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By Christopher Lewis

“To become familiar with Parque Natural da Madeira means valuing it and conserving it better! The area of Parque Natural da Madeira, which covers approximately two-thirds of the territory of the Island of Madeira, is protected by legal mechanisms and concrete measures. It also enjoys the dedicated actions of private and public services and, in particular, counts on the determination of Madeiran citizens to preserve and hold it in high esteem. The natural heritage of the region is a distinctive and competitive factor, due to the differentiation and quality imparted by it, including the fact that it has been awarded internationally recognized prizes to distinguish it.”

- Manuel Antonio Rodrigues Correia, Madeira Regional Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources

The crystal clear waters of the Garanjau Nature Reserve make marine observations easy during monitored dives

Covering nearly two-thirds of Madeira, the Parque Natural da Madeira (PNM) (official park site in Portuguese) includes the Laurissilva Forest, said to be the planet’s largest surviving tract of rare subtropical woodland from the Tertiary Era, alive with a wealth and diversity of flora and fauna, including many endemic species. In 1999, the Laurissilva Forest was classified by UNESCO as a natural World Natural Site.

Created by regional decree in 1982, the PNM plays a pivotal role in protecting this Portuguese island’s unique nature and local habitat (like the Laurissilva Forest) by focussing on maintaining its ecological equilibrium and safeguarding the landscape. PNM-inspired initiatives reach far and wide across Madeira and include prohibitions on removing anything; depositing soil, trash, pollutants, rubble or scrap; and requiring special authorisation for any building, road or bridge construction.

Given the vast area of the PNM, though, other less well-known parts are also deserving of attention: the Garajau Nature Reserve and the Desertas Islands.

The Garajau and Desertas Islands Nature Reserves

Located east of Funchal, Madeira’s capital city, on the island’s southern slopes, lies an area of about 376 hectares called the Garajau Nature Reserve that includes a coastal stretch of seven kilometres. This short strip combined with the offshore arid Desertas Islands, also a nature reserve since 1990, constitute the first protected marine area in Portugal.

The large size and sociable nature of the grouper attracts the attention of divers

Garajau was established in 1986 in an effort to prevent the progressive desertification of the deep-sea bottom, to contribute to the resettlement of native fauna and to protect the wide variety of native wildlife. Garajau marine space is today home to a variety of fish, including grouper, a favourite of divers because of its large size and sociable nature. Crustaceans, urchins, rays, moray eels and what is known locally as the “sea wolf” all call this area home.

Saving the Sea Wolf

Branded the “sea wolf” for its bark-like call, the Mediterranean Monk Seal, with a current population of fewer than 500, is one of the planet’s rarest and most endangered marine mammals. One sizable colony inhabits Madeira’s Desertas Islands, but their territorial waters have expanded as far as Madeira proper, where they have been observed since 1997. Although today they are protected by law and safe while on the Desertas Islands, hunting, mesh nets, motor boats and the explosives used in fishing, as well as the hostility of fishermen supposedly protecting their fish stocks, have had a devastating effect on them.

The Mediterranean Monk Seal is now also actively monitored through environmental education campaigns and there has been a special rehabilitation unit for them on the Desertas Islands since 1997. In addition, the whole PNM region is under permanent surveillance by the Corps of Nature Vigilantes of Madeira Nature Park (Corpo de Vigilantes da Natureza do PNM). They look after the parklands, but also help enforce fundamental legislation forbidding fishing, be it for commercial reasons or sport; underwater hunting, navigation using motorboats except to disembark on beaches; capturing or removing animals or marine plants; and extracting sand or other materials of geological origin.

Preservation efforts throughout the PNM are alive and well, and proactively ensuring that this unique and thriving ecosystem persists well into the future.

Become Part of the Solution

The best way to be part of the local community’s conservation efforts is to visit Madeira, show your awareness of the issues and be a responsible traveller. whl.travel’s local partner in Madeira can assist you in exploring the area in a sustainable way, as well as help you connect to the diving centres offering trips into the Garajau Nature Reserve’s crystal clear waters. Monitored dives are one of the only ways to truly experience the area’s underwater beauty.

If you are interested in volunteering to help the local conservation efforts, please check with the Garajau Nature Reserve’s Funchal desk (located in the Centro Polivalente do Funchal on Largo do Lazareto, open 9am-7pm Monday to Friday, telephone +351 291 238445; English sometimes spoken) or connect with the whl.travel local partner in Madeira about volunteering with the Corps of Nature Vigilantes, who can gladly always use an extra pair of hands.