Socotra is actually comprised of six islands. These include Abd al Kuri, Samha, Darsa, Kal Firawn, and Sabuniya. Only Abd al Kuri and Samaha are inhabited (aside from the main Socotra Island). Samha and Darsa together are often referred to as ‘Al Akhawain’ translating out to ‘the brothers’. I am in the process of trying to organize a unique Socotra trip in 2021 that will take a group to explore these rarely visited islands as they require chartering a boat to reach them. Please contact me at adventuresoflilnicki @ gmail.com if you’d like to be included on the updates for this special trip.
Abd al Kuri- Abd al Kuri is the largest of the outer islands of the archipelago, located about 65 kilometers west of Socotra Island and home to less than 1,000 people. The main village on the island is named Kilmia, and most inhabitants live off of fishing. Abd al Kuri is actually home to its own endemics including the rare Abd al Kuri Sparrow, and two species of lizard, the Mesalina Kuri, and the Pristurus Abd Al Kuri. The landscape of Abd al Kuri is arid, with hills that bisect the island and areas of sand beaches and high rocky cliffs. The sovereignty of Abd al Kuri is actually still disputed between Yemen and Somalia.
Samha- Samha is the smallest of the inhabited Socotra Islands and is home to a small population (I’ve seen estimates of around 100). There’s only one single village on Samha located on the northwest of the island. Much like Abd al Kuri, its sovereignty is disputed between Yemen and Somalia. As I have not visited Samha yet myself, from what I’ve seen from satellite images of Samha, the island looks very rugged.
Darsa- The smallest island of the Socotra Archipelago at 5.4 square kilometers. I know Darsa is uninhabited, but in all honesty, I know next to nothing about it. From satellite imagery, it appears to have a ridgeline that runs east-west across the island with a southern shore that looks to be comprised entirely of cliffs.
Kal Firawn & Sabuniya- Both Kal Firawn and Sabuniya are rocky outcrops and not full-blown islands but are a part of the archipelago. Both islands are important to birdlife. Sabuniya is located about 15 kilometers off of Shua’ab Beach on Socotra Island’s northwest coast and Kal Firwan is located about 25 kilometers north of Abd al Kuri.
