Inhaca Island
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Inhaca Island (Ilha da Inhaca in Portuguese) is a subtropical island of Mozambique off the East African coast.
The 52km² island is situated at 26°S, 33°E, and separates Maputo Bay (Baía de Maputo) to the west from the Indian Ocean off its eastern shores. The island's irregular coastline approaches mainland Machangulo Peninsula at Ponta Torres where a 500m-wide tidal race separates the two headlands. In administrative terms Inhaca is a municipal district of the municipality of Maputo, while the Machangulo peninsula is included under the Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area and is part of the district of Matutuíne, Maputo Province.
[edit] Geographical features
The island's dimensions are approximately 12km (n-s) by 7km (e-w). The highest point above sea level is the 104m Mount Inhaca on the north-eastern shoreline. The south-western peninsula is known as Ponta Punduine while Ponta Torres to the south-east approaches the mainland. Two inland swamps occur at the northerly airstrip and southern Nhaquene respectively. Besides Inhaca settlement on the western shore there are five smaller native settlements including Inguane, Ridjeni, Nhaquene and Tobia.
[edit] Ecotourism
The island is popular as an ecotourism destination. The island habitat consists of central cultivated fields, grassy northern plains and eastern usnea-covered dune forests. Extensive exposed mudflats fringe the western and southern shores at low tide. Three undamaged coral reefs flank the island's western perimeters, all of which are protected marine reserves. Mangroves cover large sections of the northern shores and southern Saco Bay.
Among 160 coral species are Staghorn and Plate corals. Conspicuous fish are Moray eel, Potato bass, Barracuda and Kingfish. Others present are Brindle bass, Scorpionfish, Butterflyfish, Pufferfish, Parrotfish and Seahorses. Whale sharks and Manta rays visit in summer.
Humpback Whales and Bottlenose dolphins migrate seasonally past these shores. Sea turtles of different species visit the shores in summer to breed.
Inhaca is home to ca 300 bird species, resident and migratory, but suffers from a detrimental House Crow infestation since the 1970's. Bird species of conservation concern are Pink-backed Pelican, Lesser Crested Tern, Crab Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Mongolian Plover, Terek Sandpiper, Southern Banded Snake Eagle, Mangrove Kingfisher, Grey-rumped Swallow and Spotted Ground-Thrush. The southerly Nhaquene Swamp and Saco Bay are strongholds of the rare Sooty Falcon. Northerly Portuguese Island is a roost for several Tern species. Special birds of limited distribution are Rudd's Apalis, Neergaard's Sunbird and Pink-throated Twinspot.
