The laurel forest of Madeira
A remnant of a forest type millions of years old, it only survives in Macaronesia, the Canary Islands, the Azores and Madeira. However, at most 40 million years ago it covered much of southern Europe and the Mediterranean basin. Native forest inhabits the wilderness areas of the northern coast, which is between 300 and 1,400 metres high. It lives in an environment where humidity is above 85%. Four species of trees from the laurel family dominate the Madeira forest: the barbosano or Tenerife laurel (Apollonias barbujana), the vinhático or royal laurel (Persea indica), the til or Madeira laurel (Foetid laurel) and the loureiro or Azores laurel (Laurel). Other endemic species, such as the famous Madeira geranium (Geranium maderense), grow in these wetlands. Lily-of-the-valley trees, tree heather, wild broom and pittosporums are also commonly found here. Not forgetting the bevy of fern species (around 40), the 80 species of vascular plants endemic to Madeira, bryophytes, mosses (including around 20 endangered species) and lichens.
A biodiversity conservatory...
A subtropical climate, humid in the north and dry in the south, has allowed Madeira's diverse flora to flourish. A blooming Eden, Madeira is even more dazzling in spring when buds burst open, carpeting the valleys with an array of tangy colors. The bright orange of birds of paradise, the mauve of bougainvillea, the soft hues of fragile orchids and the exoticism of Satan's firebrand make up the island's variegated flora. This biological richness, aided by a mild year-round climate, is also the fruit of the passionate work of botanists, who have been introducing species collected from all over the world into Madeira's natural landscape since the very first centuries of colonization.
...which blossoms up to the mountains
Madeira's high peaks benefit from a temperate climate that favours the growth of typical mountain vegetation. Many endemic plants can be found here, such as the Madeira violet(Viola paradoxa) and the mountain orchid. Herbaceous plants and heather abound. The Paúl da Serra plateau, with its flat surface subject to wind and fog, boasts a singular flora, with plants rarely exceeding 10 centimetres in height. In Ribeira Brava, Cabo Girão and Ponta de São Lourenço, an equally windy but much drier climate has encouraged the proliferation of grassy plants and a host of endemic species, such as the elegant viper's flower(Echium nervosum), with its reflections of blue and violet, orArgyranthemum pinnatifidum, a cousin of the daisy.
Trocaz pigeon and endemic fauna
Inhabiting the laurel forests of the north coast, where it enjoys the bays, the trocaz pigeon is found only on Madeira. This rare bird is strictly protected as an endangered species. This protection has led to a recent increase in its population. Its natural habitat was reduced by over 80% when the archipelago was colonized. In fact, it has completely disappeared from Porto Santo, where it once lived.
It's on the mountainous slopes of the north of the island, in the heart of the forest, that you may be lucky enough to spot this bird with its uniform grey coat, pinkish throat and silvery neck, although it also nests in isolated corners of the south of the island. Other highly endemic species nest in the Laurissilva, such as the Madeira wren (Madeira's smallest bird!), the Madeira tree finch and the Madeira pipistrelle and Leisler's noctule, two rare species of bat. And if you're afraid of little beasties, don't worry: there are no snakes in the archipelago, but there are thousands of lizards, just one venomous beast (a spider, the malmignatte) and one really scary but harmless spider, the thick-legged lycose.
The Madeira Petrel and the marine avifauna
Also "endangered", even more threatened than the Trocaz pigeon, the Madeira Petrel is another species that can only be observed in Madeira. Although it is one of the most endangered species of seabirds in the world, it is still possible to find it in a few breeding sites nesting in the hollows of the massifs in the center of the island (between the end of March and mid-October), near the typical plants of the ledge, and at night. The rest of the time, at sea, fish and squids constitute its main food, but it is, at sea, more difficult to identify. We can also mention the Yellow-legged Gull, a medium-sized species with a gray coat and yellow pasta that nests in a colony on the islet of Desembarcadouro (in Ponta de São Lourenço), as well as Castro's Storm-Petrel, Common Tern and Bulwer's Petrel.
The Mediterranean monk seal, an endangered species
It has not been listed as endangered since 2015, but it remains an endangered species. There are nearly 700 Mediterranean monk seals (Monachus monachus) in the world, about 40 of which are found in the Madeira archipelago. Victim of anthropic threats, the Desertas Islands, the Ponta de São Lourenço and the islet of Rocha do Navio constitute the last Atlantic refuge of this "sea wolf" with a dark back and light belly. This is how the Portuguese discoverers nicknamed this seal with its funny whiskers that they observed in the bay of Câmara de Lobos or the "wolf's room". This marine mammal is the largest of all monk seals (of which there are three species), and can weigh up to 400 kilos!
Apart from the twenty or so species of cetaceans (sperm whales, whales, dolphins...), we can't forget to tell you about the famous black scabbardfish (peixe-espada) which lives lurking in the depths off Madeira. And for good reason, you will eat it in all kinds of sauces during your trip! But it was not easy with its black glazed eel-like appearance, its sword-like body and its sharp jaw armed with sharp teeth. Of all whale species, the sperm whale, which can reach depths of 3,000 metres, is the champion of diving. As early as the 16th century, whales were fished in Madeira, especially for their blubber and oil, which were used for medical and industrial purposes. The meat was eaten and the bones were turned into manure, amber was prized for its scent and liver oil was prized for its vitamin D content.
