17 Dec 2019: Ilhas Tinhosas
- vagranttwitcher
- Dec 17, 2019
- 2 min read
One of the lesser known gems of African birding is the Pedras Tinhosas, an uninhabited archipelago of two small islets, Tinhosa Grande and Tinhosa Pequena, located 23 km southwest of the island of Príncipe. Designated as a world heritage site on 21 August 2006, Tinhosa Grande is 55 metres high, covers an area of 20 hectares, and is a breeding site for thousands of pelagic birds.
A local fisherman, for the pricey sum of US$ 200, agreed to take me to Ilhas Tinhosas. We headed out to sea in a small, open pirogue. On the way south around the island we stopped at a boulder strewn beach to add some rocks as additional ballast. The open sea was surprisingly rough, the sky was overcast and we were repeatedly hit by squalls of rain. It was in the middle of one such rainy episode that I did some intensive soul searching – asking myself what the hell I was doing in the middle of the wide ocean on a boat that seemed as big as a peanut. I was again reminded of St Peter - we both have a distinct inability to walk on water. Fifteen minutes later my mindset changed completely and I was utterly fascinated by hoards of flying fish that took off when the boat approached and flew about a hundred meters before again disappearing into the water. Near Tinhosa Pequena the helmsman threw a line over the stern and within minutes we had two large fish flapping on the bottom of the boat.
Landing on Tinhosa Grande was a challenge in itself. The pirogue bobbed and dipped in the wave action and one had to time your jump perfectly to land on a two feet wide outcrop that jutted from the sheer cliff face. A slip of the foot meant plunging into the sea with some very expensive photographic equipment serving as dead-weights on your way to the bottom. (Perhaps it was time to revisit that walking on the water option). Luckily, I executed a masterful jump and a tottering pirouette to regain my balance, followed by a perilous climb over crumbling rock to more level ground.
The small interior of the islet was filled with hundreds of birds. Breeding season was over and most of the birds were preening themselves or just enjoying the morning sun. A few stared inquisitively at this upright intruder. Sooty Terns, Brown Noddies, Black Noddies and Brown Boobies surrounded me. I did not want to cause a disturbance, so I made myself comfortable on a rock and took hundreds of photos. Struck by the harsh beauty of this unspoilt place and the close proximity of so many special birds I felt incredibly privileged to be alive.
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