DIVE DEEPER

IN MOZAMBIQUE'S BAZARUTO ARCHIPELAGO, AMID THE UNDULATING SAND DUNES, GUESTS CAN JOIN SCIENTISTS TRYING TO PREDICT THE FUTURE.

- CHRIS SCHALKX

It’s a stormy morning in the Bazaruto Archipelago, a constellation of five coral-fringed islands in the turquoise waters just off the coast of southern Mozambique, between the mainland and Madagascar. From our ship’s deck, I watch wind-sculpted dunes gleam silver on the horizon as triangle-sailed dhows glide past, their wooden bellies full of freshly caught fish. The water’s so clear that meadows of seagrass are visible on the ocean floor beneath my feet; occasionally, a green turtle pops its head above the surface, gulping down the warm, humid air.

As Mozambique’s first marine national park, the archipelago is a haven for five types of turtles, from leatherbacks to olive ridleys, as well as over 150 species of bird and four types of dolphin. It’s also known for its flocks of flamingos, and as one of the last strongholds of the dugong, the sea cow-like creatures thought to have inspired tales of mermaids.

While there’s no doubt the scenery and sheer abundance of wildlife is spectacular, my fellow passengers are more interested in something else — their eyes are fixed on a monitor above the helm. On it, a small symbol of a ship shows our position in the Mozambique Channel, and with every yard we move, it judders a squiggly, rainbow-hued line in its wake. There are ‘oohs’ and ‘wows’. The excitement is palpable. To my untrained eye, there’s little reason for it, but to the scientists aboard, that squiggly line might just hold the key to predicting the future of the archipelago’s vibrant but fragile ecosystem.