Madagascar: A Biodiversity Jewel

Madagascar: A Biodiversity Jewel

As nature photographers, we often dream of traveling to remote, extraordinary places to capture elusive wildlife in the most challenging environments. After exploring the Amazon and spending years photographing the rainforests of Central America, I thought Madagascar would be just another walk in the park. I was wrong. It turned out to be one of the most demanding—yet most rewarding—biodiversity photo tours I’ve ever experienced. The challenges came from every direction: the country’s infrastructure, the climate, and the often-difficult shooting conditions.

Madagascar, the world’s fourth-largest island, lies off the southeastern coast of Africa and is renowned for its exceptional wildlife and rich cultural heritage. It’s often called the “Red Island” for its striking red soil and the “Eighth Continent” because of its extraordinary biodiversity found nowhere else on Earth.

Our arrival was smooth—except for the minor setback of losing our luggage, which took four days to catch up with us. Antananarivo, the capital—affectionately called “Tana”—is a vibrant, chaotic city full of life and contradictions, where luxury and poverty coexist side by side. One of my favorite experiences there was visiting the Analakely Market, one of the largest in Africa. It was an exhilarating sensory overload—streets packed with people, vehicles, and vendors selling everything from food to car parts, all in a colorful, chaotic dance of daily life.

Our first destination was Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, located in the island’s east-central highlands at nearly 4,000 feet above sea level. The park is a paradise of dense, humid forests, glistening streams, and moss-covered canopies sheltering countless endemic species of plants, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. It’s one of Madagascar’s most accessible and rewarding wildlife destinations. Our mission was to photograph as many native species as possible, with our top target being the Indri, the largest of the lemurs.

Madagascar is home to over a hundred lemur species, found nowhere else on Earth. (For comparison, nearby Comoros has just one.) But lemurs weren’t my only focus. As we bounced along a muddy, winding road, my eyes were set on something much smaller—the Giraffe Weevil. Thanks to our guide’s keen eyesight, we found this remarkable insect by spotting the lace-like pattern it leaves on leaves. With its elongated neck and tiny size—barely an inch long—it’s one of Madagascar’s most fascinating beetles.

During our stay, we photographed the Diademed Lemur, colorful Peacock Day Geckos, and the small but striking Pandanus Frog. Nearby, Analamazaotra National Park offered another highlight—finding and photographing the Madagascar Comet Moth, a stunning silk moth with long streaming tails and a seven-inch wingspan. Its brief adult life of just four to five days made the encounter even more special.

A short walk from our lodge brought us to Lemur Island, a small preserve home to several species, including the Black-and-White Ruffed, Bamboo, Brown, and Red Ruffed Lemurs—a perfect teaser of what Madagascar had in store.

From Andasibe’s misty mountains, we embarked on a grueling journey east toward the coast to visit the Palmarium Reserve. The roads were so rough that some sections seemed to vanish entirely. At one point, we found ourselves stuck knee-deep in mud, vehicles bottomed out, with no choice but to enlist the help of 15–20 Malagasy men who cheerfully pushed us free—for a small reward.

We reached Manambolo Cove after dark, boarded a boat, and traveled through the Pangalanes Canal under a moonless sky. Despite the late hour, we made a detour to Aye-Aye Island—home to one of Madagascar’s strangest and rarest lemurs. These nocturnal creatures, made famous by Ze Frank’s “True Facts about the Aye-Aye,” are fascinating once you get past their eerie looks. We were lucky to spot four individuals of different ages. Using low-intensity LED lights, we captured excellent footage and stills.

A tip for photographers: in extreme low-light conditions, switch to video and extract stills later. Many cameras allow dual recording, and while the stills may be smaller, they often preserve better detail and dynamic range in such conditions.

The Palmarium Preserve, a 130-acre private reserve, offered a wealth of biodiversity—11 lemur species, radiated and spider tortoises, chameleons, and an array of native flora. From there, we returned to the capital before flying south to Fort Dauphin, followed by a two-hour drive to Berenty Reserve, a must-visit for photographing the famous Ring-Tailed Lemurs and Verreaux’s Sifakas.

Berenty’s dry forests teem with life—Malagasy Paradise Flycatchers, Vasa Parrots, Black Kites, Crested Drongos, and Couas. One highlight was following a local guide through an Alluaudia forest to find the Madagascar Nightjar, a beautifully camouflaged endemic bird.

Another unforgettable experience came when we visited a Madagascar Flying Fox rookery—massive fruit bats with wingspans reaching nearly three feet. Watching them soar alongside Black Kites was an incredible sight.

Of course, the true stars of Berenty were the dancing Sifakas and the ever-charming Ring-Tailed Lemurs—charismatic, social, and delightfully photogenic. On our way back to the airport, we took a brief detour to Ankoba Beach, dipping our feet in the Indian Ocean before heading home.

In the end, Madagascar proved to be a rugged, eye-opening adventure that offered not only incredible wildlife encounters but also insight into the daily struggles of its people. The lack of infrastructure and reliance on natural resources are constant reminders of the challenges this nation faces. Practices like slash-and-burn agriculture and bushmeat hunting still threaten its fragile ecosystems. Yet, it’s clear that ecotourism offers a path forward—just as it has for other African nations where tourism rivals agriculture as a key part of the economy.

A heartfelt thank-you to all our participants for their perseverance, and to our exceptional guide, Solofu, who navigated every challenge—from flat tires to muddy roads—with patience and creativity. We couldn’t have done it without him and the skilled drivers who carried us safely through this unforgettable island adventure. We’ll be back for sure, as there’s more to be discovered.