BAZARUTO ENVIRONMENT
The Bazaruto Archipelago contains a wide diversity of ecosystems, including pelagic waters, coral reefs, dynamic beaches, tidal flats and associated marine grass meadows, mangrove communities, freshwater lakes, swamp forests, climax evergreen, savanna grassland, bare and vegetated sand dunes. The area is also an important feeding area for dugong and a nesting area for marine turtles. The eastern strip of the island is composed of duneland. The remainder of the island (about two thirds) is thicket, grassland, scrub and wetland. The range of wildlife species is very diverse especially in the marine environment which includes species such as dolphins, dugongs, humpback whale and marine turtles. Research has shown that it is possible to introduce larger and more diverse species on land, eg. large herbivores such as hippo, water buck and hartebeest.
Seventy percent of all marine fish families thought to be represented in the waters surrounded the Bazaruto Archipelago and over 1 000 species are present, including Sailfish, Marlin, Giant Ignoblis and Bonefish.
List of the most common fish species found at Bazaruto:
| Sharks |
Giraffe Seahorse |
Damsel Fish |
Bream |
| Eagle Rays |
Flag Tails |
Parrot Fish |
Spinecheeks |
| Sting Rays |
Thornfish |
Manta Rays |
John Dory |
| Moray Eels |
Snappers |
Springers (Bonefish) |
Goatfish |
| Herring & Sardines |
Steenbras |
Wolf Herrings |
Butterfly fish |
| Anchovies |
Bluefish |
Lizardfishes |
Dolphin fish |
| Eel Catfish |
Pursemouths |
Angler fish |
Remoras |
| Groupers |
Angelfish |
Gars |
Sweepers |
| Sunfish |
Kingfish |
Pegasus Fish (Horse fish) |
Wrasses |
| Needle fish |
Cobia |
Rock Cods |
Mullet |
| Soldier fish |
Hawkfish |
Cardinal fish |
Threadfins |
| Blennies |
Surgeon fish |
Rabbit fish |
Tuna |
| Blue / Black Marlin |
Sailfish |
Trigger fish |
Boxfish |
| Barracudas |
Gobies |
Tobies |
Mackerel |
| Serra |
Puffer fish |
Left-eye Flounders |
File fish |
Butterflies
A leisurely 4 hour hike to the lighthouse, through the valleys and over the sand dunes, along the Northern Point of Bazaruto proved very rewarding for a Butterfly collector during February 1994 as he managed to collect and identify the following species of lepidoptera:
