A month navigating the Bijagos islands

Maxence and Victor Ansquer stop at Guinea-Bissau's isolated islands on their world voyage

- Maxence and Victor

Situated at the mouth of many rivers in Guinea-Bissau, the Bijagos archipelago is one of Africa’s most isolated maritime regions. Strong tides, violent currents, murky waters, rocky reefs, constantly shifting sandbanks and unstable winds make access difficult both from the sea and from the continent. The Portuguese never fully overcame these obstacles. Until the country’s independence in 1973, the Bijago people resisted colonisation by retreating into the islands. Within the forest, they maintained their life as sedentary hunter-gatherers with a partially matriarchal social structure, continuing their animist beliefs and complex initiation rites. The natural barriers of the islands also benefited the other living creatures inhabiting the archipelago. The islands host an ecosystem of unique variety: migratory birds, monkeys, crocodiles, hippos, sea turtles, manatees, sharks, and all sorts of fish.

Such were the few pieces of information we gathered. What more could we ask for? Having departed from Brittany in November on a transatlantic voyage that would have seen our crew part ways in South America, we’d tacked upon reaching the Canaries. Frustrated to sail along western Africa without stopping, we’d veered towards Dakar. Upon arrival, Victor voiced the idea that had been hovering: what if we sailed around the world? In one evening we sketched a loop on the map, uniting our dreams and thirst for adventure. The Bijagos were a few days sail away, we would start there! In retrospect, our month-long stay was rich enough to write an entire book.