Bazaruto Island

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Sand dune in Bazaruto Island, August 2006
Sand dune in Bazaruto Island, August 2006

Bazaruto (Portuguese: Ilha do Bazaruto) is a sandy island located approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) southeast of the mouth of the Save River, Mozambique (21°38′S 35°30′E). The warm, southward-flowing Mozambique Current seems to contribute to the increasing buildup of the sandy coastline. Because the water along this coastal area is very clear, much of the sub-surface channel pattern around the island is discernible. Several narrow lines of plankton bloom (barely visible in the photograph) parallel the shoreline. The coastal plains show numerous lakes and a swampy environment that appears to be karst topography. Underlying the area is limestone rock that has eroded into a pockmarked landscape, creating water-filled sinkholes. Rainfall in this humid subtropical climate amounts to between 50 and 100 centimeters (20 and 40 inches) annually.

Bazaruto Island from space, March 1990
Bazaruto Island from space, March 1990

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