The southeast trade winds have long whispered through Madagascar’s history, carrying with them stories of adventure, and Miavana by Time + Tide have witnessed it all.
Like the seafarers of old, we have come to learn the winds’ tales and feel their rhythms. This is a wonderful time of year on the island as the winds of change can be felt in the air and the gentle song between seasons begins.
For centuries, these winds danced across the Indian Ocean, guiding Arab and Persian traders to Madagascar’s shores from as early as the 1st century AD. Laden with spices, silks, and ideas, their ships followed the winds’ invisible paths, bringing with them cultures that would forever blend with the island’s own, weaving their way into the layers of its delicious food, unique dialects and interesting traditions. The southeast trade winds became a bridge between continents, linking Madagascar with the rest of the world.
As the steady southeast trade winds swept across the island’s coast, they shaped its landscapes, while creating a natural rhythm that still sways Madagascar today. It is not humans alone who are guided by these winds. Drawn by instinct and the pull of warm, gentle seas, large groups of humpback whales travel thousands of miles from the icy Antarctic, guided by currents and winds that have carried travellers for millennia.
In the waters surrounding Miavana, the humpback whales complete their migration as they gather in the warm, sheltered bays to birth and nurse their young. This is the perfect time for intrepid travellers who want the opportunity to see whales revelling in what it means to be alive. At this time of the year, their songs echo, haunting and beautiful, carried by the wind across the waves. It won’t be long before the call of the deep beckons them homeward once more.
In September, as the dry season lingers in Madagascar, the wildlife stirs in harmony with the shifting winds.
The southeast trade winds, gentler now, sweep across Miavana, carrying with them the whispers of change. Lemurs start giving birth in anticipation of the bounty brought by the change of season and these inquisitive youngsters might make an appearance on guided walks on the island. Birdsong fills the air, as Madagascar’s vibrant species, like the Malagasy kingfisher, flit through the branches and butterflies flutter in the foliage. The wild orchids are starting to bloom, and with over 90% of the 1000 species found only in Madagascar, these are a rare and wonderful sight.
This time of the year there’s still an abundance of terns on a nearby island in our archipelago that hosts one of the largest nesting sites in the Indian Ocean. From mid-May to September, over 40 000 breeding pairs arrive on Manampaho where they hatch their chicks and patiently wait for them to grow big enought to take to the skies. They will soon make their way out to the open ocean where they will largely stay until they’re ready to make landfall to breed again in a year’s time.
The southeast trade winds have long been the guiding force behind the creation of the Madagascar we know today. These winds continue their ancient dance, guiding the wildlife through the rhythm of life. They hold within them the spirit of adventure, carrying whispers of the past across Miavana’s beaches and trees, their influence etched into the island’s very soul. As the winds lull and change their course, we have the chance to reflect and welcome the new season.
