Madagascar: "Great Island" of the Indian Ocean, "sanctuary of nature", "island-continent", "unknown paradise", "cultural crossroads"... The tourist brochures praise this land lost off the coast of Africa, and yet so close, sometimes, to Asia. But Tanindrazana, the "land of ancestors" is not reduced to these gleaming slogans or shimmering stereotypes. How can we describe the fascinating interplay of colours, these shades of purple, vermilion, cobalt, ebony, opal, emerald and jade, so many living watercolours that delight the eye....? Madagasikara is more than that. Each journey is different, which is why we keep coming back, as if hungry for new beauties, as if intoxicated by more powerful aromas than the incense of the mysterious forests. And then, it is the ideal destination to approach the mythical humpback whales between mid-June and early October.
There is an urgent need to discover this wonderful country, where everything is possible while being improbable. Let us not kid ourselves: it is one of the poorest countries in the world. Yet, what smiles everywhere offered abroad, the vazaha that all children greet everywhere, what shared joys without restraint or false modesty! Madagascar gives itself and does not recover. So don't come looking for what you can't find there: adventure is everywhere, every moment. This is what makes the price of an unusual encounter, an appointment with the dead and our cousins the lemurs. Have your eyes open, your hand outstretched, your mind full of enchantment to share. Leave free and without prejudice: they feed ignorance and perpetuate exclusion. Happy as anyone who dreams of a long journey - for the days here last an eternity. A magical and captivating attraction: humpback whales roam the Malagasy coast from July to around October. Sainte-Marie is today the most popular destination to observe these peaceful cetaceans, but it should be noted that they can be admired almost everywhere: in Tulear, Fort Dauphin, Nosy Be, Maroantsetra, Sambava..
An impressive animal
The humpback whale is between 14 and 17 m long (the largest identified specimen is 19 m long) and weighs about 40 tons: a beautiful baby! It is found in all the seas of the world (even in the south Patagonia), and has received a little more "ecological" and tourist attention in recent years, as in Sainte-Marie: it is called "whale-watching" (whale watching). It is identified by its black colour on top, whitish on the bottom, but one of its main characteristics remains the tubers (small protuberances, in fact hair follicles) on its head. Caudal fin ripples, scars and black or white spots are unique to each individual.
The humpback whale surfaces regularly and then expels air from its lungs, forming a kind of "geyser" that can reach 3 m high! It is at this moment that she shows her famous "bump", in fact her back that she makes round before probing (i.e. diving).
Sexual parades (jumps, vertical training, hitting the water with fins, dodging) take place during the winter (austral... The months of June to September are therefore ideal times to observe them around Madagascar). At that moment, the males enter a wild competition for the sweet eyes of their beautiful. The game can last several hours, new contenders can replace the riders rejected by the lady: we counted more than twenty males around a single female! It should be noted that these artistic manifestations were also observed outside the reproduction period, which would tend to indicate that they also have a communication role.
Let's mention the other famous feature of humpback whales: the song. It can happen that they start singing for several days. The melody, made up of nuances of low notes, is extremely complex, and coherent sound sequences are repeated. Since humpback whales only sing during the breeding season, it is assumed that this is a means of seduction.
Sainte-Marie, a tropical paradise
Equally distant from Toamasina and Antongil Bay, Sainte Marie (160 km2 for some 22,000 inhabitants) is a bewitching tropical oasis. Thanks to its beautiful beaches and indolent atmosphere that evoke the earthly paradise, most travellers are seduced and return enchanted. We too, moreover, greatly appreciated the kindness of the inhabitants, their gentle way of life, and the wild beauty of its coasts (north and east especially, or on Île aux Nattes). However, although the island has a good number of hotels and service providers, tourism here remains very limited.
Nosy Bohara is poetically called "the island of women". When the eye discovers the succession of islets covered with very dense vegetation (fields of vanilla, cloves, cinnamon, mangroves or purple orchids), one immediately falls under the spell of this dream destination. If the beaches of Sainte-Marie are very beautiful, be warned: it is not easy to swim in the lagoon (the water is not very deep), the few places really recommended for swimming are to the north or on Île aux Nattes, on the west coast.
But the biggest concern of Sainte-Marie's operators is the recurring rain in the high season (July-August), when travellers flock to watch the humpback whale ballet, the island's main tourist attraction
To enjoy it, head for the tiny airport located in the south of the island. You will be welcomed by hoteliers (or their staff more and more often) who come to pick up their customers in station wagons, minibuses or 4x4s. The journey to the hotel begins with the discovery of the island, which is 60 km long and 6 km wide. Ambodifotatra, its small capital, is located 12 km north of the airport. The adventure can begin.
The Whale Festival, a new impetus to protect cetaceans
It is precisely because of perseverance, and thanks to a remarkable fundamental work by the organization Cétamada for the knowledge and conservation of marine mammals in the Indian Ocean, that the collective consciousness has been awakened. Under his leadership, the first World Congress on Humpback Whales was held from 29 June to 3 July 2015, just before the official launch of the annual Whale Festival. This unprecedented event in Sainte-Marie is also a world first: 71 scientists and researchers, representing 16 countries, joined students and enthusiastic eco-volunteers to discuss biology, education programs and research projects, against the backdrop of the theme "The humpback whale, a lever for conservation and development"
Environmental protection is everyone's business. Thanks to its network of affiliates, Cétamada now offers cetacean observation trips throughout Madagascar with the utmost respect for the animal. We strongly invite you to consult the association's website to find them: they do not cost more; better, they enrich!
Smart info
When? When? To observe whales, it is necessary to visit the Big Island between mid-June and early October. To attend the Whale Festival this year, visit Nosy Bohara between July 8 and 16, 2017.
Getting there. Almost daily flights to Antananarivo by Corsair, Air France, Air Madagascar..
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Useful. To prepare your trip as well as possible
OFFICE NATIONAL DU TOURISME - More information on the website
THE WHALE FESTIVAL - More information on the website
CETAMADA - More information on the website
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