The Mysterious Island World of Nosy Mangabe

Sitting a few miles off the coast and supermerged* with the clouds, lies the small island of Nosy Mangabe. Forgotten by time, though not tourists, the island was once inhabited by Malagasies (hence the tombs), who were supplanted by the Dutch (hence the secondary growth in the forest), who have since yielded (after some deforestation, French colonialization, and Malagasy liberation) to the national parks service (hence the animals). All told, it was a pretty great place to hike around, both for the dense forest and for the lovely beachfront. These pictures capture some of the highlights, including the tombs (some of which were moved, others of which remain, a difficult problem for locals who can no longer afford (because of park fees) to visit their ancestors, which is a very important practice here), the world’s smallest species of chameleon (he plays dead when you pick him up, which is also cute), and the world’s largest gecko, whom my guide described as the Champion of Disguise.

*as opposed to submerged?