Off the coast of Yemen, in the Arabian Sea, lies isolated Socotra Island, where hundreds of plants and animals have developed into species unique to the island. Socotra is the largest island in an archipelago that includes three other islands. The Socotra Archipelago has been isolated from any large landmass for millions of years, and is now home to a surprising display of biodiversity. Probably the best-known of its endemic flora is the dragon blood tree, with red-colored sap and tightly-clustered branches that look like roots turned upside down. Below, a collection of images of the landscape of Socotra, and the plants and animals that call it home.
Travel Monday: A Photo Trip to Socotra
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Read moreTwo paragliders fly above the Arabian Sea off the coast of Socotra Island. #
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Read moreA bottle tree, Socotra's desert rose (Adenium obesum), in bloom on Socotra Island. #
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Read moreA sunset view from the top of a mountain in Socotra. #
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Read moreA dragon blood tree (Dracaena cinnabari) on Socotra Island. #
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Read moreA Socotra starling (Onychognathus frater). #
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Read moreSocotra's Detwah Lagoon under starlight. #
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Read moreA chameleon hides in a plant on Socotra Island. #
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Read morePale Socotran dunes. While the island has a tropical desert climate, only small regions along the southern shore have stretches of sand dunes. #
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Read moreA bottle tree sprouts from a perch in a rocky hillside. #
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Read moreDolphins swim along the coast of Socotra. #
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Read moreA dragon blood tree stands in Socotra's Diksam Plateau on March 11, 2011. #
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Read moreDetail of the branches of a dragon blood tree, photographed on July 2, 2013. #
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Read moreA car sits parked inside the mouth of Dogub cave on Socotra Island on November 19, 2013. #
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Read moreWindblown patterns in Socotran dunes. #
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Read moreA blooming bottle tree on a rocky outcrop in the Haghir mountains on Socotra Island. #
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Read moreBottle trees stand on a hillside in Wadi Diksam on Socotra Island on November 19, 2013. #
Mohamed al-Sayaghi / Reuters -
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Read moreThe approach to Ditwa lagoon and beach near the port of Qalensiya, the second biggest town on Socotra Island, photographed on February 1, 2008. #
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Read moreSand dunes along Socotra's shoreline. #
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Read moreSea landscape, Socotra. #
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Read moreDragon blood trees, known locally as Dam al-Akhawain or "blood of the two brothers," on Socotra Island on November 21, 2013. #
Mohamed al-Sayaghi / Reuters -
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Read moreDragon blood trees at night, photographed with a long exposure time. #
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Read moreA freshwater pool on Socotra Island. #
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Read moreAn Egyptian vulture flies on Socotra Island on March 27, 2008. #
Khaled Abdullah Ali Al Mahdi / Reuters -
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Read moreSand dunes of Socotra. #
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Read moreA view of Socotra's shoreline with a Socotran desert rose in the foreground. #
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