12 Feb 2015
Skand twilight, Socotra
What can I say - Socotra has touched me like few places on Earth - I'm spellbound! On this island you'll experience diversity and uniqueness on so many levels!…
12 Feb 2015
Top of Socotra
Before I came to Socotra I didn't know much about the mountains of the interior of the island, and thus made a mistake in assigning one day here. First and…
12 Feb 2015
Top of Socotra
Standing on the highest point of Socotra is magical and so vastly different than the arid and extremely hot lower elevations by the coast. Few visitors venture…
12 Feb 2015
Haghier mountains, Socotra
At the highest elevations of Socotra you'll surprisingly find an evergreen montane forest! You'll also find the dragon blood tree (Dracaena cinnabari). They…
12 Feb 2015
Haghier mountains, Socotra
The mountains of Socotra's interior are also called Haggeher or Hajhir mountains, and rise to more than 1500 meters above sea level. Many months a year the…
12 Feb 2015
Socotra bottle tree (Adenium obesum ssp. socotranum)
This is the iconic and endemic bottle tree, or desert rose of Socotra - Adenium obesum ssp. socotranum. When you find one in bloom like this one you simply…
12 Feb 2015
Socotra bottle tree (Adenium obesum ssp. socotranum) UV
What's interesting with this landscape view of the bottle tree, is that the flowers appear same color in UV as the lichen on the rocks! Endemic.
11 Feb 2015
Dragon blood tree (Dracaena cinnabari)
A forest of dragon blood trees can only be found on Socotra, as this species exists nowhere else! Firhmin Forest is a spectacular sight and the Dragon blood…
11 Feb 2015
Firhmin Forest, Socotra
A forest of dragon blood trees (Dracaena cinnabari) can only be found on Socotra, as this species exists nowhere else! Although Firhmin appears like a healthy…