Guy Witney Krocker: Masoala National Park

Masoala National Park

From Maroantsetra, it is a two hour trip by dhow across the bay to the Masoala Peninsula and my lodge for the next 6 days. Masoala National Park boasts 75% of all of the species found in Madagascar including many endemics seen only in this park.

My lodge’s location offers a fantastic variation of habitats all within walking distance. A Marine Park Reserve with coral reefs in fairly good condition begins directly in front of my bungalow, a small river and estuary navigable by pirogue (dugout canoe) runs beside the restaurant, a well-managed network of trails into the primary forest begins three km to the south past a fishing village well as an additional network of trails into secondary growth forest to the north beginning right beside the lodge.

My days in the park are full and are organized primarily to maximize the probability of wildlife spotting yet minimize heavy hiking during the heat of the day. It is hot enough at dawn J I am up for a hearty breakfast at five am and head into the primary forest trails to see what wildlife is about. It is a relatively constant climb over one km from the beach to the highlands so I am completely drenched in sweat within the first half hour.

One of the “must see” for birders in the area is the rare endemic, the Helmet Vanga. Not only did we sight one but were able to find a nest and watch them feeding their chicks. The pictures I was able to get are taken from distance to ensure we did not disturb the birds.

The other target for tourists is the beautiful Red Ruffed Lemur, although limited in number in this area, they are predictable in terms of range and feeding locations so sightings are common. They are very aloof however and mostly stay very high in the canopy. Good pictures are difficult to get due to distance and back-lighting. I have an excellent flash but it does not illuminate thirty meters away when contrasted against bright open sky.

I generally return to the lodge by noon for lunch and grab a brief siesta before heading out for a cooling afternoon of snorkeling among the rock formations and coral reefs. Very pleased with the species diversity of this marine reserve, I will be busy for a good while scouring my Fish ID texts when I get home. I easily identified at least 20 Families, several with multiple Genus of each. Without a doubt the fish bio Guy from my sordid past was tweaked back into life.

Although the Coral reef were extensively damaged by severe cyclones over the past few years there are pockets of very healthy formations as well as a wide assortment other invertebrates including sponges, Sea Stars, Sea Cucumbers and Urchins.

One giant bonus was seeing a Spotted Moray Eel at close range, sadly I did not have my camera on that snorkel and it was gone the next day…..

The late afternoon will usually include a trip into the river estuary on the pirogue searching for waders, Herons, Kingfishers etc, or hike along one of the trails through the secondary forest looking for White-fronted Brown Lemurs and chameleons etc.

A sunset there is of course, the mandatory “sundowner” refreshment enjoyed while watching the sun set across the bay.

Night walks begin at dark (six-ish) and usually last an hour and a half. It is forbidden to do night walks within the national park however the trails along the beach skirting the boundary give us the opportunity to see a good assortment of nocturnal animals including several Lemurs, Geckos, Owls and Amphibians.

During the night walks we slowly walk along the trails shining our flashlights through the underbrush and along tree branches. The nocturnal’s eyes shine back reflecting the light, they are usually transfixed by the light for a few moments providing a chance for clear identification and possibly a picture or two.