Mozambique Blues
Ibo Island Dreaming - Sea Kayaking the Quirimbas
Flying in from a wintry Cape Town, the tropical air of Pemba, Mozambique was like a warm embrace – within minutes, we had slipped into holiday mode. We were in the area to investigate the Quirimbas as a sea kayaking destination. The Quirimbas are a string of small islands scattered along the coastline of Northern Mozambique and the border with Tanzania. The regional capital, Pemba is the gateway to this little known destination. There are around 30 islands in the archipelago and while some are occupied by local subsistence fishing communities, many are uninhabited. Eleven of the southerly islands are part of a designated National Park and parts are destined for Unesco World Heritage status. Our whistle-stop itinerary had us catching a light aircraft to Ibo Island where we spent out first night.
The view from the aircraft was quintessential tropical island – turquoise seas, with darker ribbons of indigo where the deeper channels cut through, mangrove forests, dhows sailing with the gentle trade winds and islands dotted with small settlements. Twenty minutes later, the plane banked and came in for a landing on the grass strip on Ibo Island. The Ibo Island Lodge Landy was waiting for us at the ‘terminal’ – a roofless shell, proudly marked “Ibo”. We were met by Harris, who was to be our host and guide for the next few days.
Ibo is a one of those rare and special places that linger in your imagination long after you have left. It has a fascinating history of Portuguese occupation, trade routes, conflict and torture but when you visit now, all that is left is the ghost of what used to be. The long abandoned but beautifully proportioned colonial buildings and the 3 forts that dot the island give clues to its past and it is well worth hearing the full story on a guided tour. Ibo has been sleeping and dreaming for the last century or so but is slowly waking to a new vision of the future. Tourism is slowly coming to the area but thankfully it seems to be in a low key and responsible form. Ibo Island has a backpackers lodge, a bicycle hire shop, the upmarket Ibo island Lodge and not much more. This gradual development of tourism has also stimulated the growth of some artisanal craft projects including traditional handmade silver jewellery – intricate, beautiful and inexpensive, it is well worth buying. We were hosted at the Ibo Island Lodge – two waterfront villas on the seafront that have been renovated, with a third in progress. The rooms are large and airy with high ceilings and chalky lime washed walls. Furnished with a mixture of new and old colonial style furniture, much of it hand carved, the emphasis is on elegant simplicity and the luxury of space – huge 4 poster beds and open plan bathrooms.
Andrew is a keen photographer and was up with the sun to capture early morning on Ibo. I lazed in bed and enjoyed my wake up coffee (grown and roasted on the island), delivered to the patio outside our room whilst watching a Burchard’s Coucal hunting geckos amoung the bougainvillea.
Traditional sailing dhows are the main mode of transport in this area – these ancient craft have been plying these waters since time immemorial – the first Arab traders are thought to have made contact with the locals in about 600AD. Their influence can be seen to this day – in the faces of the local people as well as their religion – most are Muslim. The dhows range in size from tiny one man fishing boats with outriggers, to large, sturdy ships that can carry upwards of 20 people. Due to time constraints, we opted for a pre-booked trip but if you have the luxury of time, you can negotiate to charter a dhow from a local Marinero in Pemba and make your trip up as you go along! A basic knowledge of Portugese will be helpful as little English is spoken. A dhow supported paddling trip is ideal as it allows you to carry more gear and also to opt out of paddling if the weather turns or if you have long distances to cover. We used fibreglass sit on top sea kayaks manufactured by PaddleYak in South Africa, supplied by Ibo Island Lodge as part of our trip.
Our first stop was breakfast on a sand island that appears only at low tide - as we approached, we could see our dhow, Vagabundo, at anchor just off the sandbank. Sand bars are a feature of the area, forming linkages between islands and the mainland at low tide. The islands are strung out over an area of about 100kms roughly parallel with the coast. Water depths vary greatly and there are several deep channels that cut through the continental shelf from the abyss. A huge diversity of habitats from coral atolls to sea grass flats to massive drop offs of over 200 metres make for excellent diving and snorkelling. The islands lie on average around 10kms from the mainland islands and although some are overfished, there are many areas that are undisturbed – endless varieties of tropical reef fish as well as larger animals such as dugong, rays, dolphins, humpback whales and turtles are often sighted. The bird life here is also fantastic with many rare and migratory species. The Quririmbas Archipelago is also the site of the legendary Lazarus banks, an off shore atoll about 42 nautical miles out to sea – the atoll rises from the depths of the Mozambique channel and offers some of the best deep sea fishing in the world.
The turquoise water were so inviting that we had to have a swim before sitting down to a delicious bacon and eggs breakfast. We collected shells to decorate the table and this became a pre-meal ritual for the rest of the trip. Mozambique is known for its friendly people and we were well looked after by a team of Harris, our guide, Pemba our waiter, two marineros in charge of the dhow and a chef. This area is quite remote and supplies can be scarce so it is worth stocking up on the staples in Pemba if you are self catering. You will be able to catch or buy an array of fresh seafood along the way as well as fruit and some vegetables. During our trip, we enjoyed kingfish, massive mangrove crabs, octopus, prawns and calamari. The Arab influence and the legacy of the spice trade means that local dishes are spicy and flavoursome – one of our favourites was the Ibo Island Seafood Soup.
Our first paddle entailed a couple of hours crossing to the mainland. The wind was behind us, the sun was warm and we all got burnt! Some members of the group spotted a massive sting ray and we were privileged to see a large group of crab plovers wheeling over us as we pulled in to our camp around lunch time.
Our camp site for the night was situated at the mouth of a river, banks cloaked in lush mangrove forest. Children from the local village provided a smiling welcome and we provided them with ample entertainment until they disappeared back home for Madressa (Islamic School) and dinner. A walk around the village at sunset revealed a way of life that has been going on for centuries – a simple subsistence existence based on fishing and trading that provided a huge contrast with our western lifestyles. The people were friendly and happy to be photographed, examining the results with amazement. Sadly, there was evidence of large scale harvesting of cowrie shells – huge bags, filled to the brim and waiting to be picked up by traders. Think about this the next time you consider buying that pair of sandals or ornament decorated with cowries!
We had an early start to the next morning so that we could explore the mangroves before paddling out and onto our next destination. The Quirimbas boast some of the largest mangrove forests in the southern hemisphere and we learned about the different mangrove and bird species and their various individual adaptations to their saltwater environment. The next sea leg was a long slog so we opted to hop onto the dhow and experience the pleasure of sailing under one of these ancient rigs. Lunch (pasta salad with king fish) was served on the upper sun deck and we pulled into Mogundula Island in the late afternoon – the sea was that perfect tropical blue and so we leapt in and swam the last section.
Mogandula is part of the designated Quririmbas National Park and has no permanent inhabitants – there are many other similar uninhabited island in the archipelago but this one is particularly interesting -local people suffering from Elephantitis were sent here to prevent the spread of the disease and a few graves can still be seen. It is also know as the island of the scared lake due to the amazing sea water lake that it situated in the centre of the island – the sea water somehow filters through the porous coral rock and fills the depression at the centre. The interesting thing is that the lake fills up on the outgoing tide and empties with the incoming tide! The top end of the island has a beautiful soft sand beach with a view to a coral sandbar that is an easy swim away. There are amazing shells to be found and our dinner table boasted an impressive collection that evening. We spent two nights here – the first morning was spent snorkelling, with great sighting of small coral reef species. In the afternoon, after a siesta, we paddled around the island, returning in time for a hot shower before an amazing spread of prawns, calamari, crab and octopus.
An early departure on the dhow saw us sadly leaving our desert island paradise and heading to the mainland for the road transfer back to Pemba and our flight home. The four hour drive took us through the terrestrial part of the Quirimbas National Park – a landscape of woodlands, rural villages and amazing granite inselbergs that are centres of plant endemism. Finally, we hit the tar and headed back into civilisation – the roads were all in great condition and it was a relaxing drive to with a rather out of context soundtrack playing on the car stereo – a very 80’s Bryan Adams album on repeat. Our driver kindly took us to the local market in Pemba to buy some fabric – I think it’s the first time a car has driven down that particular lane and the stall holders literally had to move their wares for us to squeeze through.
The Quririmbas Archipelago is sea kayaking heaven – an unexplored paradise of warm water, beautiful sea life, amazing people and an interesting culture and history. You can opt to journey in style with a fully catered and equipped dhow supported paddling safari or you can bring in your own kayak and supplies and rough it with the locals – you can even combine the two by designing your own lodge to lodge itinerary. It’s worth it even to visit for a few days – this is one of places that time forgot and you’ll feel like you’ve been away for weeks. Definitely one for the bucket list!
