For such a small island, the mountains and the gorges are spectacular. We explored quite a bit of the mountains. Driving through mountain gorges is spectacular.
The other feature worth mentioning are the huge sand dunes. The highest are close to 100 m (330 ft) high.
Plant life is surprisingly varied. There are a lot of endemic trees and other plants on Socotra. The Dragon Blood Trees (Dracaena cinnabari, german: Sokotrischer Drachenbaum, french: Dragonnier de Socotra), the Cucumber Trees (Dendrosicyos socotranus), and the Socotra Desert Rose (Bottle Trees) (Adenium obesum socotranum, german: Wüstenrose, french: Rose du désert) are the most spectacular. The Frankincense Tree (Boswellia elongata), from biblical Frankincense, are also worth mentioning.
Animal life on land is by far not as exciting as plant life. I only saw a few lizards and some land crabs near the shore.
Pictures of birds in Yemen and other nature pages are separate:
Mountains on the north shore of Socotra. (1047k) Mountain with lots of Bottle trees. (1399k) Dragon Blood Trees over Wadi Shibahn. (1377k) Dragon Blood Trees over Wadi Shibahn. (1.6M) Bottom of Wadi Shibahn. (1312k) Walls of Wadi Shibahn with Bottle Trees. (1.5M) Huge sand dune on the north shore of Socotra. (952k) Huge sand dune on the north shore of Socotra. (816k) Huge sand dune on the north shore of Socotra. (846k) Playing in the sand dune. (716k) Sand dunes of Zahaq. (441k) Sand dunes of Zahaq. (494k) Sand dunes of Zahaq. (553k) Sand dunes of Zahaq. (588k) Dogub Cave. (1.6M) Dogub Cave. (1.6M) Dogub Cave. (1.6M) Inside Dogub Cave. (1279k) Inside Dogub Cave. (1.5M) Inside Dogub Cave. (763k) Inside Dogub Cave. (1215k) Inside Dogub Cave. (1262k) Inside Dogub Cave. (1343k) Markings on a mountain. I don't know whether they were natural colorations or caused by fire. (1161k) Large landslide. (975k) Rock formations in the Socotra mountains. (1358k) Bizarre looking rock. (1369k) Full moon. (145k) Sunset. (523k) Sunset. (422k)
Flora in Yemen
Glaucous Glasswort (Arthrocaulon macrostachyum). (1.8M) Closer view of Glaucous Glasswort. (863k) Zygophyllum qatarense (Zygophyllum qatarense). (1.7M) Closer view of Zygophyllum qatarense. (1.8M) Zygophyllum qatarense (Zygophyllum qatarense). (1427k) Closer view of Zygophyllum qatarense. (1.7M) Rat's Ear (Commelina forskaolii). (1.8M) Cissus subaphylla (Cissus subaphylla), endemic to Socotra. (1.6M) Euryops arabicus (Euryops arabicus). (1.7M) Closer view of Euryops arabicus. (1334k) Euryops arabicus (Euryops arabicus). (1.8M) Closer view of Euryops arabicus. (779k) Ledebouria grandifolia (Ledebouria grandifolia), endemic to Yemen. (690k) Aden Currybush (Gnidia socotrana), endemic to Yemen. (1.8M) Close-up of the leaves of Aden Currybush. (1031k) Flowering Campylanthus spinosus (Campylanthus spinosus). (1.9M) Closer view of the flowers of Campylanthus spinosus. (1.6M) Heliotropium nigricans (Heliotropium nigricans), endemic to Yemen. (2M) Jatropha unicostata (Jatropha unicostata), endemic to Socotra. (1497k) Close-up of the leaves and flower of Jatropha unicostata. (599k) Close-up of the leaves and fruit of Jatropha unicostata. (1081k) Jatropha unicostata (Jatropha unicostata). (1.8M) Close-up of the leaves of Jatropha unicostata. (672k) Jatropha unicostata (Jatropha unicostata). (1.6M) Close-up of the leaves of Jatropha unicostata. (801k) Lannea transulta (Lannea transulta), endemic to Yemen. (1.6M) Close-up of the leaves and fruits of Lannea transulta. (749k) Lannea transulta (Lannea transulta). (1499k) Close-up of the leaves of Lannea transulta. (837k) Christ's Thorn Jujube (Ziziphus spina-christi, german: Syrischer Christusdorn, french: Épine du Christ). (1.8M) Close-up of the leaves of Christ's Thorn Jujube. (1285k) Croton socotranus (Croton socotranus), endemic to Socotra. (2M) Close-up of the leaves of Croton socotranus. (805k) Euphorbia arbuscula (Euphorbia arbuscula), endemic to Socotra. (2.2M) Close-up of the leaves. (983k) Lowveld False Crowberry Tree (Allophylus rubifolius). (1338k) Branch of the Lowveld False Crowberry Tree. (1481k) Large Tamarind Tree (Tamarindus indica, german: Tamarindenbaum, french: Tamarinier). (1.6M) Camphor Tree (Commiphora ornifolia). (1368k) Close-up of the leaves of the Camphor Tree. (586k) Palm trees. (1.8M) Socotra Desert Rose forest. (1419k) Socotra Desert Roses. (1133k) Socotra Desert Rose seedling. (1.9M) Socotra Desert Rose (Adenium obesum socotranum, german: Wüstenrose, french: Rose du désert), endemic to Socotra. (1381k) Socotra Desert Rose. (1412k) Socotra Desert Rose (Adenium obesum socotranum, german: Wüstenrose, french: Rose du désert). (1424k) Socotra Desert Rose. (1229k) Socotra Desert Rose (Adenium obesum socotranum, german: Wüstenrose, french: Rose du désert). (1118k) Large Socotra Desert Rose. (1.7M) Close-up of the leaves of a Socotra Desert Rose. (783k) Flowering Socotra Desert Rose. (2M) Flowering Socotra Desert Rose. (1.6M) Flowers of a Socotra Desert Rose. (584k) Flower of a Socotra Desert Rose (Adenium obesum socotranum, german: Wüstenrose, french: Rose du désert). (697k) Flowering Socotra Desert Rose with seed pods. (1.9M) Seed pods of a Socotra Desert Rose (Adenium obesum socotranum, german: Wüstenrose, french: Rose du désert). (1274k) Frankincense Trees (Boswellia elongata). (1365k) Frankincense Tree (Boswellia elongata). (1.5M) Leaves of the Frankincense Tree. (824k) Trunk of the Frankincense Tree with resins. (1355k) Close-up of the Frankincense resin. (1200k) Socotra Star Chestnut (Sterculia africana socotrana). (907k) Socotra Cucumber Tree (Dendrosicyos socotranus). (1150k) Leaves of the Socotra Cucumber Tree. (647k) Dragon Blood Tree forest in the mist. (1231k) Dragon Blood Tree forest. (1232k) Dragon Blood Tree forest. (1341k) Dragon Blood Tree forest. (1482k) Dragon Blood Trees. (1411k) Dragon Blood Trees. (1448k) Dragon Blood Trees (Dracaena cinnabari, german: Sokotrischer Drachenbaum, french: Dragonnier de Socotra). (1350k) Dragon Blood Tree (Dracaena cinnabari, german: Sokotrischer Drachenbaum, french: Dragonnier de Socotra). (1455k) Dragon Blood Tree (Dracaena cinnabari, german: Sokotrischer Drachenbaum, french: Dragonnier de Socotra). (1.6M) Dragon Blood Tree (Dracaena cinnabari, german: Sokotrischer Drachenbaum, french: Dragonnier de Socotra). (1352k) Close-up of the dense branches of a Dragon Blood Tree. (1052k) Close-up of the leaves of a Dragon Blood Tree. (1291k) Dragon Blood Tree nursery. (1.6M) Dragon Blood Tree nursery. This one is a few years old. (1.9M) Dragon Blood Tree nursery. This one is 10-20 years old. (1.9M) Dragon Blood Tree nursery. This one is at least 40 years old. (1.7M)
Barnacles. (1169k) Butterfly. (581k) Arabian Toothcarp (Aphaniops dispar) in Wadi Shibahn. (868k) Arabian Toothcarp (Aphaniops dispar) in Wadi Shibahn. (905k) Beach full of puffer fish carcasses. (2M) Puffer fish carcasses. (1.9M) Remains of a puffer fish. (1290k) Remains of a puffer fish. (1476k) Red Sea Land Hermit Crab (Coenobita scaevola) completely hiding in its snail shell. (1.5M) Red Sea Land Hermit Crab (Coenobita scaevola) coming out of the shell. (1.7M) Red Sea Land Hermit Crab (Coenobita scaevola) walking. (1357k) Red Sea Land Hermit Crab (Coenobita scaevola) walking. (727k) Land crab hiding in vegetation. (1.5M) Red Sea Ghost Crab (Ocypode saratan) on the beach. (433k) Red Sea Ghost Crab (Ocypode saratan) on the beach. (590k) Socotra Rock Gecko (Pristurus sokotranus), endemic to Socotra. (1125k) Socotra Rock Gecko. (1233k) Socotra Rock Gecko. (1128k) Sperm Whale skull (Physeter macrocephalus, german: Pottwal, french: Grand cachalot). (903k) Whale vertebrae. (1.8M)
Dr. Günther Eichhorn Travel Website
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