Socotra   forever

This is one of Socotra’s protected nature sanctuaries and the lagoon was declared a Ramsar site in 2000. To quote the Ramsar description :

‘The site is a coastal lagoon on the northwestern side of Socotra island… consisting of a tidal inlet open to the sea, it is surrounded by sand dunes and 400m-high limestone and granite cliffs. The relatively pristine sea grass habitat provides ideal refuge from predators, acting as a feeding area and shelter for juvenile fish, and it is the only site on the island where the vulnerable leopard stingray (Himantura uarnak) and the near-threatened bluespotted ribbontail ray (Taeniura lymma) have been recorded.
It is considered an important roosting and feeding area for waterbirds, with 32 species recorded of which ten are resident breeding species and 1 wintering species.’

What makes Detwah special, apart from its beauty and its scientific interest – and the campsite – is the chance to meet ‘Abdullah the Caveman’.
See his cave and be taken on a marine-life tour of the eastern part of the shallow lagoon; it’s the home of so many strange and marvellous creatures that seem to sit around in the hope of being photographed; we saw pufferfish, sting rays, sea cucumbers, octopus, squid – and much more.
Given warning, Abdullah will also collect and cook a lunch of local marine life but, for the sake of sustainability I’m not sure that the offer should be taken up.