Day 12 — March 18
Nosy Komba & Nosy Tanikely, Madagascar  Despite lightning overnight we awoke to see bright sunlight shining on the small dhows plying around the port of Hell-Ville, the capital of Nosy Be, which means “Big Island.” A beautiful rainbow arched over the islands, but thunderclouds still surrounded us. However, the sea was calm, and we boarded a small fleet of local boats that skimmed over the surface to Nosy Komba, “Lemur Island,” a small island about 20 minutes away. Here we were to see the famous black lemurs, which are held sacred by the island residents and are protected. The lemurs thrive here and have become used to people.
Guides met us and led us through the multitude of souvenir shops, dancing children, and young women with faces painted in a variety of attractive patterns—all doing their best to make a living from the travelers. Side by side with all this activity, the older people were going about their daily lives, preparing lunch, sewing both by hand and hand-operated machines. Other women were carrying water from the village tap, all surrounded by a crowd of beautiful toddlers and young children.
We were introduced to the local vegetation, many plants similar to those we had seen in the Seychelles, but here our attention was drawn to many that here are considered useful for their medicinal properties. We also inspected the Madagascar traveler’s palm, a huge fan-shaped palm related to the banana plant, and we learned that these trees are used to provide all the materials for the local houses. The trunk is used for the beams and columns, the stems for making laths for the walls, and the leaves for thatching the roof. We saw a large green Phelsuma day gecko and stopped to photograph a large pardalis chameleon more than a foot long.
Recently a small enclosure has been set aside on the edge of the forest where the lemurs live and where a small collection of other animals is envisaged. Currently there is one Aldabra giant tortoise and an enclosure containing a pair of chameleons, again of the pardalis species—the male a brilliant jade color with red-and-yellow markings, the female a dull red color.
But the main focus of our visit was the troop of lemurs that appeared very pleased to see us—or the bananas we were offering them. Leaping from branch to branch, from person to person, they were photographed in all poses, sitting on heads, shoulders, cameras, and giving us ample opportunity to marvel at their small, delicate hands and velvety touch. Their long, bushy tails are not prehensile. The males of this species are black all over with wide, round, amber eyes and a penetrating gaze. The females are particularly attractive with a rust-colored body, black faces, a white beard, and white ear tufts.
We still had time for some serious shopping back on the shore. Carved model ships and boats, woodcarvings of all description, embroideries, and cut-work tablecloths were available at very reasonable prices.
In the afternoon most people set off for Nosy Tanikely for snorkeling or a hike around the island to the lighthouse on top of the hill, to look for lemurs, interesting birds, and fruit bats. Snorkelers reported some of the best snorkeling of the whole trip, with a great variety of beautiful colored corals and reef fish. Divers gave a good report also, with the added excitement of the sighting of a dolphin with young.
Another group walked around the town of Hell-Ville, named for Admiral de Hell, a French governor of Réunion. The old main road, called Cours de Hell (Road to Hell), is a dilapidated boulevard shaded by mango trees that runs in front of the old administration offices, court, and jail. All the buildings retain remnants of an opulent colonial style, but they are now breaking up and falling down. The group enjoyed the opportunity to see the locals enjoying a Saturday afternoon as they approached the bustling market and remarked on the good nature of the cheerful Malagasy people. Returning to the harbor it was quite a battle through rusting hulks, groaning ferryboats loading and unloading people and building materials to regain the little local boats to return to Le Ponant.
This evening we held the final recap of the voyage. Stuart showed his photos of the lemurs and fish he had seen during the day. Ron talked about the many times he had visited Nosy Komba and Hell-Ville, but still found visits to these places very rewarding. Anthony talked about frigatebirds, and with Bill, all staff members expressed their gratitude to the passengers for their enthusiasm and excitement at visiting all these western Indian Ocean islands.
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