I decided to look for the dodo bird.
If you missed the first part – here!
I looked at the distance and estimated that I would reach it in about 45 minutes with moderate swimming, and I set off. I didn’t call anyone. Which was stupid and quite overconfident of me.
But an English family at the beach saw me. More precisely, the husband.
The swimming was easy. The water was warm, no waves, as if I was in a lake. You see a crystal platter in front of and behind you.
Here I am on the other side. I made it in 45 minutes.
I stumbled upon a white beach surrounded by beautiful palm trees at the very end of the bay. I decided to take a walk through Paradise and search for the extinct Dodo bird.
Maybe I'll get lucky...
The Story of the Lost Dodo
The dodo (Raphus cucullatus) is an extinct bird of the pigeon family.
The dodo lived on the Mascarene Islands, which consist of Mauritius, Réunion, and Rodrigues. Each island had its own variety. Due to its remoteness from Africa and its isolation, the dodo inhabited only the Mascarene Islands.
It was over a meter tall, about 20 kg. Its wings were atrophied, and in their place were small tufts of feathers. All three species had massive, curved beaks.
The Portuguese called it Dodo, and the Dutch, who arrived later, named it Dront.
The dodo is one of the earliest examples of an animal that went extinct due to human actions. It became a symbol of human-caused species extinction.
The dodo fed on plants and seeds. And it had no enemies. There are no predators on the island. Until one day, people arrived...
The islands, discovered by Pedro Mascarenhas in 1507, proved to be a convenient starting point for India. Replenishing their food supplies, the ship crews quickly decimated the archipelago's giant tortoises, as well as several seal species.
The dodo survives a little longer.
In addition to the ship crews, domesticated animals settled on the islands also contributed to its destruction.
By the end of the 17th century, not a single dodo remained on Mauritius; the last was seen in 1682. On Reunion Island, the bird survived a little longer – until 1750; on Rodrigues Island – until the beginning of the 19th century.
In 1599, Admiral van Nes brought the first live dodo to Europe. In 1638, a second specimen was brought and displayed at fairs. There were about ten stuffed specimens, but they have been lost over the years.
The British Museum houses a dodo's head, foot, and several feathers, and Copenhagen has a head.
Several drawings have also been preserved.
At the end of the 19th century, George Clark found an almost complete dodo skeleton during excavations in a swamp. Later, with a government order, large-scale excavations began in the same swamp, and several more skeletons were discovered.
Now they are located in the museums of the island of Mauritius.
The local inhabitants used dodo eggs for food, which contributed to the bird's eventual extinction because it laid only one egg and incubated it carefully without leaving the nest.
The partner provided for the family's sustenance.
So along the white sand I reached the end of the cape. I didn't find the bird destroyed centuries ago. And I came across locals.
They were extremely friendly...
The village I reached was a slum. Huts made of scavenged natural materials...
I started and decided to go back. It had been about an hour.
Sama amidst the coral reefs
And what do I see?! I hadn't accounted for the low tide. I had started during high tide. Now the water had receded, and I could clearly see dark patches of coral masses in front of me, like islands. They were perhaps 10–15 cm apart.
I can't swim over the rocks – the distance is too small, if I misjudge, I'll be cut like with a sharp knife, I can't go back.
I never imagined the ocean would rise or fall by meters. After all, I grew up on the Black Sea, and the tides there are different...
I was all alone.
Your feet hang down and you are in a black hole. You don't know the size of the coral reef.
I tried to move forward with careful feeling until I reached clear water, then I started swimming to the next dark spot, and I had no idea if this would have an end or if I would be able to reach my shore, or the hotel at all.
It was scary. I had never felt so afraid and insecure. But I pulled myself together. I was alone and I had to deal with it...
I managed to cover the distance in an hour and a half, and maybe even more.
The Other Mauritius
A few days later, we got bikes and decided to take a ride around the neighborhood. I regretted it.
Poverty. They don't have roofs, they dry their clothes on bushes. There's no sewage system. A stark contrast between the poverty and the luxury that tourists enjoy.
Along the shore, there were something like large stones, out in the water. I approached to get a closer look... They turned out to be people. Fishermen. Wearing something like fur coats.
From early dawn, they dress as if with a tent and stand in the water, remaining submerged almost around the clock. With a fishing rod. If they catch something, they will feed their family…
And nature is unique. The island offers everything you want to see: mountains, rivers, valleys, forests, lakes, and waterfalls.
In the tourism business, the island of Mauritius is placed on par with Bali, Hawaii, and the Bahamas. It's a favorite holiday destination for many Hollywood stars. And it's considered one of the most beautiful and romantic islands in the world. Perhaps that's why it's preferred by newlyweds. Our hotel had several couples, young Russians.
In the directories, I read that the average life expectancy is 70 years, again the highest for Africa. That they have free education and medical care.
However, one in five men and one in ten women are illiterate, ranking 110th in the world in this regard. But the state specifically encourages gifted children and young people to study abroad.
Mauritius does not have its own army. It has a police force, a coast guard, and special police units. Crime is low.
History and Population of the Islands
And the population is multiethnic.
English is the official language, and French is widely used in the media and daily communication. Most residents speak Mauritian Creole.
The island of Mauritius was discovered in 1507 by Portuguese sailors, having never been inhabited by humans before. However, they did not show interest in the island. In 1598, the island became a Dutch possession. The Dutch abandoned the island in 1710, and in 1715, the French arrived, renaming it Île de France.
The French contribute to the embellishment of the island – they build towns. Then the English arrive. At the beginning of the 19th century, British colonizers settled slaves and workers from India, who worked on local sugar plantations. Their descendants remain forever, and thus Mauritius is permanently settled.
France officially cedes Mauritius to Great Britain by virtue of the Treaty of Paris of May 30, 1814.
Today, descendants with Indian roots represent a majority—nearly 70 percent of Mauritius's population are from the Indo-Mauritian ethnic group. The rest of the population consists of Creoles, Chinese, and people of European descent.
Most Mauritians practice Hinduism, which seemed natural to me, given the Indian origins of the population; about 30% identify as Christians.
In 1968, the island's independence was finally declared. Since then, Mauritius has transformed from a low-income agricultural economy into a diverse middle-income economy, developing tourism, textile and sugar production, and financial services. The island's economic history has been called the „Mauritius Miracle“ and the „African Success Story.“.
My impressions were quite different from what I read...
Second hydrotechnical landing
We befriended the English family, and the wife wanted to repeat my adventure, to swim across the bay again, this time the two of us. I became famous.
We left. Yes, she swam well, but we were late, arriving in an hour and a half instead of the planned 45 minutes. But this time I was prepared to avoid the low tide. I was informed. I had learned my lessons.
We needed to rest, though this time we didn't walk along the strip...
Her husband got worried and, now knowing where we are, sent a rescue boat.
A motorboat arrived. I asked the lady if she was tired and wanted to go back with it. She refused. She offered for me to get on the boat if I was tired. But I replied that I wouldn't let her swim alone.
And we got lost. Another hour and a half.
We returned home alive and well. Both of us. They welcomed us like heroes. The truth is, the first time I experienced terror, and now it was a pleasant walk to the end of the bay and back because I was prepared.
Paradise on Earth, eight thousand kilometers from Bulgaria
In my memories, Mauritius is a beautiful island, a paradise on Earth almost eight thousand kilometers from Bulgaria, with fabulous nature, poor inhabitants, and a water landing through the bay.
Edge.
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