Related Posts:

• Critically Endangered lemurs disperse seeds, store carbon
• Animal picture of the day: crowned lemur and baby
• Hibernating primates: scientists discover three lemur…
• Animal picture of the day: baby Nile crocodile
• Featured video: Trouble in Lemur Land

Bears do it, bats do it, and now we know lemurs do it too: hibernate, that is. Since 2005, scientists have known that the western fat-tailed dwarf lemur hibernates, but a new study in Scientific Reports finds that hibernation is more widespread among lemurs than expected. At least two additional lemur species—Crossley’s dwarf lemur and Sibree’s dwarf lemur—have been discovered hibernating. So far lemurs, which are only found on the island of Madagascar, are the only primates known to undergo hibernation, raising curious questions about the relationship between lemur hibernation and more well-known deep sleepers.

After a final sighting in 1991, the Madagascar pochard was thought to have vanished for good. But this diving duck was rediscovered in 2006 when a flock of 22 individuals was found on Lake Matsaborimena in northern Madagascar by conservationists during an expedition. Soon after Madagascar pochard eggs were taken and incubated in a joint captive breeding program by Durrell, the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), the Peregrine Fund, Asity Madagascar, and Madagascar government, which recently announced that the population—both captive and wild—has nearly quadrupled.

In addition to the main island, the area has a few smaller islands that are every bit as beautiful and exotic. By taking a sailing holiday in this area of the Indian Ocean, you are free to explore as much as you like.

Biodiversity
Even though the Island is just off the African coast, the land mass actually came from India around 88 million years ago. Species that came from this continent, therefore continued to evolve in isolation. As a result, around 90% of plant and animal species on the Island are found
nowhere else on earth.

The Locals
Madagascar The Island has been inhabited by humans since around 550BC and are thought to have travelled there from Borneo, although this fact is open for debate and is the source of much controversy. Despite being colonised by France for around 65 years, the official language
is Malagasy and the locals refer to their Island Nation as Madagasikara, the word Madagascar being of European origin. Many local people will be able to speak French, but will appreciate your efforts to speak the local language.

The landscape is simply beautiful, especially the white sandy tropical shores of the Indian Ocean. Further inland you will find rice paddies, forests, deserts and the central highlands, the most densely populated area.

Sailing
A sailing holiday to Madagascar is an exciting adventure. It is not necessarily the easiest choice for your first sailing trip, although this largely depends on what you want to do and what you want to see. Depending on your sailing experience, the company hiring you the yacht will allow
you to take it as a bareboat charter (without a crew and you sail yourself) or with either a skipper or full crew.

If you haven’t been on this sort of trip before, a skipper is your best bet. They will know the best places to stock up on provisions  as well as the best places to anchor for day trips and for resting.

If you are interested in taking a sailing holiday then you should speak to the experts about it. If you want to take a skippered boat, this is easy to arrange, but if you want to take a bareboat charter you will need to learn how to sail. There are various competences involved which will
allow you to take different boats to different destinations, but it certainly opens up a world of possibilities when it comes to your next holiday.

AUTHOR BIO
Smith is a travel writer and keen sailor. He writes for a large range of travel magazines and websites, predominately about sailing and boating holidays. He spends around 8 months of the year travelling and the remaining 4 months living on his boat on the Thames. Smith regularly
uses the sailing company Moorings to book his bareboat charters.