Minutes ago this water came off the edge of a high cliff as one of several impressive waterfalls on the small island of Principe. Think of miniature versions of Salto Angel (Angel Falls)! As with most of Principe the mountain tops are densely forested and during the rainy season plenty of rainfall replenishes the streams, […]
For a small island, Principe has an impressive array of waterfalls, some can even be seen from far out to sea – that is how tall they are! On a previous day I had passed this side of the island on the way to Caroço Islet and noticed an impressive waterfall standing out in an […]
I arrived in Principe just in time to enjoy the birds building nests or just in the early stages of incubation. I even followed a pair in the process of completing a nest just outside the window of my room. I found this male further inland from the hotel, an it’s is most likely guarding […]
On Principe’s little sister This is a tiny speck of volcanic rock rising more than 300 meter high with sheer cliffs on all sides except areas on the north-western side where huge boulders have come off the mountain to form a fertile slope with dense forest and a rocky and dangerous shore with no beach. […]
Although Principe is a small island, its diversity is still largely intact and thus most of the endemic species are common and widespread. When I arrived here the building of nests was in full swing. The males were completely absorbed in courting the females, fencing off any competing males and completing their nest building. It […]
An endangered widow This amazing species is yet another example of how selfish human desires to keep exotic pets drives a species to extinction. Why is it so hard to understand that keeping a bird captive does not benefit anyone? This delusional idea that the pet has been bred from long standing captive populations and […]
Bom Bom islet, Principe Humanity is still struggling with understanding its place in the universe. Partly due to greed, short sightedness and weak government, but perhaps most importantly the deep an incomprehensible absence of feeling a connection with life! Every child is pushed through a molding process starting in kindergarten – all firmly focused on […]
Bom Bom islet, Principe This small islet was a treasure trove of fungi species, and I wonder how many species will come out of the ground and rotten wood as the wet season progresses. I visited at the beginning of the season and had such a great time here. I had left behind the best […]
Bom Bom islet, Principe The color palette of the fungi I encountered on the Bom Bom islet was surprisingly diverse and this species made me think of the colorful Russula fungi I enjoyed back home just before this trip. I found many specimens of this species on this small islet which is a good sign […]
Bom Bom islet, Principe I had many amazing moments on the forest floor of Bom Bom islet as there were so many fungi species with beautiful specimens. Some were very hard to spot as they blended in so well with their surroundings, and this one has a beautiful cap of cracks creating a pattern that […]
Bom Bom islet, Principe With the very same color as the decaying leaves on the ground this is a species that is easily missed, even though it is quite large. I encountered many brightly colored fungi species on this islet, some were magnets to insects, but this one is very different and also was free […]
During my stay on Principe I had a lot of lovely encounters with one of the resident pairs of Principe kingfishers. If I was inside my room and heard the familiar calls I would look outside and find one or more of them in one of their favorite perches. Perhaps the most popular was that […]
This evening I was hoping to encounter many interesting fungi and perhaps even flowers in the forest west of Bom Bom islet where I had found so many amazing species so far. From the islet the forest looks pristine and untouched, but as I walked the trail I soon realized it was second growth forest […]