A photographer spent a few weeks helping run a horseback riding program on the white-sand beaches of Benguerra Island. Here’s what she saw.
Tag Archives: Islands
A Portrait of South Georgia: Abundance, Exploitation, Recovery
A series of ecological initiatives, including the eradication of several invasive species, has dramatically revived the life and landscape of this remote sub-Antarctic island.
The Pandemic Has Made Island Life Even More Appealing
Plentiful air travel options, the rise of remote work and increased on-site amenities have transformed the island experience.
Six Days Afloat in the Everglades
After a storm disrupted plans for a 99-mile paddling trek, a Times journalist’s time on the water took a more reflective turn. Come look and listen alongside him.
Colby College Acquires Islands That Inspired Andrew and Betsy Wyeth
Colby College has acquired two islands off Maine that inspired the first family of American art, and will show newly discovered works that Andrew Wyeth drew in secret.
As Its Population Soars to 40, Rum Isle Glimpses a Future in the Mist
With four new families recently arriving, the remote and rainy island in the Hebrides is experiencing its version of a population surge, although residents new and old concede living here isn’t easy.
Agony and Ecstasy on the Scottish Archipelago of St. Kilda
The 85-mile boat ride through rough seas left some of us huddling in discomfort. But the scenery on the remote and windswept islands was otherworldly.
A Dispatch From an Endangered Bird’s ‘Garden of Eden’
Immerse yourself in the visual splendor of a tiny volcanic island in the northern Andaman Sea, the only home of the little-known Narcondam hornbill.
Swimming in an Uncertain Sea
The underwater filmmaker Ron Elliott describes what he’s learned from his encounters with sharks near the Farallon Islands.
The Perilous Hunt for Coconut Crabs on a Remote Polynesian Island
On Makatea, an uplifted coral atoll marred by decades of mining, searching for crabs often requires gambling with the treacherous terrain.
Want to save an island’s coral reefs? Get rid of invasive rats

Enlarge / The stark surface of Redonda Island is turning green again. (credit: Invertzoo)
Hundreds of years ago, Europeans were sailing the globe and “discovering” new parcels of land—and rats came along with them as stowaways. As crews made landfall on many islands, rats hopped off and made themselves new homes.
The rats prospered, outcompeting, eating, or otherwise driving off native species, and fragile island ecosystems suffered. However, new research suggests that these remote, isolated ecosystems can bounce back relatively quickly after conservation groups eliminate the rats, a practice that is becoming increasingly common. And the changes caused by the rats’ removal are even felt in offshore ecosystems.
Rats actually harm coral
Rats are not picky when it comes to food. They’ll happily chow down on fruit, seeds, nuts, insects, and almost anything else they can stomach. This has a notable impact on the islands’ terrestrial habitats. But in a stark yet roundabout way, rats also harm marine habitats.
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Revisiting the Unseen Corners of the World
During a year with limited travel possibilities, our World Through a Lens series offered Times readers a weekly escape. Here are some of the highlights.
Hawaii’s Fresh Water Leaks to the Ocean Through Underground Rivers
If the water could be pumped to the surface, it could help alleviate shortages on the island.
How to Pretend You’re in Hawaii Tonight
With a few easy-to-find items, you can discover the archipelago’s breathtaking biodiversity, savor its flavors and music, even delight in an island-inspired Thanksgiving.
A 30-Mile Canoe Trip Through Alaska’s Tongass National Forest
The Honker Divide Canoe Route draws intrepid travelers through the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest. But the lifting of logging restrictions may indelibly alter its character.
Roaming Through Lanzarote’s Otherworldly Vineyards
The desolate beauty of the winemaking tradition on Lanzarote, the easternmost of the Canary Islands, is evidence of human resilience in the face of adversity.
The Caribbean Dilemma
Many islands are open to American travelers. Going could mean bringing coronavirus to places ill prepared to deal with it. Not going could mean deepening economic woes. How do you choose?
On the Lookout for Moose on Michigan’s Isle Royale
The remote Isle Royale, tucked away in the northern reaches of Lake Superior, is one of America’s least visited national parks.
Shearing Sheep, and Hewing to Tradition, on an Island in Maine
In a remote area of Maine, the Wakeman family maintains the traditions of island shepherding, the cycles of which have been largely unchanged for centuries.
A Visual Dispatch From One of the World’s Most Remote Islands
The inhabitants of Tristan da Cunha, which sits in the remote waters of the South Atlantic, are insulated from the coronavirus by an immense moat.
Madagascar: A Cornucopia of Beauty
Join us for a visual tour of the island nation of Madagascar, about 90 percent of whose flora and fauna is found nowhere else on Earth.
Reveling in the Enigmatic Beauty of Easter Island
Some 2,200 miles off the coast of Chile, Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, is among the world’s most remote — and mysterious — inhabited islands.
Moored in a Fragile Paradise
Hundreds of boaters stuck in the Caribbean have converged on the U.S. Virgin Islands, but there are fears that their safe haven comes at a cost for residents.