Le Morne Brabant l Startling Natural Beauty

Le Morne Brabant Facts

As can be clearly seen, the term Le Morne Brabant serves as the name for a geological marvel. It also ranks as an incredibly beautiful and unique natural formation. In point of fact, this fabulous site represents a highly distinctive peninsula.
This magnificent site itself also formed as connected to an equally beautiful location. It actually connects to the fully stunning island of Mauritius. Intriguingly, the awesome work of Nature was additionally named in honor of its very discovery.
It just so happened that a ship forming part of the Dutch East India Company ran aground on the cliffs of the stunning site. The ship, quite unsurprisingly, bore the name of the Brabant. This fortuitous accident occurred in the year 1783.
This visually captivating site also possesses a history rich in varied culture. In some cases, this historical richness also extends to including legends. Originally, in the early 19th century, the breathtaking location served as a haven for runaway slaves.
After the abolition of slavery in Mauritius, a true tragedy subsequently took place here. Many escaped slaves supposedly jumped to their deaths when police came to inform them of their liberation, believing they had come to retake them.
But, the peninsula of Le Morne Brabant boasts many claims to fame. Among others is the fact that its natural beauty and historical significance earned it a very great honor. In point of fact, UNESCO named it a World Heritage Site in the year 2008.

Le Morne Brabant Physical Description

Although physically attached to the island of Mauritius, the dazzling Le Morne Brabant nevertheless has its own physical dimensions. Those are impressive in themselves. By definition, the astonishingly lovely natural site developed with a roughly rectangular shape.

The total area of the beautiful peninsula further measures roughly 864 acres (349.6 ha). That’s a quite respectable area in its own right. This unique spot on the surface of the earth currently remains best known for two separate natural wonders, however.

The first of these continues to be the presence of an enormous monolith, primarily formed of basalt. Its summit sits at an altitude of 1,824 ft (556 m) above sea level. The summit of this towering monolith covers a total of an extraordinary 30 acres (12 ha).

The second of the startling natural marvels for which Le Morne Brabant remains famous truly stuns the first-time observer. This marvel of illusion also lies situated just off the southwestern shore. For most people visiting, this sight must be seen to be believed.

That’s because, in that precise location, Nature itself creates a mind-boggling illusion. It’s formed by a sediment comprised of silt and sand. These come together in a manner that, to the observer, gives the appearance of an actual underwater waterfall.

Le Morne Brabant Location, Geology, and Ecology

Given its attachment to Mauritius, the location named Le Morne Brabant developed at the extreme southwestern point of the island. More precisely, however, this positioning places this particular wonder of Nature 1,200 mi (2,000 km) from the continent of Africa.

The underwater waterfall and the towering monolith should be enough to amaze one. But, the workings of natural forces also blessed the site with many other natural marvels. These stunning sights for the eye also come in many forms. That’s also amazing in itself.

For one, the shoreline of the peninsula has numerous beaches, blessed with dazzling white sand and crystal clear waters. In addition to that, the peninsula also a multitude of caves. Many of these formations provided shelter to escaped slaves in the past.

The extremely steep slopes of the breathtaking monolith also boast yet another astonishing feature. That’s formed by a dotting of sheer overhangs for the adventurous. The site itself remains almost completely surrounded by a combination of a lagoons and reefs.

One must never forget the beautiful flora and fauna of Le Morne Brabant, though. Much of the site presently holds a steady covering of beautiful and impressive plant life. This includes such wonders as indigenous trees and countless smaller types of fauna.

Not stopping there, it also boasts one last claim to fame. In this case, it’s one of rarity. This holds true given the fact that the location provides a refuge for two extremely rare plants. Both evolved as small shrubs, and appear nowhere else except this island.