Socotra Photo Gallery by: ©© Stefan Geens
Excerpts;
Situated 250 miles off the coast of Yemen, Socotra is the largest member of an archipelago of the same name, a four-island ellipsis that trails off the Horn of Africa into the Gulf of Aden.
Some 250 million years or more ago, when all the planet’s major landmasses were joined and most major life-forms were just a gleam in some evolutionary eye, Socotra already stood as an island apart…
The Wonder Land of Socotra, Yemen, New York Times
Socotra, UNESCO
Socotra Archipelago, in the northwest Indian Ocean near the Gulf of Aden, is 250 km long and comprises four islands and two rocky islets which appear as a prolongation of the Horn of Africa. The site is of universal importance because of its biodiversity with rich and distinct flora and fauna: 37% of Socotra’s 825 plant species, 90% of its reptile species and 95% of its land snail species do not occur anywhere else in the world. The site also supports globally significant populations of land and sea birds (192 bird species, 44 of which breed on the islands while 85 are regular migrants), including a number of threatened species. The marine life of Socotra is also very diverse, with 253 species of reef-building corals, 730 species of coastal fish and 300 species of crab, lobster and shrimp.
Socotra, Wikipedia
Socotra is very isolated and through the process of speciation, a third of its plant life is found nowhere else on the planet. It has been described as the most alien-looking place on Earth. The island measures 132 kilometres (82 mi) in length and 49.7 kilometres (30.9 mi) in width.
Socotra is part of the Republic of Yemen. It had long been a part of the ‘Adan Governorate, but in 2004 it became attached to the Hadhramaut Governorate, which is much closer to the island than ‘Adan (although the nearest governorate is Al Mahrah).
The Socotra Archipelago Conservation and Development Programme (SCDP)
The Socotra Archipelago Conservation and Development Programme (SCDP), is an effort of the Republic of Yemen to conserve and develop in a sustainable way the island of Socotra and its neighboring smaller islands.
Socotra: Isle of the Dragonsblood; A Youtube Video (7mn)
Uploaded by iridiumetric1
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wra5CAaoZe4[/youtube]
