PARADISE LOST

The idyllic island of Mauritius faces ecological disaster after an oil spill from a Japanese vessel threatens its rare wildlife

- LAVERN DE VRIES

IT’S just a four-hour flight from Johannesburg and has long been a sought-after destination for holidaymakers who want to bathe in its aquamarine waters, bask on the silver sands and marvel at the abundant marine life.

But those waters are now stained black, the beaches are streaked with oil and sea creatures from once-pristine reefs are washing up dead.

Mauritius is an island in crisis, facing an ecological disaster of unprecedented proportions after a tanker ran aground on a coral reef. And for a nation already reeling from a catastrophic decline in tourism because of the coronavirus, it could drive the country into the ground.

The MV Wakashio, a Japanese carrier with nearly 4 000 tons of oil on board, leaked about a third of its load when it ran aground. Vast swathes of oil could be seen from space and Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth says the country simply doesn’t have the funds to deal with the crisis.

Mauritians, however, have been taking matters into their own hands. An army of volunteers has worked around the clock building floating booms to hold back the oil from further seeping into the reefs. Every day they stream to the beaches to make barriers, filling fabric bags with sugar cane leaves, plastic bottles and even their own hair.

Human hair is a great oil absorber – a kilogram of hair can soak up to two litres of oil – and local women have lined up at hair salons to shear their locks to save their island. Diving centres and fishermen have also joined the clean-up operations, guest houses are offering free accommodation to volunteers and hair salons are giving discounts to those donating their manes.