Bazaruto Island

About

Bazaruto (Portuguese pronunciation: [bazaˈɾutu]) is a barrier island in the Bazaruto Archipelago of southern Mozambique. The largest island of the archipelago, Bazaruto sits near the eastern rim of the African continental shelf, sheltering the mainland coast on the other side of Bazaruto Bay. Formed during the Pleistocene, Bazaruto's sand dunes along its eastern shore are among the tallest of any barrier island, reaching heights up to 90 m (300 ft). Besides the dune system, the island is dotted with grasslands, salt marshes, mangrove swamps, and patches of freshwater wetland. It harbors a variety of wildlife, including blue monkeys, harnessed bushbuck, and red forest duiker. The waters around the island are a vital refuge for dugongs and sea turtles. Occupied since the Iron Age, Bazaruto formed part of the Indian Ocean trade network for thousands of years. It fell under increasing Portuguese influence beginning in the late 16th century, and was administered under a series of mulatto landlords and chieftains. It was officially gifted to the Portuguese crown in 1721, and was loosely administered under the Prazo of Mambone. Food insecurity and frequent raids by slave traders and neighboring tribes depopulated the island by the mid-19th century. It was repopulated by the end of the century by a group of Tsonga, who form the majority of the island's population today. After Mozambique's independence and the ensuing Mozambican Civil War, many refugees settled on the island. Bazaruto has been part of the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park since 2001. Tourism and fishing are the main local economic activities, although agriculture and ranching are also present on the island. A variety of hotels and lodges have been established on the island to cater to tourists.

Bazaruto is the largest and northernmost island of the Bazaruto Archipelago off the coast of southern Mozambique. It is a long, narrow barrier island, 31.2 km (19.4 mi) in length and around 110 km2 (42 sq mi) in area. It sits close to the rim of the narrow continental shelf, separated 14.2 km (8.8 mi) from the coast of mainland Mozambique by Bazaruto Bay. Bazaruto has extremely tall sand dunes for a barrier island, with some reaching 90 m (300 ft) in elevation; these are some of the tallest known dunes on a barrier island. Small freshwater lakes dot the island, with depths up to 3 m (10 ft).

The core of Bazaruto's sand dunes formed during the Pleistocene, now in an orange-red color. More recent yellow-white Holocene dunes are found along the shoreline. During the Last Glacial Maximum, the local sea level sank to 130 m (430 ft) below present levels, raising the island significantly above water. Water levels have varied slightly over the course of the Holocene; offshore aeolianite formations, now covered in coral, mark the former coastline of the island. The island sits along a mesotidal coastline, with a tidal range of around 3 m (9.8 ft). A large sand spit extends 6 km (3.7 mi) from the northern end of the island, with large mudflats stretching along both of the spit's sides. The spit is sometimes subject to overwash. Large beachrock outcrops emerge along both sides of the island and are quarried for use as construction material. These form two layers; one along the intertidal zone, and one several meters above high tide. The higher of these formations likely formed during locally higher water levels several thousand years ago.

Bazaruto, like most of Mozambique, has a tropical savanna climate, designated as Aw according to the Köppen climate classification. It experiences an annual rainfall of around 978 mm (38.5 in). It is exposed to the trade winds, with wind generally hitting the island while blowing to the southeast. The archipelago experiences an average temperature of 24 °C (75 °F), with highs up to 30 °C (86 °F) during the summer and lows of 18 °C (64 °F) during the winter. Water temperatures in the surrounding area range from 24–28 °C (75–82 °F). The island lies within a high-risk area for tropical cyclone activity.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.