This Impressive Place: Tsingy Stone Forest

Have you ever wondered how a stone forest will look?  Well, here you have it!

The Bemaraha National Park, situated in the west of Madagascar, is home to an unusual type of “forest” made of otherworldly rocky spires.  Because of the unique geography, preserved mangrove forests, and wild bird and lemur populations of the area, this national park was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990.  And for good reason… This place, known as Tsingy, has 752 km² of breathtaking scenery that resembles a “city of limestone towers”.

From the Malagasy word mitsingitsignia, which means “to walk on tiptoe”, the term Tsingy has been accepted in common language to denote this exceptional topography.  This topography of eroded limestone exists in other areas around the world, but nowhere as tall (up to 150 feet in height), slender, and extensive as here.

So, how it it get this way?

Warning, Science Content: The formation of these unusual rocks actually began some 200 million years ago when layers of calcite accumulated at the bottom of a Jurassic lagoon, forming a thick limestone bed.  Later tectonic activity elevated the limestone, and as sea level fell during the Pleistocene ice ages, even more of the limestone was exposed.  Eventually, the ancient sediments were carved by monsoon rains, finally creating what we see today.

P.S. LOVIN’ that Sifaka lemur… And, Lemur loves jumping nimbly between spires.   Adorable!