Mauritius - Tropical Paradise in the Indian Ocean | Free Documentary Nature

[Music] dream beaches pristine natural landscapes and rich cultural diversity that describes mauritius an island state east of madagascar [Music] [Music] the colors of the national flag symbolize the character of the young republic red stands for the blood that was shed during the struggle for independence blue stands for the vast expanse of the indian ocean yellow symbolizes the light of independence that now shines over maurizios and green represents the lush vegetation and the fruitfulness of the land mauricios is on the same latitude as mozambique about 1 800 kilometers of open sea separate the island from the african continent portuguese mariners discovered the uninhabited island group at the beginning of the 15th century maurizio's covering an area of about 2 000 square kilometers was under dutch rule from 1598 on they began the process of settling the island kingdom the first source of income was the export of ebony wood after the dutch left the island piracy ran rampant for several years then the french moved in and in 1810 the british finally on march 12 1992 maurizios became an independent republic within the commonwealth broad expanses of maurizios had already been deforested by the beginning of the 18th century remaining virgin forests were driven back bit by bit by sugar cane plantations today the sweet cane is cultivated on nearly 90 percent of available agricultural land cane sugar was a luxury item available only at the apothecary until the middle of the 18th century its value dropped dramatically after that and the former luxury item became an inexpensive commodity even today cane sugar could be far less expensive but the european union keeps the price of the sweet foreign import high through subsidies and high import tariffs maurizio's feels the pinch as well of the 49 former sugar factories only seven remain the laventude sucre museum deals with the infamous history of sugar production on the island for nearly 200 years the sugar industry was the economic foundation of the colonial powers slaves did the hard work in the fields no other product is as closely tied to slavery as the sugarcane [Music] the dramatic change this plant caused to the landscape of maurizios is shown by the light green areas marking the growth of the sugarcane fields from 1770 to 1950 cultivation methods and the tools used have not changed significantly since that time when slavery was abolished in 1835 indian immigrants took over to work on the plantations many of them never returned to their home country today their descendants make up the country's largest ethnic group [Music] in the domaine de paelle nature park close to the capital city of port louis there's a replica of an old sugar mill today an ox powers the press until 1836 slaves had to do this work during harvest time from june to december the rolling mill rarely stops came by cane the rollers press out the sweet juice the juice is funneled through channels leading to the kettles here the sweet liquid is slowly heated the water evaporates and the sugar cane juice turns into a thick dark molasses at this point the sugar content is about 60 percent after that the concentrated syrup goes to the crystallization room to slowly cool the containers are open at the bottom and a sieve catches the sugar crystals they form what is called the sugar loaf the remaining liquid is used to make alcohol the dutch began producing roman mauricios in the 17th century to supply the seafaring men rum is still being distilled to this day in the old copper kettles more recently however all over the country the alcohol is increasingly used to produce biomethanol the large grand port bay is truly historic terrain this is where the dutch first set foot on maurizios on september 20th 1598. before they could land they had to find their way through the coral reef which surrounded the island like the walls of a fortress from the bridge over la show the view of the mahaborg villas is impressive just a bit further upstream we enter into the realm of the mascarene flying fox or fruit bat these animals live only on maurizio's their population on the neighboring island of rio young died out at the beginning of the 19th century these nocturnal bats gather in the crowns of trees early in the morning where they sleep the rest of the day [Music] the masquerine flying fox has a wingspan of about 1.7 meters the flight membrane stretches between the elongated second and fifth finger and connects to the joints of its feet in contrast to other bats flying foxes have a claw not only on the thumb but also on the second finger their wings serve as sun shades as they sleep they also work well as cooling fans flying foxes are vegetarians they feed on fruits seeds and flower nectar they're considered to be pests by fruit plantation operators they don't seem to notice the difference between wild and cultivated fruit trees once nearly exterminated their populations have recovered in the meantime but allowing them to be hunted again is being discussed not only to protect fruit harvests but to put them back on the menu mauritius is renowned for its culinary specialties typical local cuisine reflects european indian chinese and creole roots la belle creole restaurant in myerborg offers a special service instead of waiting for their meal to be prepared at their table guests can enjoy a boat trip on the river today tundra wild boar is on the menu the meat has been basted in a special herb and spice marinade for a couple of days already otherwise it would remain very tough traditionally kitchens on mauritius are outdoors cooking is done over an open fire [Music] the wok was introduced to the country by asian immigrants as soon as the onions are fried the meat is added now the curry tundra has to simmer for about half an hour the delicious meal was well worth the wait creole cuisine is known for its variety and abundance lunch at la belle creole is not a matter of just half an hour fruit cocktails are part of the meal and served at no extra charge [Music] the mix starter plate offers a taste of various typical regional dishes fresh crabs wild goulash various chutneys and rice finally the curry tandrak is also ready this delicious culinary experience served with all appropriate creole charm is a pure enjoyment [Applause] probably the best dessert in the entire island is created on the outskirts of maryborg hidden behind lush vegetation is the old raul family bakery since its founding in 1870 the bakery's ovens have been fueled with the waste products of the sugarcane industry back then the family's great-grandfather created a recipe for monyok cookies which are still very popular today every child on mauricios knows these cookies made from pure monyok flour in the meantime the gluten-free cookies have become very popular in europe as well the grandfather probably suspected that the recipe could provide for his family for generations to come he kept it a well-guarded secret only shortly before his death did he reveal the secret to his children and they in turn kept it under lock and key until the next generation was ready to take over the business today the bakery employs more than 30 people they work for about two weeks to get a shipping container of the cookies ready for shipment overseas the entire production process is done by hand including the packing five o'clock tea is part of the family tradition as it has been from the very beginning today the fifth generation of the family enjoys a cup of tea and a few maniac cookies every afternoon [Music] the island illo secret or egret island lies about 900 meters off the coast from heinberg in the ancient past tectonic forces thrust the island out of the deep since then the surf has been slowly eating away at it during world war ii the island served as a military base for the british today it is an environmentally protected area efforts have been made since 1985 to reintroduce and maintain the island's original native vegetation thanks to the dedication behind this project local bird life again has the original feeding trees to choose from the main attraction of this tiny island is certainly the mauritius pigeon or the pink pigeon in the mid 1980s the population of this pigeon dropped to 10 to 15 animals today about 70 birds live on egret island and about 400 on the main island the behavior of the island pigeons is no different from that of other members of the pigeon family the locals are particularly proud of the young birds recognizable by their cream-colored feathers successful breeding gives hope that the mauritius pigeon will not go the way of the ill-fated dodo bird the dodo which adorns the crest of maurizios became extinct at the end of the 17th century as with most pigeons the pink pigeon is not picky about what it eats they feed on fruits and seeds of various local and imported plants the aldabra giant turtle comes from the atoll in the seychelles of the same name their mauritian relatives died out already by the end of the 19th century the small group of 18 adult animals is doing their best to increase the population [Music] the shell of the mail is concave on the belly side to make it easier for the animal to get hold on the female the young are then to be resettled to other natural reserves on mauricios this could one day reverse the downward population trend and save the aldabra giant turtle from dying out altogether [Music] is volcanic in origin the island was never connected to the mainland all indigenous animals and plants made their way here either by water or through the air the rugged south coast was created by streams of lava which solidified as they reached the ocean creating tons of land like baidu cup [Music] a narrow road winds around the cliffs this is the narrowest hairpin curve on the island tourism plays a major role in the economy of maurizios the republic does all it can to make as many guests as possible comfortable and their visit well worth it those coming simply for rest and recuperation and nature lovers find what they are looking for as do those seeking an adventure vacation and those who love to hunt in the domain of chasuya hunters can purchase a license to hunt the sambar deer introduced by the dutch it is always hunting season on this private hunting ranch so the animals are always on the alert and easily spooked in this case however the disturbance turns out to be only quad bikes as one would expect the restaurant at the domin du choco ranch is famous for its venison specialties over the centuries maurizio's has been influenced by various groups of immigrants that is reflected today in the diverse culture of the island in addition the immigrants built churches mosques and temples according to their respective religions in many places the landscape is enriched by colorful tamil temples the first immigrants from india to arrive on mauritius were banned criminals after that once slavery was abolished others were contracted to come as chief laborers mostly poor farmers who were forced by financial difficulties at home to seek employment wherever they could find it mostly from india's lower castes the farmers brought their local goddesses with them that is still to be seen in the many temples dedicated to mari aman kali aman and others at the lower levels of the island's southern indian society these deities continue to play an important role [Music] the tamils celebrate their new year in the middle of april rich sacrificial thank offerings are presented to the gods and goddesses along with prayers that they will grant good harvests in the coming year [Music] in india and sri lanka the new year's festival marks the beginning of spring this follows the path of the sun a new cycle of sowing ripening and harvest begins on mauricios winter begins with the solstice or midsummer night but the date of the festival has been retained to this day [Music] for the most part the tamils have been able to preserve their language and cultural identity there are schools on mauritius which teach classes in the tamil language this island with its diverse cultures also has a lot to offer nature lovers early risers can enjoy watching the dolphins play in the coastal waters during the early morning hours the young ladies in the red motorboat are here not only for their own enjoyment they are biologists from the marine conservation society which has been working to protect and preserve the marine ecosystem since the 1980s the researchers want to determine what effect if any tourism has had on the ocean mammals you see on maurizio's everyone is allowed to snorkel and go swimming with the dolphins does the presence of human beings affect the normal behavior of the dolphins to seek an answer to that question the biologists spend many hours each day in the water [Applause] [Music] the scientists identify individual animals using photographs and are thus able to tell the different schools of dolphins apart as air-breathing mammals the dolphins have to surface regularly to breathe if the diving intervals change significantly that is an indication that the animals are irritated [Music] up to this point the researchers can't tell whether the animals are stressed or not but first tests show that the dolphin's behavior is indeed influenced by the visitors in any case the workers at the marine conservation society want to make the local people as well as the countless foreign visitors aware of the needs of these ocean dwellers [Music] at the southernmost point of maurizios the le mon problem towers above the level of the sea the people of mauritius tell a sad tale about this 556 meter high table mountain escaped slaves found refuge on this isolated mountain for years as police climbed the mountain one day in 1835 some of the black slaves leapt to their deaths rather than be caught and enslaved again the sad part is that the police had only come to announce that slavery had been officially abolished the constant breeze around the peninsula attracts kite surfers and fantastic beaches lie at the foot of the table mountain on some days there are even dance performances sega the traditional folks music of maurizios originated in the 18th century on the islands in the western indian ocean it combines both european and african elements originally the improvised music was used to express the sufferings of the enslaved population the dance is traditionally accompanied by three instruments the triangle a hand drum and a fiddle undisturbed by the background music the weaver bird goes about his business [Music] these relatives of the sparrow are excellent builders blade for blade the weaver bird constructs artistic and robust nests using only his beak the weaver's foundation is a ring while the males are busy working the female examines the progress they choose who will be the father of their young according to the quality of the nest for that reason most of the potential bridegroom spilled more than one nest at a time she has got to like one of them [Music] just a few kilometers inland the water masses of the sundanese river cascade over rugged rocks into a deep basin the 127 meter high cascade chamarel named after the surrounding region is the highest waterfall in the country in front of this imposing backdrop the whitetail tropic bird shows off its aerial courtship dance they spend most of their time in the open seas and only return to land to breed for many travelers the cascade chamorrel is just a short stopover on the way to their actual destination about a kilometer away lies a very curious natural formation in the midst of thick rain forest a patch of bare earth suddenly appears the colored earth a phenomenon that science has still not been able to explain [Music] lava as well as mineral deposits in the rock are probably responsible for the display of color [Music] in order to protect this natural anomaly visitors are strictly forbidden to enter the area the colors appear most majestic shortly after sunrise or just before sunset there are a few places on mauritius that have remained undisturbed most of the land is used for agriculture tea was first planted on fallow sugar cane fields around the middle of the 19th century the black tea is harvested using special machines which cut off and collect the upper leaves green tea leaves are picked by hand both sorts come from the same plant however the t bush a member of the camellia family [Music] the ancestors of the hybrid tea bushes planted most commonly today are chinese tea and assam tea bushes the quality of the end product is already determined and documented during the harvest the first harvest of the year produces smaller leaves the so-called first flush the second harvest with larger leaves is called the second flush which part of the plant is harvested also helps determine quality black tea from the fine haired leaf buds can be recognized by the label flowery orange pickle after the tea leaves have undergone the first examination in the field they are taken to the fabric washery tea factory first of all the harvest is spread out to dry this removes about 30 percent of the moisture from the leaves then they go through the ctc process crushing tearing curling this production method leaves only the two finest leaf categories fannings and dust now the decision can be made whether the valuable raw material will be processed to make black or green tea to make green tea the fermentation process needs to be interrupted sooner after drying a special machine removes stems and leaf veins from the tea when the tea is sorted the original leaf size determines the categorization the fine dust is used to fill tea bags the larger fanning is marketed as loose tea there is no difference in the flavor as they both come from the same plant during the summer main harvest period 40 tons of tea is processed here every day mauritius is famous for its vanilla flavored black tea a machine handles the packaging of this aromatic tea producing tea bags is a bit more complicated but these are also in the box within two days of being harvested some tea lovers believe that this noble drink develops its flavor best in porcelain cups others feel the quality of the water is the determining factor mauricios gets its drinking water from inland lakes one of them is considered to be holy by the hindus of mauritius the grand basin crater lake is only a few kilometers away from washity its shores are ringed with temples and countless small shrines the elephant-headed ganesh and ganga the symbol of the holy ganges river greets the faithful according to legend the grand basin is connected to the ganges river in india the god shiva and his wife parvati visited mauritius on one of their travels shiva was carrying the ganges river on his head upon landing he accidentally spilled some of the river water creating the ganga talau the ganges lake [Music] in the 1970s pilgrims from india brought water from the ganges with them and ported into the grand basin the fish in the lake are also happy with the daily sacrifices made to the gods a 33 meter high statue of shiva watches over the ganga talau according to the hindu shiva is the creator and destroyer of the universe he holds a trident in his hand and the third eye adorns his forehead lakes of a completely different sort are found on the coast of tamarin on the western side of the island the largest ocean salt production facility on maurizios is found here ocean water is evaporated in terraces lined with basalt plates countless workers sweep the resulting salt crystals together and load them into containers about 21 grams of pure sea salt is gained per liter of ocean water the raw material is still very moist the holes in the bottom of the container allow the rest of the liquid to escape a bucket of salt weighs about 20 kilos this hard manual labor is done primarily by women they carry the buckets to a shed where the salt is stored until sold while most of the local population is hard at work vacationers on the northern part of the island enjoy a special adventure a stroll through the kaiesela nature park with unusual accompaniment the two lions were raised by hand by the rangers two years ago the big cats are so accustomed to people that they show no signs of shyness even with strangers [Music] the young lions and our guide graham bristow have been good friends for a long time already they're real contact people however are the caretakers who deal with the animals on a daily basis during our stroll through the park they animate the lions to climb a tree the animals are given a piece of meat as a reward another fixed point on a stroll is a stop for a drink at the river [Music] the lions have time to quench their thirst and the guests are allowed to pet the animals [Music] from here the approximately hour-long tour takes us to our last station the male and his sister know the procedure as soon as all are gathered they pose for a souvenir photo it is unclear how long the half-grown lions will allow people to pet them at some point they might want to go their own ways [Music] port louis the capital city of mauritius lies in the shadow of the 820 meter high peter booth its harbor was a stopping point for sea traffic between asia and europe until the suez canal was opened today 650 000 tons of cane sugar per year are shipped from here to points all over the world a statue of queen victoria watches over the government palace which was built in 1740 this harbor city with its population of 170 thousand is the economic and cultural center of the island the diversity of maurizios is also reflected on the marche central the central market three of the four halls are reserved for foodstuffs but here too there is a strict order to things while fresh meat is to be found indoors dried fish is only sold outdoors the best thing a customer can do is follow his nose one can tell the quality of the fish by its smell [Music] up to forty thousand people visit the market every day the fruit and vegetable section is particularly attractive the shelves literally sag under the artistically displayed fruits [Music] the central market is a meeting place for vendors from all over the island the products they offer is as diverse as the languages they use to hawk their wares it is said that one can hear 22 different languages and 33 different dialects on the market [Music] because automobiles are not allowed in the market the vendors have to carry new stock through the corridors of the market in baskets [Music] [Music] a few alleys further on we reach a particularly charming district of the city the chinese quarter about three percent of the population of mauritius has chinese roots they have brought their old world to their new home besides numerous small shops that also includes their religious sites the buddhist pagodas are not in the chinese quarter however but in the southern part of the city where most of the chinese live the interior of the lim fad pagoda is very small [Music] the ornately decorated tientan pagoda two streets farther on is a bit bigger the yuma mosque the central place of worship for the muslims of mauricios is located directly behind the chinese quarter on the royal it was built in the middle of the 19th century at a time when this was still the indian quarter of the city the oriental influence on the architecture is obvious with its arches minarets and pillars it looks like a castle out of a fable non-muslims are allowed to visit the mosque outside of the regular prayer times about 16 of the population is muslim for them the mosque is not only a place of worship but also a place to share common values as well as a social meeting place over the recent past the harbor district of port louis has developed into a bustling modern part of the city with the lake hodan waterfront the architect mauricio has created a disney world style shopping center giroud has designed many famous hotels on mauricios as well as on other islands in the indian ocean the lake hodol unites 150 businesses under one roof in addition to five cinemas a five-star hotel a casino and numerous restaurants the prices reflect the buying power of the wealthy tourists unaffordable for most local residents philippe edwin marie pem for short is an artist he has set up his studio right at the doors of the shopping center 35 years ago the former field laborer traded in his hole for a carving knife and a piece of sandpaper a dug up root inspired the now 70 year old artist to create this carving when asked what he finds so fascinating about his work pem answers it is exciting to me because i never know what kind of a face i will find inside the roots right across from his open-air workshop is the blue penny museum historical maps and models of the ships used by the early explorers are on display here a reconstruction of the night sky shows how the constellations must have looked to the semen back then the museum's greatest treasure is the postage stamp it is named after the blue mauritius it and its red sister are among the most valuable stamps in the world to protect the originals from the sun's rays only very well made copies are on public display the two real stamps are worth 2 million euros they are only illuminated for 10 minutes out of every hour the blue and red mauritius became the most coveted collector's pieces because of a mistake 500 of each of these stamps were printed with the words post office instead of post paid historical paintings showing the city of port louis at various stages of its history are displayed in the basement of the [Music] building [Music] here too we find the ever-present souvenir shop with its selection of postcards and ship models the majestic sailboats come from the first fleet miniature shipyard the armada of ships which left england in 1787 to settle australia was called the first fleet today in the miniature shipyards of the same name 40 employees create model ships from all over the world according to detailed true to the original plans just as on the full-sized seagoing originals special care is taken with the rigging it can take as long as two months to make a single large model [Music] they can cost anywhere between 50 and euros first fleet is known for perfection down to the smallest detail that requires a very fine touch and a lot of patience on the part of the ship builders their customers come from all over the world museums and yacht clubs order the larger ships the smaller models are meant for the tourists packed securely in wooden boxes the fragile boats are able to survive shipment as sea cargo or air freight to locations overseas while concentrated work continues in the shipyard outside others are already in the mood to party preeti is getting married today she patiently endures the hours of cosmetic treatments hands and feet are painted with henna and the hair elaborately styled and decorated with silver glitter it is an arranged marriage priti doesn't even know whom she will be marrying yet the first guests arrive the hindu women wear fine silk sarees for the occasion preeti is wearing the most beautiful one of course traditionally the bride wears a red sari as a sign of her fruitfulness and now adorned like a princess the ceremony can begin every people group has countless rituals which in turn change with the times the mango tree a symbol of strength can supposedly also fulfill wishes so pretty takes a bite out of a mango leaf and spits it symbolically into her mother's hand in the meantime her father waits outside the tent for the bridegroom to arrive here he is rajesh the son of a wealthy family the relatives of the bridal couple align themselves on the street facing each other until the brahman invites them into the middle that is the official invitation for the family of the bridegroom now the bridal couple performs their first rituals together [Music] the sacrifice by fire is a central element of every hindu wedding which is often performed in several variations [Music] after that the two of them exchange wedding rings then comes the right of the seven steps each step is accompanied by a blessing step one should protect the couple from hunger step three should grant them healthy and clever children and step seven stands for friendship understanding and harmony after that the couple walks around the fire six times three times she guides him and three times he guides her [Music] now the marriage is legally binding as a sign of their eternal bond preeti and rajesh knot their robes together for the first time the couple appears relaxed and smile now they are man and wife hidden behind the cloth the red dot is put on the bride's forehead only the bridegroom and the mother-in-law witnessed the blessed color being applied to the married woman people of various skin colors and religious backgrounds coexisting here give the tropical vacation island of maurizios a special charm and yet many tourists book a vacation strictly for the beach various outings are offered there as well however some of them very unusual at the edge of a coral reef jean-pierre explains to his guests how it works first a belt of lead weights is fastened around the hips then the glass helmet is put on the headgear weighs 12 kilograms on the ocean surface and quickly pushes the delicate diver under water [Music] having arrived on the ocean floor the weight of the unusual diving bell doesn't matter at all anymore the vacationers are able to take their first careful steps on the strange terrain the walking divers are supplied fresh air through hoses attached to the glass helmets [Music] a solar powered compressor pumps air down to the underwater hikers excess air simply bubbles out [Music] with this method anyone can enjoy the colorful underwater world of maurizios the high point of the outing is feeding the fish the guides attract hundreds of small reef perch with bits of bread [Music] the safety diver even lets the hungry mob eat the bread right out of his mouth [Music] after 30 minutes the unusual dive comes to an end for many this short hike on the ocean floor is the only opportunity they will ever have to experience some of the wonder of the underwater world on mauritius scuba diving beyond the protective edge of the reef is only recommended for experienced divers the strong currents and high waves present a challenge even for professional divers the scuba divers are rewarded for their efforts in the so-called shark pits nearly every day between 50 and 100 black tip reef sharks congregate here these young sharks have joined together to form a group and calmly swim their circular laps the coral reefs off the coast of mauritius are among the most beautiful in the world but the island has a lot to offer inland as well even the first settlers were very happy with the pleasant climate and the fruitful soil a hint of times past lingers in the colonial villa eureka located south of the capital city this elegant house was built by british settlers in 1830 the furnishings originating from the 19th century formed the heart of the villa they convey an impression of the feudal lifestyle of the plantation owners for their time the bathroom fixtures were very modern and reveal interesting innovations the shower was operated by means of a pull chain and the wash basin could be emptied with one hand there are only a few colonial houses left in the mountains one of them is domaine de sobino built in 1872 the villa was inhabited until 1999 when it was turned into a museum the domaine de sobino was probably the first house with electrical lights in the entire southern hemisphere [Music] on the southeastern part of the island the passat winds keep the temperatures lower and cause it to rain more often the northwestern part lies in the wind shadow it seldom rains here it is no wonder that beach vacationers tend to congregate on this side of the island [Music] the shady palm trees along the kilometer long sandy beaches did not grow here naturally they've been planted by the owners of the hotels [Music] fillaus grow here naturally even though even these trees originally came from australia the robust and elastic filaws withstand cyclones which periodically rage across the island during the summer months unharmed for the most part but for most of the year conditions are perfect to enjoy countless types of water sports [Music] mauritius is surrounded by many smaller islands the most famous being ilo surf here we find crystal clear turquoise blue waters off a pristine sand beach right out of the pages of a storybook mark twain once wrote mauricios was created first and then the garden of eden mauritius is more than just a dream island the country has shaken off the shackles of slavery and has found closure with its past to the benefit of all it is also for that reason that we recognize this special island in the indian ocean to be one of the last paradises [Music] [Music] come on come on

Channel: Free Documentary - Nature

Views: 454,530

Rating: 4.8040924 out of 5

Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, documentary - topic, documentary (tv genre), nature documentary, Mauritius, Indian Ocean, Free Documentary Nature, Free Nature Documentary, Free Nature Documentary 2020, Mauritius Documentary, Travel Mauritius, mauritius vacation, Travel Documentary, port louis, port louis mauritius, Island Paradise, Lonely Planet, tripadvisor, Tropics, Africa, East Africa

Id: 4gPIBKbwYII

Length: 51min 59sec (3119 seconds)

Published: Wed Oct 14 2020