Verreaux's Sifaka, Namaza
From Isalo we travelled further south-west to Ifaty. If anything the temperature grew hotter and hotter. I was on my way to Anakao in the hope of seeing Red Billed Tropicbirds on the nearby island of Nosy Ve - more of that later. Ifaty is famous for its Spiny Forest. All plants in this area have evolved to cope with extreme drought. Perhaps the most famous is the family of Baobab trees. These amazing trees are fire resistant and store a large amount of water in their bottle shaped trunk. They grow incredibly slowly; between 1mm and 5mm a year. 7 of the 9 Baobab species in the world are native to Madagascar. The local people don't cut down these trees as they have a superstition around them, known locally as 'fady', as they believe that the spirits of their ancestors are inside these ancient trees.