Messed up?

If you are totally “messed up” and still in need of a gift for under your tree, why not waste your money on this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h68adwH3VVM

Socotra Governance & Biodiversity Project 2010 achievements

Bohdana Rambouskova, Communication Officer of the Socotra Governance & Biodiversity Project, put the SGBP 2010 achievements on you tube:

Concern as Yemen ecotourism grows

Is ecotourism just a nicer word for tourism?
Hopefully the succes of the island is not going the start working contraproductive?

Saving rare plants from extinction in Socotra

Adeeb Hadeeb, 65, exploited his piece of land in Socotra to build arboretum to save rare Socotri plants from extinction. He has planted more than 20,000 saplings in the land although he has no regular income or any salary.

More to read in the Yemen Times

For what it is worth...

The Yemen Observer, not immediately high quality, delivers again an article which needs interpretation and fantasy to reconstruct reality, perhaps just this makes it interesting?

Russian documentary films, covering their Socotra work of the last decade(s)

Vladimir Aganof informs us about a Russian documentary film, covering their Socotra work of the last decade(s). More info at REN-TV (MSK)

Premiere of a documentary film by Vladimir Melnik

"SOCOTRA: UNKNOWN TALE" scheduled from 20th to 22th December in "Unknown Planet" Program on the REN-TV Russian channel (Moscow).

The film tells the story of daily life and heritage of Socotran hermits, of the tale of "Two Brothers" from the library of Pharaoh Seti, which is told to Socotran children at night, of incense of Socotra, its exotics and much more. It presents the most authoritative expert opinions of leading Russian experts on Socotra, the recent sensational discovery of Socotra's "Oldowan Mariners' culture"more than 1.5 million years ago.
The film sounds a real live speech Socotrans, Socotran folklore. Its authoritative opinion about the history and mysteries of Socotra express world-renowned scientists:- Vitaly V. Naumkin - Doctor of History, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies, the author of books on Socotra,- Alexander Vs. Sedov - Doctor of History, Director General of the State Museum of Oriental Art, Head of the Russian- Yemeni Integrated Expedition,- Khazri A. Amirkhanov - Corresponding Member of RAN, Head of Department of the Stone Age of the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The writer of these lines, who has recorded on tape by accident a Socotran tale of "Two Brothers" in 1979 and is an author of a scientific publication of this tale original version in Soqotri in the CLN Journal, also shares his views on several specific issues of the old Socotran times.

Socotra The world’s best secret island... commercial bullshit

Sad the read this kind of commercialised information:
Yemen Observer

Socotra’s island’s memorable guides

Of course, it seems obvious that people who were born and torn in a place, should know it best. Even the idea of preservation over short term financial benefit is much more present than elsewhere, we can only support their efforts!
Yemen Times

Species at Yemen island face threat

The following link to the Al Jazeera website does reflect reality! Hopefully some policymakers might react on this soon, before it is all just another memory.

Media reinvent the wheel

Quite funny when new species of grasshoppers and crickets are discovered on Socotra, which happens to be THE SAME that we collected about then years ago? So far for "NEWS"? (in Dutch)
Het laatste nieuws (NL)
NOS-nieuws (NL)De Standaard (???) (B)

Cave experiences in 3D!

Just as we where looking into 3D stuff for during our next expedition, we will never ever be able to tip on this:
http://www.sanctummovie.com/#/videos/

Data from the field!

These days friends go on holiday and 24h later, you can watch their report on youtube or alike. An example:


Although the report is very nice, it is always informative to check out cave visits.



And I can assure you that this pool (the ONLY pool) inside Hoq Cave IS NOT MEANT TO BE USED AS A DRINKING WATER FACILITY!This is the ONLY habitat known so far of some endemic troglobiontic species, so extremely fragile and valuable.
We can only hope nature will cope with all this change?!

Somalia claims Socotra as its own?

Somalia claims Socotra as its own.
AllGedo Online and the Yemen Post

Small Grant Projects

Small Socotra related grants projects on youtube:

Info or not?

The Yemen Observer and quality reporting???
Beauty & Cleaning

SKP10 pre-expedition meeting

SKP10 pre-meeting: the team gathered again to discuss the future Scope of Work and actions points to be taken regarding our next expedition. The collaboration with the filming team was not seen as beneficial, so a further partnership is ceased.

Geology Today Backcover

Quite surprised to see the backside of the Magazine Geology Today, as the text and picture by Tony Waltham of the Erher caves is very familiar (just to let you know that we did EXPLORE and MAPPED ALL the ENTRANCES to be seen!)

MSNBC broadcasts about Socotra

MSNBC Today News shows the uniqueness of the island. Attention is drawn, bookings can follow?

Underground behaviour ...

Training and education are the key elements to success… this is just the same underground. Now that “new guides” accompanies tourists through Hoq Cave, awareness is very limited and therefore ignorance is high. Although the picture might seem quite harmless, the next generation will not be acquainted with underground behaviour, very sad in fact as these moments are opportunities for the future of an “unspoiled” archipelago!

AGM FoS at the Exeter University 25-27 September

This year the Annula General Meeting of the FoS took place at the University of Exeter, hosted by the MARES-project team (Julian Jansen van Rensburg is currently doing his Socotra related Ph.D. here!).
It was marvelleous to see all the participants and splendid lectures.
Below the link to some immages;

FoS 2010 Exeter University UK, AGM

Kick-start to new Socotra administration

A workshop organised on Sunday by the Soqotra Governance and Biodiversity Project set in motion plans for the establishment of a new special administrative set-up for the islands of Soqotra.
Read the rest in the Yemen Times

The actual Climate of Socotra revealed!

Finally, thanks to Dr. Paul Scholte who took the lead, my trailing paper of the Climate of Socotra got published in the Journal of Arid Environments. Feel free to download here directly! Inch Allah, some other papers will be published…

Possible collaboration with German production team

Preliminary correspondence with a German broadcasting team about a possible SKP-documentary partnership is started. As we learned the hard way in the past, chances of a fruitful collaboration are rather slim.

The New "Socotra" Mac Book Pro Skin ???

Ten years ago unknown to 99,99% of all the human population and today, you can buy your new personalised "Socotra" Mac Book Pro Skin?

What's next people???

Socotra: The Other Galapagos Awaits Tourists

What Oliver Holmes writes in The Times can be read here.
Just funny to see that the caves are highlighted again. Although, as Tony Waltham made the pictures, the link might be quite direct?

BUT, just be well informed before booking your next holiday to paradise!

Climbing, or hanging around stalactites?

I try to be neutral, but the benefit of cave exploration compared with "climbing" is not so obscure as one initially might think.
Just enjoy people hanging around Socotra:

A video clip, breathing biodiversity!

Help for Abd Al Kuri is on the way!

29th of May 2010.
A boat laden with over 400 tons of relief goods set off from Socotra today towards Abdul-Kuri. The aid includes: food items (rice, flour, dates, tinned food, water); medicines, bedding, clothes, furniture, cooking equipment etc.
The relief effort was funded by the Yemen Economic Association (?) in addition to private sector donations (+ some sort of army support?) and comes as a response to a call for support from the governor of the province, Mr. Salem Alkhanbashi to help the residents of Abdul-Kuri following heavy rains. 2 people were killed, a girl and a woman + livestock were lost.

سفينة محملة بـ (400) طن من المواد الغذائية إلى جزيرة عبد الكوري

السبت - 29 - مايو - 2010 - سقطرى / الثورة نت/مسعد صويلح


انطلقت اليوم من ميناء جزيرة سقطرى السفينة غريب نواس والتي تحمل على متنها أكثر من (400) طن من المواد الغذائية وإنمائية إلى جزيرة عبدالكوري ثاني كبرى جزر أرخبيل سقطرى بعد سقطرى بمحاظة حضرموت. وأوضح الأخ سعد علي سالمين مدير جديبو رئيس المجلس المحلي أن هذه السفينة والمحملة بمختلف المواد الغذائية من أرز وقمحم ودقيق وتمور ومعلبات ومياه بالإضافة إلى الأدوية والفرش والملابس والآثاث وأدوات المطبخ وغيرها, ممولة من قبل المؤسسة الاقتصادية اليمنية والقطاع الخاص واللواء الأول مشاه وجاءت بناء على توجيهات محافظ المحافظة الأخ سالم الخنبشي لمساعد أخواننا وأخواتنا في هذه الجزيرة النائية والتي تحتاج منا جميعا مزيدا من الرعاية والاهتمام . جدير بالذكر أن جزيرة عبدالكوري تعرضت لإضرار طالت المساكن والمواد الغذائية التي بحوزتهم والثروة الحيوانية إلى جانب وفاة طفلة وإمراة بفعل العاصفة الرعدية وهطول الأمطار الغزيرة خلال الأيام القليلة الماضية

Abd al Kuri hit hard by cyclone‏

Sana’a, May 24, 2010

At least two people- a woman and a girl child, were killed on the Arabian sea Island of Soctora, some 450km to the southeast of the port city of Aden, in the worst flooding to hit the Island in decades, media sources reported Sunday.

They said water streamed down from nearby mountains over the past few days after torrential rain into Abd Al Kuri and the western areas of Socotra Island, including Qalansia, flooding homes and sweeping away many vehicles.

The floods also killed scores of livestock and caused extensive damage to many civilian houses in Hadibou, the capital of the Island. Students were reportedly unable to take their final exams as schools were shut down due to the flooding.

The Yemeni deputy minister of health, Omar Mujali, toured the affected areas of the Island and inspected the scale and size of the damages caused by the floods, according to the sources.

Other articles:
* Yemen Post
* Earth Week

Thanks to the BBC!

As the BBC is currently shooting a new "Africa" documentary series, Socotra got included in their wish list. We were more than happy to give our advice. In return the BBC contributed, currently used for the set up of our new website. Best regards to Tooni Mahto for the interview.

Tourism on Socotra is BOOMING!

Almost unexistant at the beginning of this project, now tourism on the archipelago is really booming. The exceptional year 2008 with more than 2500 tourists, got easily surpased last year with a new record of 3786 people visiting the island(s). Hopefully the benefits will also surpase the inconveniances?

More details here!

The full SKP-storey on the web soon!

Finally, after a decade of exploration, a new website is under construction.
Already 1200 pictures are watermarked, ready for an online release scheduled in spring 2010.

The following url is reserved www.socotra.be