A new harbour for Socotra Island

As Socotra is "developping" a new harbour near the actual airport is foreseen to be finished by 2013. As the money is available, infrastructure ideas and connectivity will follow, more info here.

A new website for Socotra!

Socotra can be proud on a new website: "Socotra Governance and Biodiversity Project (SGBP)"

For the most up to date info, this will the new place to visit!

December 2009

Exactly 10 years ago the SKP was inaugurated; reason enough to celebrate the occasion. More info soon.

SKP-gathering

20/11/2009: SKP-gathering for data processing to prepare a sequel SKP2005-2009 report. Also a renewed general website and the gentle preparations for SKP10 will be discussed.

Dvipa Sukhadhara: The forgotten Island of Bliss

08/11/2009: Julian Jansen van Rensburg will lecture on “Dvipa Sukhadhara: The forgotten Island of Bliss”
at the Ancient Indian Ocean Corridors: placing coastal and island south Asia in their broader Indian Ocean context a joint UCL - University of Oxford conference, to be held at the School of Archaeology, Oxford. All details at: http://www.arch.ox.ac.uk/conferences/articles/ancient-indian-ocean-corridors.html

The Indian inscriptions from the cave Hoq on Socotra

31/10/2009: Dr Ingo Strauch will give a lecture, titled “Indian traders between Africa and South-Arabia: The Indian inscriptions from the cave Hoq on Socotra” at the collaborative workshop Global Geographies: the Indian Ocean in Historical Perspective, organized jointly by the British Institute in Eastern Africa (BIEA) and the British Association for South Asian Studies (BASAS) at the Royal Asiatic Society, 14 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2HD. More details here.

FoS AGM in Tübingen, Germany

The organisation the 9th FoS AGM in Tübingen was just supreme!
Thanks a lot Dana for all the effort and the opportunity to explore some of the Schwäbische Alb. The minutes and outcome of the meeting can be found in the near future on the FoS website.
Click here below on the image to see more pictures.

AGM FoS 2009 Tübingen, Germany

Fos Meeting in Tübingen, Germany

This weekend is the AGM of the FoS held in Germany.
For all details, take a look at the FoS website or click here.

See you there!
If not, I'll keep you informed about the outcome.

Another new documentary film...

A mini Tsunami of Socotra related documentary films is reaching us these days...
Luckily they all bring the same urgent message: "Help is needed to preserve the islands' identity, as rapid development is actually a real prominent thread!".
Hopefully it works out the right way.

All further details on 360°-Geo van ARTE

How it should NOT be done!

Now that Socotra is opening it's doors to real tourism, news is spread everywhere...
Even the Yemen Times recently published Mohammed Ghoath's visit report "Camping in Socotra", read it here. Sad to read that this is almost an open invitation to go exploring caves that instead should be firmly "controlled" and sustainably managed by now.
One can only hope that some stalagmites stay alive during the next few years!

“Socotra – The Last Stand” documentary

In coordination with local stakeholders in Yemen and Socotra in particular, IUCN ROWA has produced a documentary entitled “Socotra – The Last Stand”. This documentary promotes the special and unique ecosystem of the Socotra Archipelago. It shows how the islands and the local people there are trying to fit into today’s’ changing world by facing many challenges to achieve the ecological, cultural and economic sustainability. With increased accessibility and the influence of globalization, the islands are threatened by unsustainable development.

Details at the IUCN-site.

Indian cargo ship sinks off Yemen; Crew rescued

Yesterday an Indian cargo ship sunk before the coast of Socotra, read more details in Saba News

New book about Socotra out there soon!

Next months the book "The Lost World of Socotra" by Richard Boggs will be published by Stacey International.

CONTENTS:
Introduction
Chapter 1: A Place Apart
Chapter 2: Frankincense
Chapter 3: People
Chapter 4: Culture
Chapter 5: Development
Chapter 6: Tourism
Bibliography
Index

Money... and new plans!

The government of Italy support Soqotra again, read all details here.
At the same time new ideas about developing Abdel Kuri Island arise, check it out!
Hopefully Soqotra will benefit from both, inch Allah.

Hamar an Nafur

One day you find yourself cirkeling around a steep limestone outcrop in the Indian ocean off the coast of Oman, called Hamar an Nafur, and what do you see?
A rather big population of Socotra Cormorants, what a coincidence?

The longest cave of Arabia on YOU TUBE

As media and technology are almost symbiotic these days, please do enjoy our explorations in the longest cave of Arabia filmed at new year 2007-2008 on YOU TUBE. Note that this cave is stil not revealing all its secrets, but we are getting very close!

President Saleh visits Socotra

President Saleh visits Socotra again.
For his emphasis on different subjects, do visit the Saba News site.

Spice it up!

Just to let you all know that this blog is still alive (and in need of some updating), you can enjoy one of the better cave movie intro's below, just to spice it up, but nothing to do with SKP:



As I'm currently working in Oman, some more nearby features in the KHOSHILAT MAQANDELI (Majlis Al Jinn)/MUQAL CAVE (The second largest chamber in the world):

Tuberculosis rose in Socotra

As the global economy is shaking these days, the poor are always hit first...
This is also the case for Socotra Island, were TBC rose 110% in 2008, mainly caused by malnutrition. More details on Saba News!

Big brother...

Just as you think you are all alone on an unspoiled island, you read stuff like this. Maybe we have to look up more from time to time and say "Hi" to big brother?

Kuwait funds for community college and port site

Kuwaiti Deputy Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed Sabah al Sabah along with Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi recently offered Yemen funds to start up a community college and port site on Socotra island.
More details can be found at Saba News and the Yemen Times.

Skip one this year...

Although no real SKP-expedition was planned at the beginning of this year, my wife and I were going to visit our Yemeni and Socotri friends, but unfortunately "destiny" changed these plans. Just calling Achmed by mobile phone these days to keep in touch and Inch Allah, next time action can be taken again...