Mauritius is an island of volcanic origin situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean. In this section you will learn about its formation and understand why the landscape of the island is so peculiar as well as interesting. It also deals with its exceptional climate which attracts thousands of tourists annually generating millions of rupees  in terms of revenue.

The absence of man, the isolation of the islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues and  Reunion over millions of years have enabled a remarkable fauna and flora to  evolve there undisturbed. This is often the case in remote and isolated islands.  The arrival of man and the ensuing colonisation have had tremendous impacts on  the native wildlife,  most of it being driven into extinction or on the edge of  it.

Mauritius was once one of richest oceanic islands in terms of its avian biodiversity. Most of the birds of Mauritius have become extinct. In this section you will also learn what is being done by the government together with international organisations to protect the remaining endemic species of Mauritius so that they do not end up like the Dodo.

You’ve probably heard of the dodo but did you know that it lived on the small island of  Mauritius? Most people think that the Dodo became extinct because it was stupid and did not run away when attacked by the first explorers or that the word dodo is derived from the  Portugese word “doudo” which means stupid or refers to a person unable to adapt to new changing circumstances. These are all stupid fallacies. Take a look at this section..... the truth is in here!

The island  is surrounded in most parts by lagoons created by the  formation of either barrier reefs or fringing reefs. The area of the lagoons is  243 square kilometres. They are vitally important as sources of food through  artisanal fishery, as places of leisure for both the population and tourists.  Unfortunately, development and industrialisation are taking their toll, and  dearly so too.