Darwin documented his visit to
the island of Mauritius in his 1839
publication The Voyage of the Beagle,
which later formed part of his
revolutionary theory about the origin of
life. He’s alleged to have been the first
person to climb Le Pouce mountain, near
the capital, Port Louis, and possibly also
the first to observe the Seven Coloured
Earths, in Chamarel. This extraordinary
geological formation comprises sand
dunes made up of multicoloured layers
of volcanic rock. In Bel Ombre, in the
southwest corner of the island, guide
Nitish Dassagne works within the
Heritage Nature Reserve. It aims to
preserve species found only on Mauritius,
including the black ebony tree, as well
as others endemic to this corner of the
Indian Ocean, such as the Mauritian
fruit bat and the Aldabra tortoise. The
latter was introduced to Mauritius on the
personal recommendation of Darwin and
can grow to over a metre in length.
maropa
(Maropa)
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