March 2, 2023
Like many islands, Mauritius has very few native mammals. Those it does have are the flying mammals, bats, like the fruit bats or flying foxes that we saw at the SSR Botanic Gardens in Pamplemousses. Most of the native species are birds and reptiles. They are rare as non-native birds and mammals have taken over, but I kept my eye out for them.
Mauritius' most famous native species, the dodo bird, went extinct in 1681. Like the moa in New Zealand, it was a flightless bird with few predators. It was easy prey for hungry sailors and Portuguese settlers as it had no way to escape. It was arguably the first species to bring international attention to the extinction of species. Even now, it is a symbol for extinct species.
The day began with a beautiful sunrise over Mauritius which highlighted the unique peaks in its volcanic mountainous landscape.
Our tour for today was Historic Pamplemousses. The drive through Mauritius to the Pamplemousses was interesting. There were many, many gardens small and large. Sugarcane was a popular crop, but many other things were grown as well in the rich volcanic soil. Fruit trees were covered with netting to protect them from the fruit bats.
Our first stop was the Grand Shivala Triolet Temple, a Hindu temple. It was beautiful. Inside were statues of various Hindu gods.
The temple area was filled with bird song. I searched the treetops and found many different birds. My best guess is that they are the red-whiskered bulbul, the Mauritius grey white-eye, the myna bird, the ring-necked dove, and the red fody. If I'm correct about the Mauritius grey white-eye, that bird is endemic (native) to Mauritius.
The highlight of the trip was the SRR Botanic Gardens. We saw different plants and trees, including the giant water lilies the gardens are known for.
I also saw more birds - myna birds, Aylesbury ducks, Muscovy ducks, the moorhen, and the scaly-breasted munia.
the giant tortoise,
a day gecko,
and the flying foxes.
We ate lunch at an orchard with a historical mansion, Chateau de Labourdonnais, that once belonged to sugar tycoons in Mauritius. After lunch, I went searching for birds and butterflies.
Our final stop was an old sugar refinery that has been turned into a museum. At the end of the tour, we were able to sample some different sugars.
We got back to the ship an hour and a half early. We were disappointed we didn't get to do the shopping stop, but it had been hot and humid and many of the older guests wanted to go back to the ship.
The sail away from Mauritius happened just as the sun was setting.
The soil looks so fertile. I remember that anything we planted seemed to grow so well in Kenya. Once we put a stick in our garden to mark the end of a row and pretty soon it sprouted leaves and started growing!