°F)
during the day and 16°C (60°F) at night. Humidity is generally
highest between October and June.
Mauritius
Environment
