Savage Islands
Encyclopedia
The Savage Islands, also referred to as the Salvage Islands or the Selvagens Islands, ' onMouseout='HidePop("93305")' href="/topics/Macaronesia">Macaronesia
archipelago
in the North Atlantic, roughly midway between Madeira
and the Canary Islands
. The archipelago comprises two major islands and several islets of varying sizes, that represent the southernmost region of Portugal
.
The archipelago is administered by the Portuguese
municipality of Funchal
, and pertains to the Madeiran freguesia
(English: civil parish) of Sé
. They are designated a Nature Reserve, comprising two areas: one on Selvagem Grande Island
and the second on Selvagem Pequena Island
.
, the name used to designate the island groups of the North Atlantic Ocean, near Europe
and off the coast of Morocco
in North Africa
. The archipelago lies about 230 km (143 mi) from Madeira
, and 165 km (103 mi) from the Canary Islands
. The total land area of the Savage Islands is 2.73 km² (1.05 sq mi).
With little fresh water and surrounded by dangerous reefs (which makes limited access difficult), the archipelago consists of two major islands and several islets, in two groups about 15 km (9 mi) apart, designated:
The islands physical characteristics are the consequences of mountain-forming and volcanic forces that occurred between 60 and 70 million years ago, typical of many of the islands of Macaronesia
. The islands were created during the late Miocene
period, from a large submarine volcano and shaped by erosion and marine sedimentation. The larger islands and islet (Grande, Pequena and Fora, respectively) are the remnants of the peaks of these submarine mounts, and although located north of the Canaries, they were never connected to the African continent. The islands themselves are crossed by many calcareous
faults, some marbleized, and made of basalt
ic rock, ash, and other volcanic materials. On many of the islands there are remnants of extinct cones, such as Atalaia (Selvagem Grande), Tornozelos and Veado. Other areas are sand covered from extensive aeolian, fluvial and marine erosion; headlands include Atalaia and Leste on Selvagem Grande, and Norte, Oeste, Leste and Garajaus on Selvagem Pequena.
The scientific and natural interest of this tiny group of islands lies in its marine biodiversity
, its unique flora and many avian species that breed annually on its rock cliffs or use them on their stopover on normal migratory patterns. About 3% of the 9000 species of birds are marine species, the remaining are migratory species. The abundance of birds on the islands, at one time, made the islands an attractive hunting area for peoples of the region. At the end of the 19th century the German naturalist Ernst Schmitz noted that 20–22,000 Cory's Shearwater
s were hunted in September or October in the islands; the hunts continued until 1967. Madeiran expeditions to the islands were responsible for the killing of juvenile birds, for food, while their down
was used to stuff pillows and comforters. Presently the islands are home or stopover for: Cory's Shearwaters (approximately 14,000), White-faced Storm-petrel
(12,000), Bulwer's Petrel
(500), North Atlantic Little Shearwater
(500), Madeiran Storm-petrel
(1000), Yellow-legged Gull
, the Roseate Tern
and Berthelot's Pipit
; which are subjects of annual scientific expeditions. Many of theses species are vulnerable to local predators, primarily from populations of brown rat
and predatory bird species, like the Yellow-legged Gull, which will consume the eggs and/or young of birds (the White-faced Storm-petrel
and Bulwer's Petrel
are primarily susceptible). These islands also have many endemic fauna species, including local snail
s and the unique gecko
Tarentola boettgeri bischoffi.
As a consequence of limited introduction, more than 100 species of indigenous plants have been cataloged (most creeping plants and bushes). These plants are similar in many respects to indigenous species on the islands of Maderia and the Canaries, who are better suited to dry arid environments. Germination of these species occurs immediately and briefly after annual showers, and include: Erva-gelada, Lotus salvagensis and Lotus paicae (species of the Fabaceae
family), Chrysanthemum
sarmentoi, Scilla
maderensis, Argyranthemum
thalassophilum and the Lobularia
canariensis. Selvagem Pequena and the Fora Islet are the richest floral repositories, since they were never populated by non-indigenous animals or plants. For a period, some indigenous plants (primarily Roccella tinctoria
and other lichens of the family Nemari) were harvested from the islands to support the dye industry of Europe (primarily to England
and Flanders
in the 15th and 16th Centuries, but these adventures were discontinued later.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau
once found what he believed was "the cleanest waters in the world" around this minor archipelago; there is an abundance of marine activity, many endemic to the environment, including the Barred hogfish
, puffer fish Tetraodontidae, the Sea Spider
and many species of Sea urchin
. At depth of about 30 m the waters around the islands/islets are teeming with algae and many species of migratory species of common fish, from the islands of Cape Verde
, Maderia and the Canaries routinely
Although there are commercial tours of the islands and their biomes are available, all visitors require special authorization from the Madeira Natural Park, the regional environmental authority.
at a 3000 m (9,843 ft) depth.
The Canary Islands
were visited by European explorers, including natives of Minorca
, since the 14th century. In 1402, Castile
began the conquest of the Canary Islands
to join them to the Castilian realm. During those years of fighting, Castilian ships did not visit the Savage Islands, thus they did not populate the islands, which were considered uninhabitable.
Although the Canary Islands
had been inhabited by a primitive population (the Guanches
) human beings never set foot in the Madeira
archipelago or the Savage Islands before the Portuguese discoveries and expansion. Thus, this island group presented itself to Portuguese navigators authentically uninhabited.
The islands were colonized by Portugal, probably in 1438 (some decades after the discovery); however, we do not know the exact date and the name of the colonizer. The eldest retained description of the colonization was written around 1463 by the Portuguese mariner Diogo Gomes de Sintra
. Gomes wrote that the islands were used to collect "ursellam", as a base for red paint; "ursellam" stands for lichens of the scientific families Roccellaceae
and Parmeliaceae
. In those days, the Savage Islands, along with the Madeira archipelago, belonged to Henry the Navigator, the Grandmaster of the Order of Christ
, the Portuguese successor of the Knights Templar
. However, the islands are omitted in some lists of possessions of the Order. The Portuguese historian João de Barros
includes them in the Canary Archipelago
and Gaspar Frutuoso
in the second edition of his work Saudades da Terra mentions "These islands, known as Selvagens, apparently were discovered by Castilians
, have Castilian owner, as also Madeira
and Azores
archipelagos (...) which will belong to this glorious and powerful Catholic King, the greatest in the world". This was a convenient addition to the first edition, certainly not made by Frutuoso, with the purpose to flatter King Philip II of Spain
(Philip I of Portugal), during the period in which Portugal
was in a personal union
with the Spanish crown (1580–1640).
What is certain is that during the 16th century the Savage Islands belonged to a family from Madeira
known as Teixeiras Caiados. How they found themselves under Caiados control is unknown. In 1560 they were given to João Cabral de Noronha. After 1717 they are recorded in wills, inheritances, inventories and other documents. Between 1774 and 1831 taxes were paid to the King. The islands were also recorded in the books of Conservatória do Registo Predial of Funchal
.
From the 15th to the 19th centuries, the islands were used for different economic activities, such as collecting barilla
weed and shells and molusks. The islands - although uninhabited - were also used as a basepoint for fishing. Goats and rabbits were hunted on Selvagem Grande. Until about 1967, in September or October, there were "organized" hunts for the chicks of the Cory's Shearwater
s for their oil and meat.
The islands have a reputation as "pirate's treasure islands" and there are many stories of treasure hunting. According to reliable primary documents, at least four times (in 1813, 1851, 1856 and 1948), serious dig attempts were made to recover the supposed treasures but nothing was found.
In 1904 the islands were sold to Luís Rocha Machado.
The Permanent Commission of International Maritime Law gave sovereignty of the Savage Islands to Portugal on February 15, 1938.
In 1959, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) became interested in the islands and signed a contract-promise with the owner, Luís Rocha Machado. In 1971 the Portuguese government intervened and acquired the islands, converting them into a nature reserve. The Savage Islands Reserve was created as part of the Madeira Natural Park; it is one of the oldest nature reserves of Portugal and it also includes the surrounding shelf to a depth of 200 m. In 1976, permanent surveillance began, and in 1978 the reserve was elevated to the status of Nature Reserve.
In 2002, part of the nature reserve was nominated to UNESCO
's World Heritage Sites. They are currently included in the tentative World Heritage Site list.
Today the Savage Islands have a permanent team of wardens from Madeira Natural Park (On Selvagem Grande there is a permanent research station with two wardens year around while Selvagem Pequena is manned usually by two wardens between May and October). These are the only human inhabitants on the islands.
Macaronesia
Macaronesia is a modern collective name for several groups of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean near Europe and North Africa belonging to three countries: Portugal, Spain, and Cape Verde...
archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
in the North Atlantic, roughly midway between Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
and the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
. The archipelago comprises two major islands and several islets of varying sizes, that represent the southernmost region of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
.
The archipelago is administered by the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
municipality of Funchal
Funchal
Funchal is the largest city, the municipal seat and the capital of Portugal's Autonomous Region of Madeira. The city has a population of 112,015 and has been the capital of Madeira for more than five centuries.-Etymology:...
, and pertains to the Madeiran freguesia
Freguesia
Freguesia is the Portuguese term for a secondary local administrative unit in Portugal and some of its former colonies, and a former secondary local administrative unit in Macau, roughly equivalent to an administrative parish. A freguesia is a subdivision of a concelho, the Portuguese synonym term...
(English: civil parish) of Sé
Sé (Funchal)
Sé is a civil parish in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, the smallest parish and historical centre of Funchal. In 2001 its population included 2148 residents, along the southern coast of Madeira in an area of approximately 3.82 km²...
. They are designated a Nature Reserve, comprising two areas: one on Selvagem Grande Island
Selvagem Grande Island
The Selvagem Grande Island is part of the Savage Islands, which themselves are part of the Portuguese Madeira archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean....
and the second on Selvagem Pequena Island
Selvagem Pequena Island
Selvagem Pequena Island is an island in the Southeast Group of the Savage Islands, Madeira, Portugal. Its fauna and flora are well preserved due to lack of human interference....
.
Geography
The Savage Islands are part of the MacaronesiaMacaronesia
Macaronesia is a modern collective name for several groups of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean near Europe and North Africa belonging to three countries: Portugal, Spain, and Cape Verde...
, the name used to designate the island groups of the North Atlantic Ocean, near Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and off the coast of Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
. The archipelago lies about 230 km (143 mi) from Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
, and 165 km (103 mi) from the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
. The total land area of the Savage Islands is 2.73 km² (1.05 sq mi).
With little fresh water and surrounded by dangerous reefs (which makes limited access difficult), the archipelago consists of two major islands and several islets, in two groups about 15 km (9 mi) apart, designated:
- Northeast Group - includes the main island of Selvagem GrandeSelvagem Grande IslandThe Selvagem Grande Island is part of the Savage Islands, which themselves are part of the Portuguese Madeira archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean....
(2000 x 1700 m) and three small islets: Sinho Islet (Portuguese: Ilhéu Sinho), Palheiro do Mar, and Palheiro da Terra. - Southwest Group - including the main island of Selvagem PequenaSelvagem Pequena IslandSelvagem Pequena Island is an island in the Southeast Group of the Savage Islands, Madeira, Portugal. Its fauna and flora are well preserved due to lack of human interference....
(800 x 500 m) and Fora IsletFora IsletFora Islet, in Portuguese , is an uninhabited Portuguese island in the Atlantic Ocean, forming part of the Savage Islands, a dependant archipelago of the autonomous region of Madeira....
(Portuguese: Ilhéu de Fora, 500 x 300 m), also called Great Piton and Little Piton respectively, it is surrounded by a group of very small islets (Alto, Comprido and Redondo) and a group collectively known as the Northern Islets (Portuguese: Ilhéus do Norte).
The islands physical characteristics are the consequences of mountain-forming and volcanic forces that occurred between 60 and 70 million years ago, typical of many of the islands of Macaronesia
Macaronesia
Macaronesia is a modern collective name for several groups of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean near Europe and North Africa belonging to three countries: Portugal, Spain, and Cape Verde...
. The islands were created during the late Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
period, from a large submarine volcano and shaped by erosion and marine sedimentation. The larger islands and islet (Grande, Pequena and Fora, respectively) are the remnants of the peaks of these submarine mounts, and although located north of the Canaries, they were never connected to the African continent. The islands themselves are crossed by many calcareous
Calcareous
Calcareous is an adjective meaning mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate, in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines.-In zoology:...
faults, some marbleized, and made of basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
ic rock, ash, and other volcanic materials. On many of the islands there are remnants of extinct cones, such as Atalaia (Selvagem Grande), Tornozelos and Veado. Other areas are sand covered from extensive aeolian, fluvial and marine erosion; headlands include Atalaia and Leste on Selvagem Grande, and Norte, Oeste, Leste and Garajaus on Selvagem Pequena.
Climate
Annual temperatures hover around 17–19 °C, generally exceeding those in Madeira (defined as a subtropical maritime climate), while sea temperatures remain comfortable all year round. Due to its warm arid climate and geomorphological characteristics, the Savage Islands are exposed to strong coastal winds that reduce precipitation to less than 500 mm annually. These indicators, define the outcroppings as deserts, climatically. The islands' low altitudes do not allow significant precipitation, and what little freshwater flows over the islands/islets are filtered away through the porous sediments.Biome
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
, its unique flora and many avian species that breed annually on its rock cliffs or use them on their stopover on normal migratory patterns. About 3% of the 9000 species of birds are marine species, the remaining are migratory species. The abundance of birds on the islands, at one time, made the islands an attractive hunting area for peoples of the region. At the end of the 19th century the German naturalist Ernst Schmitz noted that 20–22,000 Cory's Shearwater
Cory's Shearwater
The Cory's Shearwater is a large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae.This species breeds on islands and cliffs in the Mediterranean, with the odd outpost on the Atlantic coast of Iberia. The nest is on open ground or among rocks or less often in a burrow where one white egg is laid,...
s were hunted in September or October in the islands; the hunts continued until 1967. Madeiran expeditions to the islands were responsible for the killing of juvenile birds, for food, while their down
Down feathers
The down of birds is a layer of fine feathers found under the tougher exterior feathers. Very young birds are clad only in down. Powder down is a specialized type of down found only in a few groups of birds. Down is a fine thermal insulator and padding, used in goods such as jackets, bedding,...
was used to stuff pillows and comforters. Presently the islands are home or stopover for: Cory's Shearwaters (approximately 14,000), White-faced Storm-petrel
White-faced Storm-petrel
The White-faced Storm Petrel , also known as White-faced Petrel is a small seabird of the storm-petrel family. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Pelagodroma....
(12,000), Bulwer's Petrel
Bulwer's Petrel
The Bulwer's Petrel is a small petrel in the family Procellariidae, and is one of two species in the genus Bulweria . This bird is named after the Scottish naturalist James Bulwer.- Description :...
(500), North Atlantic Little Shearwater
North Atlantic Little Shearwater
The Barolo Shearwater , also known as the North Atlantic Little Shearwater or Macaronesian Shearwater, is a small shearwater which breeds in the North Atlantic....
(500), Madeiran Storm-petrel
Madeiran Storm-petrel
The Band-rumped Storm Petrel or Madeiran Storm Petrel, is of the storm petrel family Hydrobatidae.The Band-rumped Storm Petrel is 19–21 cm in length with a 43–46 cm wingspan, and weighs 44-49g. It is mainly black with an extensive white rump...
(1000), Yellow-legged Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
The Yellow-legged Gull , sometimes referred to as Western Yellow-legged Gull , is a large gull of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, which has only recently achieved wide recognition as a distinct species...
, the Roseate Tern
Roseate Tern
The Roseate Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a number of geographical races, differing mainly in bill colour and minor plumage details....
and Berthelot's Pipit
Berthelot's Pipit
The Berthelot’s Pipit is a small passerine bird which breeds in Madeira and the Canary Islands. It is a common resident in both archipelagos....
; which are subjects of annual scientific expeditions. Many of theses species are vulnerable to local predators, primarily from populations of brown rat
Brown Rat
The brown rat, common rat, sewer rat, Hanover rat, Norway rat, Brown Norway rat, Norwegian rat, or wharf rat is one of the best known and most common rats....
and predatory bird species, like the Yellow-legged Gull, which will consume the eggs and/or young of birds (the White-faced Storm-petrel
White-faced Storm-petrel
The White-faced Storm Petrel , also known as White-faced Petrel is a small seabird of the storm-petrel family. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Pelagodroma....
and Bulwer's Petrel
Bulwer's Petrel
The Bulwer's Petrel is a small petrel in the family Procellariidae, and is one of two species in the genus Bulweria . This bird is named after the Scottish naturalist James Bulwer.- Description :...
are primarily susceptible). These islands also have many endemic fauna species, including local snail
Snail
Snail is a common name applied to most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word is used in its most general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. The word snail without any qualifier is however more often...
s and the unique gecko
Gecko
Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....
Tarentola boettgeri bischoffi.
As a consequence of limited introduction, more than 100 species of indigenous plants have been cataloged (most creeping plants and bushes). These plants are similar in many respects to indigenous species on the islands of Maderia and the Canaries, who are better suited to dry arid environments. Germination of these species occurs immediately and briefly after annual showers, and include: Erva-gelada, Lotus salvagensis and Lotus paicae (species of the Fabaceae
Fabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...
family), Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemums, often called mums or chrysanths, are of the genus constituting approximately 30 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae which is native to Asia and northeastern Europe.-Etymology:...
sarmentoi, Scilla
Scilla
Scilla is a genus of about 50 bulb-forming perennial herbs in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, native to woodlands, subalpine meadows, and seashores throughout Europe and Asia...
maderensis, Argyranthemum
Argyranthemum
Argyranthemum is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Asteraceae. Members of this genus are sometimes also placed in the genus Chrysanthemum....
thalassophilum and the Lobularia
Lobularia
Lobularia is a genus of four or five species of flowering plants in the family Brassicaceae, closely related to the genus Alyssum....
canariensis. Selvagem Pequena and the Fora Islet are the richest floral repositories, since they were never populated by non-indigenous animals or plants. For a period, some indigenous plants (primarily Roccella tinctoria
Roccella tinctoria
Roccella tinctoria is a species of fungus in the genus Roccella, homotypic synonym of Lecanora tinctoria Czerwiak., 1849. It was first described by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle in 1805. It has the following varieties:...
and other lichens of the family Nemari) were harvested from the islands to support the dye industry of Europe (primarily to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
in the 15th and 16th Centuries, but these adventures were discontinued later.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Jacques-Yves Cousteau was a French naval officer, explorer, ecologist, filmmaker, innovator, scientist, photographer, author and researcher who studied the sea and all forms of life in water...
once found what he believed was "the cleanest waters in the world" around this minor archipelago; there is an abundance of marine activity, many endemic to the environment, including the Barred hogfish
Barred hogfish
Barred hogfish, scientific name: Bodianus scrofa is a species of fish under the Bodianus genus.-Characteristics:*Maximum length: 43 cm*Habitat: Sea aras, depth between 20 and 200 m*Climate: Subtropical...
, puffer fish Tetraodontidae, the Sea Spider
Sea spider
Sea spiders, also called Pantopoda or pycnogonids, are marine arthropods of class Pycnogonida. They are cosmopolitan, found especially in the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas, as well as the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans. There are over 1300 known species, ranging in size from to over in some deep...
and many species of Sea urchin
Sea urchin
Sea urchins or urchins are small, spiny, globular animals which, with their close kin, such as sand dollars, constitute the class Echinoidea of the echinoderm phylum. They inhabit all oceans. Their shell, or "test", is round and spiny, typically from across. Common colors include black and dull...
. At depth of about 30 m the waters around the islands/islets are teeming with algae and many species of migratory species of common fish, from the islands of Cape Verde
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
, Maderia and the Canaries routinely
Although there are commercial tours of the islands and their biomes are available, all visitors require special authorization from the Madeira Natural Park, the regional environmental authority.
History
There is evidence suggesting that the existence of these islands was known from early times. They were first indicated on a Venetian chart attributed to the Pizzigani brothers dated from 1367. The islands are considered to be a column branch that extends from Canary IslandsCanary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
at a 3000 m (9,843 ft) depth.
The Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
were visited by European explorers, including natives of Minorca
Minorca
Min Orca or Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. It takes its name from being smaller than the nearby island of Majorca....
, since the 14th century. In 1402, Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
began the conquest of the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
to join them to the Castilian realm. During those years of fighting, Castilian ships did not visit the Savage Islands, thus they did not populate the islands, which were considered uninhabitable.
Although the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
had been inhabited by a primitive population (the Guanches
Guanches
Guanches is the name given to the aboriginal Berber inhabitants of the Canary Islands. It is believed that they migrated to the archipelago sometime between 1000 BCE and 100 BCE or perhaps earlier...
) human beings never set foot in the Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
archipelago or the Savage Islands before the Portuguese discoveries and expansion. Thus, this island group presented itself to Portuguese navigators authentically uninhabited.
The islands were colonized by Portugal, probably in 1438 (some decades after the discovery); however, we do not know the exact date and the name of the colonizer. The eldest retained description of the colonization was written around 1463 by the Portuguese mariner Diogo Gomes de Sintra
Diogo Gomes
Diogo Gomes , was a Portuguese navigator, explorer and writer.Diogo Gomes was a servant and explorer of Portuguese prince Henry the Navigator. His memoirs were dictated late in his life to Martin Behaim...
. Gomes wrote that the islands were used to collect "ursellam", as a base for red paint; "ursellam" stands for lichens of the scientific families Roccellaceae
Roccellaceae
The Roccellaceae are a family of fungi in the order Arthoniomycetes. Most taxa are lichenized with green algae, although some are lichenicolous, growing on other lichens.-Species...
and Parmeliaceae
Parmeliaceae
The Parmeliaceae is a large and diverse family of Lecanoromycetes. With over 2000 species in roughly 87 genera, it is currently regarded as the largest family of lichen forming fungi...
. In those days, the Savage Islands, along with the Madeira archipelago, belonged to Henry the Navigator, the Grandmaster of the Order of Christ
Order of Christ
Order of Christ may refer to:* Order of Christ – former Knights Templar Order awarded initially by the kings of Portugal, now by the Portuguese state...
, the Portuguese successor of the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
. However, the islands are omitted in some lists of possessions of the Order. The Portuguese historian João de Barros
João de Barros
João de Barros , called the Portuguese Livy, is one of the first great Portuguese historians, most famous for his Décadas da Ásia , a history of the Portuguese in India and Asia.-Early years:...
includes them in the Canary Archipelago
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
and Gaspar Frutuoso
Gaspar Frutuoso
Gaspar Frutuoso was a Portuguese priest, historian and humanist from the island of São Miguel, in the Azores...
in the second edition of his work Saudades da Terra mentions "These islands, known as Selvagens, apparently were discovered by Castilians
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
, have Castilian owner, as also Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
and Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
archipelagos (...) which will belong to this glorious and powerful Catholic King, the greatest in the world". This was a convenient addition to the first edition, certainly not made by Frutuoso, with the purpose to flatter King Philip II of Spain
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
(Philip I of Portugal), during the period in which Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
was in a personal union
Iberian Union
The Iberian union was a political unit that governed all of the Iberian Peninsula south of the Pyrenees from 1580–1640, through a dynastic union between the monarchies of Portugal and Spain after the War of the Portuguese Succession...
with the Spanish crown (1580–1640).
What is certain is that during the 16th century the Savage Islands belonged to a family from Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
known as Teixeiras Caiados. How they found themselves under Caiados control is unknown. In 1560 they were given to João Cabral de Noronha. After 1717 they are recorded in wills, inheritances, inventories and other documents. Between 1774 and 1831 taxes were paid to the King. The islands were also recorded in the books of Conservatória do Registo Predial of Funchal
Funchal
Funchal is the largest city, the municipal seat and the capital of Portugal's Autonomous Region of Madeira. The city has a population of 112,015 and has been the capital of Madeira for more than five centuries.-Etymology:...
.
From the 15th to the 19th centuries, the islands were used for different economic activities, such as collecting barilla
Barilla
Barilla S.p.A. is a major Italian and European food company founded in 1877 in Parma, Italy by Pietro Barilla...
weed and shells and molusks. The islands - although uninhabited - were also used as a basepoint for fishing. Goats and rabbits were hunted on Selvagem Grande. Until about 1967, in September or October, there were "organized" hunts for the chicks of the Cory's Shearwater
Cory's Shearwater
The Cory's Shearwater is a large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae.This species breeds on islands and cliffs in the Mediterranean, with the odd outpost on the Atlantic coast of Iberia. The nest is on open ground or among rocks or less often in a burrow where one white egg is laid,...
s for their oil and meat.
The islands have a reputation as "pirate's treasure islands" and there are many stories of treasure hunting. According to reliable primary documents, at least four times (in 1813, 1851, 1856 and 1948), serious dig attempts were made to recover the supposed treasures but nothing was found.
In 1904 the islands were sold to Luís Rocha Machado.
The Permanent Commission of International Maritime Law gave sovereignty of the Savage Islands to Portugal on February 15, 1938.
In 1959, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) became interested in the islands and signed a contract-promise with the owner, Luís Rocha Machado. In 1971 the Portuguese government intervened and acquired the islands, converting them into a nature reserve. The Savage Islands Reserve was created as part of the Madeira Natural Park; it is one of the oldest nature reserves of Portugal and it also includes the surrounding shelf to a depth of 200 m. In 1976, permanent surveillance began, and in 1978 the reserve was elevated to the status of Nature Reserve.
In 2002, part of the nature reserve was nominated to UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
's World Heritage Sites. They are currently included in the tentative World Heritage Site list.
Today the Savage Islands have a permanent team of wardens from Madeira Natural Park (On Selvagem Grande there is a permanent research station with two wardens year around while Selvagem Pequena is manned usually by two wardens between May and October). These are the only human inhabitants on the islands.
Timeline of sovereignty dispute
- 1881 – During a meeting of the Maritime Signalization Commission the Spanish government requested that Portugal cooperate with the installation of a lighthouse on the islands. The Portuguese commission recognized the importance of the lighthouse to the sea route to the Canary IslandsCanary IslandsThe Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, but could not contribute to the project at that particular moment due to the involvement in the Portuguese coast signalization, which was absorbing all available funds. The Spanish Foreign Affairs Ministry stated during the meeting that "...it is not clear if the sovereignty of the island belongs to Spain or Portugal". - 1911 – In September the Portuguese government received an official communication from the Spanish government in which it was stated that Spain would build a lighthouse in the islands and had decided to include them in the CanaryCanary IslandsThe Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
archipelago. Portuguese administration protested and it was agreed not to take any actions that might endanger a friendly solution to the dispute. - 1913 – Admiral Schultz Xavier conducted a survey of the Selvagem Grande IslandSelvagem Grande IslandThe Selvagem Grande Island is part of the Savage Islands, which themselves are part of the Portuguese Madeira archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean....
and recommended Pico da Atalaia as the best location for the lighthouse. - 1929 – Rear Admiral Gago CoutinhoGago CoutinhoCarlos Viegas Gago Coutinho, GCTE, GCC, generally known simply as Gago Coutinho was a Portuguese aviation pioneer who, together with Sacadura Cabral , was the first to cross the South Atlantic Ocean by air, from March to June 1922 , from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro.The Fairey IIIB seaplane used by...
clarifies, in a document, that the islands were always under MadeiraMadeiraMadeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
administration, and therefore, were Portuguese. - 1932 – The Portuguese government legislated over the islands and declared them under a special regimen of hunt in favor of the owner.
- 1938 – The Permanent Commission of International Maritime Law declares Portugal as the legitimate sovereign over the islands on February 15. A hydrographic survey mission proceeded to survey the islands and established several geodesic survey points.
- 1972 – Two Spanish fishing boats, San Pedro de Abona and Áries, are arrested near the islands for illegal fishing.
- 1975 – Canary Islands sailors disembark in the Savages and there they waved a Spanish flag, but the administration did not support them.
- 1976 – A Spanish fishing boat, Ecce Homo Divino, is stopped for illegal fishing.
- 8 April 1996 – Spanish F-18 fighters flew over the islands.
- 2 August 1996 – A helicopter Puma SA-330JAérospatiale PumaThe Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma is a four-bladed, twin-engined medium transport/utility helicopter. The Puma was originally manufactured by Sud Aviation of France.-Development:...
from the Spanish Air ForceSpanish Air Force-The early stages:Hot air balloons had been used with military purposes in Spain as far back as 1896. In 1905, with the help of Alfredo Kindelán, Leonardo Torres y Quevedo directed the construction of the first Spanish dirigible in the Army Military Aerostatics Service, created in 1896 and located...
simulated a landing on Selvagem Grande IslandSelvagem Grande IslandThe Selvagem Grande Island is part of the Savage Islands, which themselves are part of the Portuguese Madeira archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean....
, committing a double infraction: violation of the Portuguese air space and flying below 200 m over the reserve. - 16 October 1996 – Spanish F-18 fighters flew over the islands, but this time were filmed by the Portuguese RTP TV channelRádio e Televisão de PortugalRádio e Televisão de Portugal, S.A.,commonly known as RTP, is Portugal's public service broadcasting organization. It operates four terrestrial television channels and three national radio channels, as well as several satellite and cable offerings....
. Following these actions, the Portuguese Foreign Affairs Ministry protested. - May 1997 – The Portuguese Ministry of Defense signed an agreement with the Spanish government to restrain these actions.
- 1 August 1997 – The flybys occurred again. The Portuguese Foreign Affairs Ministry reminded the Spanish government of the agreement.
- 24 September 1997 – Spanish fighters again flew over the islands at low altitude. The Spanish ambassador to Portugal apologized for the actions. Portugal reinforced the islands with the Portuguese NavyPortuguese NavyThe Portuguese Navy is the naval branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the military defence of Portugal....
. - 23 June 2005 – Four Spanish fishing boats were captured 28 nm south from the islands, in the Portuguese Exclusive Economic ZoneExclusive Economic ZoneUnder the law of the sea, an exclusive economic zone is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources, including production of energy from water and wind. It stretches from the seaward edge of the state's territorial sea out to 200 nautical...
. - 8 July 2005 – One of the guards in Selvagem Grande IslandSelvagem Grande IslandThe Selvagem Grande Island is part of the Savage Islands, which themselves are part of the Portuguese Madeira archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean....
and a biologist came face to face with a group of Spanish fishermen. A group of 10 Portuguese marinesPortuguese Marine CorpsThe Portuguese Marine Corps are a special operations force unit in the Portuguese Navy. The corps is specialised in amphibious warfare, coastal reconnaissance, maritime interdiction and boarding operations...
were placed on the island for a month. - June 2007 – One Spanish fighter again flew over the islands at low altitude.
Accidents
- 1970 – On July 21 the Italian ship Fluvia sank close to the islands.
- 1971 – The Norwegian oil tanker Cerno deviated from course to the islands to wash the tanks and ran aground on the Selvagem Pequena IslandSelvagem Pequena IslandSelvagem Pequena Island is an island in the Southeast Group of the Savage Islands, Madeira, Portugal. Its fauna and flora are well preserved due to lack of human interference....
. Three months later the oil tanker Morning Breeze sank near Selvagem Grande IslandSelvagem Grande IslandThe Selvagem Grande Island is part of the Savage Islands, which themselves are part of the Portuguese Madeira archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean....
. - 1973 – The merchant vessel Splendid Breeze sank near the islands.
- 1976 – Yacht Demeter sank near the islands.
See also
- MacaronesiaMacaronesiaMacaronesia is a modern collective name for several groups of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean near Europe and North Africa belonging to three countries: Portugal, Spain, and Cape Verde...
- List of islands of Portugal
- Portugal's Exclusive Economic ZonePortugal's Exclusive Economic ZonePortugal has the 3rd largest Exclusive Economic Zone of the EU and the 20th largest EEZ in the world, at 1,727,408 km2.-Portugal's Exclusive Economic Zone:*Continental Portugal 327,667 km2*Azores Islands 953,633 km2...
- Liancourt RocksLiancourt RocksThe Liancourt Rocks, also known as Dokdo or Tokto in Korean or in Japanese, are a group of small islets in the Sea of Japan . Sovereignty over the islets is disputed between Japan and South Korea...
- OlivenzaOlivenzaOlivenza or Olivença is a town in the autonomous community of Extremadura, situated on a disputed section of the border between Portugal and Spain...
, a territory on the Spanish-Portuguese border claimed by both countries.