Have You Heard of Île Sainte-Marie, a Former Haven for Indian Ocean Filibusters?

Located off the northeast coast of Madagascar, Sainte-Marie island does not only appeal to its white sandy beaches and turquoise waters. Behind this paradisiac decor hides a complex story, shaped by the filibusters of the 18th century and the 18th centuries which made their lair. At the time, the island was a strategic base for legendary hackers like William Kidd and Olivier Levasseur. They found natural shelters, abundant resources and the possibility of establishing themselves far from the colonial powers.

A strategic crossroads for filibusters

In the 18th and 18th centuries, the Indian Ocean was crossed by merchant fleets from Asia to Europe. These ships, loaded with spices, precious stones, silk and porcelain, represented ideal prey for pirates. Sainte-Marie Island, or Nosy Boraha in Malagasy, was at a nerveless point of these sea routes. Located near the Mozambique canal, it allowed the corsairs to discreetly monitor the passage of merchant ships on the way from Goa, Sumatra or the East Indies.

The very morphology of the island favored its clandestine functions. Its deep bays and coves that have not been visible from the sea offered safe moorings for damaged ships or awaiting looting. Lagons bordered by coral reefs served as natural barriers against external attacks. While dense vegetation made hackers undetectable for possible punitive expeditions of the colonial powers.

© Public domain

William Kidd.

Famous captains like Olivier Levasseur, nicknamed “La Buse”, and the infamous William Kidd installed logistics bases. Their men could repair their boats there, share their loots and refuel thanks to abundant local resources. Some filibusters, seduced by the climate and isolation of the island, chose to stay there after their campaigns. They married Malagasy women and founded families, mixing their destinies with that of the inhabitants. Even today, European surnames bear witness to these unions and this amazing cultural brewing.

The daily life of a pirate hideout

This strategic crossroads was not long in turning into real haven for the filibusters, recalls theInrap. Far from European ports and colonial patrols, the corsairs transformed this island into a microcosm in which trade, alliances and excesses were intertwined. Among them, the Englishman Adam Baldridge deeply marked the story of Sainte-Marie. Arrived in 1685, he made the island an organized base where piracy became almost a local economy. Since his fort perched on a hill, he controlled the moorings and dictated his law on the island, explains The National Geographic. Baldridge put an almost industrial organization in place: wooden warehouses garnished with rums of rum, looted silks and firearms, quays where galleons in repair were, and improvised markets in which bodies were traded against fresh food.

The pirates, from England, France, the Netherlands or even the Caribbean, found everything they needed here. Banana trees, coconut palms, poultry and fish from local fisheries guaranteed food autonomy. The rum was imported from the Americas via a network established by Baldridge with New York merchants. This drink was flowing in waves during their nocturnal ripailles. Slaves, bought at low prices on the African coast, worked in plantations or were sold to passing ships. But this practice provoked the anger of local populations. In 1697, a rebellion broke out, forcing Baldridge to flee rushedly, leaving behind his burnt down warehouses.

© Wikimedia Commons

Today, the island cemetery in forbans is testifying to this tumultuous past. The tombstones, adorned with skulls and intertwined tibias, recall the high mortality of pirates (diseases, injuries or quarrels). The wind that blows between these tombs still seems to whisper the echoes of an era when Sainte-Marie resonated with the smacas of the sabers and the laughter of the boucaniers.

Archaeological discoveries that awaken legends

This is also why, since the early 2000s, the Sainte-Marie island has been at the center of intense underwater archaeological research. In 2024, a team from the Center for Historic Shipwreck Preservation, led by Brandon Clifford, confirmed the identification of an exceptional wreck: that of the Nossa Senhora do Cabo. This Portuguese galleon started from Goa in 1721 for Lisbon. But it was arranged by a coalition of pirates, including the dreaded Olivier Levasseur. Detailed analyzes of the shell and the artifacts found – ivory crucifix, religious figurines and plates encrusted with gold bearing the inscription “INRI” – corroborate the historical stories evoking a cargo of gold, pearls and precious porcelain. According to estimates, the loot of this single ship today would have a value greater than $ 130 million.

© Center for Historic Shipwreck Preservation

In 2015, another striking episode fueled fantasies. Barry Clifford, an American explorer, drafted a 50 kg silver bar off Sainte-Marie. He presented it as a legendary treasury vestige of Captain Kidd. The object, 40 cm long and marked with colonial symbols, would have been sunk with the Adventure Galleyone of Kidd's ships. Although UNESCO has issued reservations on this award, the discovery testifies to the richness of local seabed. Clifford remains convinced that ” Tons of metal still rest under the sediments Suggesting the existence of other pirate wrecks.

© 2015 AFP

A 50 -kilograms bar which would have been recovered by the archaeologist Marin Barry Clifford.

Sainte-Marie, between myth and tourist attraction

These finds revive the myths that surround the island and also attract attention. This is why, today, the Sainte-Marie island capitalizes on its pirate heritage to attract international customers. In Ambodifotatra, the capital, the Pirate Museum has a collection of objects found on the island and in surrounding waters: Spanish coins, rusty weapons, navigation tools and old cards. These artefacts, accompanied by historical stories, make it possible to reconstruct the universe of the filibusters which haunted the Indian Ocean.

The Cemetery of Ile aux Forbans, accessible in a canoe, has become an emblematic place of visit. The tombstones recall the presence of men like Olivier Levasseur or William Kidd. Guided excursions also lead visitors to the traces of the underwater wrecks. The lucky ones can then see vestiges at the bottom of clear waters.

But Sainte-Marie is not limited to his tumultuous past. Each year, from July to September, the migration of humpback whales to the warm waters of the Sainte-Marie canal attracts thousands of curious people. This cohabitation between exceptional nature and historical memory gives the island a unique attraction.

For the inhabitants, this heritage is both a source of pride and painful memories. If the pirates have left surnames and traditions, they also recall decades of looting and slavery. Tourism, by valuing this past, is today a vital economic lever. It remains to be seen how to combine tourism development, respect for historical memory and preservation of ecosystems so that the Sainte-Marie island retains its unique character.