Today we were in Mayotte, France.
The people of Mayotte voted to remain part of France and became the 101st department of France (Fifth French Republic) on 31 March 2011 and became the outermost associated region of the European Union on 1 January 2014, following a March 2009 referendum with an overwhelming result in favour of remaining in the status of a French department.
The population is somewhere over 300,000 people. In 2019, with an annual population growth of 3.8%, half the current population was less than 17 years old. Over 83% of the population live under the poverty line according to French standards, compared to 16% in metropolitan France. Additionally 40% of dwellings are corrugated sheet metal shacks, 29% of households have no running water, and 34% of the inhabitants between the age of 15 and 64 do not have a job.
The main island, Grande-Terre (or Maore), geologically the oldest of the Comoro Islands, is 39 kilometres (24 mi) long and 22 kilometres (14 mi) wide, and its highest point is Mount Benara, at 660 metres (2,165 ft) above sea level. Mayotte's land area is 374 square kilometres (144 sq mi). Because of the volcanic rock, the soil is relatively rich in some areas. A coral reef encircling much of the island ensures protection for ships and a habitat for fish.
The two largest islands are Grande-Terre and Petite-Terre, backed by a coral reef. This 160 km (99 mi) long coral reef surrounds a 1,100 km2 (420 sq mi) lagoon, one of the largest and deepest in the world. Part of the barrier reef features a double barrier that is rare on the planet. It protects almost all of Mayotte from ocean currents and waves, except for a dozen passes.
We didn’t see too much of the "town" as we took a boat to shore from our boat to take a local boat (I see a pattern here....). The boat from shore was a pontoon boat but we did have a seat and some shade. The light weight of the boat meant the 9 of us onboard could fly over the waves at high speed. It was like a roller coaster and great fun for those of us who don’t get seasick.
Our ride was about an hour and our young captain, Max, drove us to a few beautiful spots until we reached an out island where we disembarked into the sea and walked to the beach. Here David and I found some shade. Some people splashed around in the water while others, who had brought their own snorkeling equipment, went snorkeling. They reported back that the coral was full of beautiful colors and they encountered large schools of colorful fish. Most said they thought it was the best snorkelling so far on this cruise.
After about an hour we began our 45-minute cruise back, stopping by to admire various coves and rock formations.
I was very surprised at the beauty, lushness and greenery of the island. It feels very untouched and unspoiled. It would be ripe for resort development if it weren’t for the competition from other near-by resort countries such as Mauritius.