Natural harmony of Uganda's 'Ghost Island' under threat from international tourism

On a tiny island in Uganda’s Lake Victoria, local fishermen have created a rare harmony with nature, guided by strict cultural traditions and spiritual beliefs. But with growing interest from tourists, there are fears this fragile coexistence could soon be at risk.

Musambwa, or “Ghost” Island, is a 5-acre piece of land located in Lake Victoria. The tiny isle can be reached via a bumpy 45-minute boat ride from the shores of Africa’s largest freshwater lake.

One of 84 islands in Lake Victoria, Musambwa plays host to a diverse ecosystem. The island’s small human population lives in harmony with the local wildlife, including colonies of birds and several species of snakes.

Fisherman Enock Ntale, who has lived on the island since 2001, says the island used to be a resting point for fishermen who came from the neighbouring mainland. He says the work of ecologists brought more attention to the island:

“This island became popular after some organizations that advocate for wildlife conservation like Nature Uganda that came and started sensitizing people around the island about its existence.”

Over the years, Musambwa Island’s unique natural beauty has attracted numerous researchers and conservationists.

Fredrick Nsibambi has been to the island several times to study its past and biodiversity. He says the island’s name likely comes from the large population of snakes:

“There are many narratives as far as the origin of the name Musambwa is concerned. But from the Luganda language, the moment you hear Musambwa you know what it means, for some people if you translate to English probably you may not get the right version of it but in English it would be a spirit or a ghost and the narrative on the island is that this spirit is manifested in snakes and the musambwa."

Snake protectors

To preserve the integrity of the island, only a limited number of men are allowed to stay on the island.

Residents believe the spirits disapprove of women sleeping on Musambwa. "This spirit or this ghost doesn’t like women on the island and that’s why they tell you they don’t allow women on the island. If a woman goes and spends a night there, the Musambwa will get annoyed and when it gets annoyed, it will cause havoc,” says Nsibambi.

About 2,000 snakes are thought to reside on the island, including the venomous Gaboon viper and the Egyptian cobra, although on the day the Associated Press visited, most were hiding from the baking sun.

The fishermen believe these snakes possess supernatural powers and act as protectors of the island and its inhabitants.

Spiritual site

104-year-old Emmanuel Katongole was among the first inhabitants of the island in the early 1960s. Katongole says the island has remained intact because of the strict cultural practice that it has maintained ever since the first fisherman set foot on it.

The island is also considered a spiritual site and is often visited by individuals seeking blessings or spiritual guidance. Katongole says he does not see himself leaving the island until his death:

“People were very few on the island back then. They were not more than five people, those were the people I got to come here. I came here from Kabuwoko to fish, and since then I have never left.”

Musambwa Island has become a popular destination for nature lovers.

“What is more interesting for me is how the communities on the island have managed to coexist with wildlife, with plants, with birds, with snakes without harming each other,” says Nsibambi. “Humans don’t harm the wildlife and wildlife don’t harm the human beings and this has happened because of the oral traditions, the rituals, the cultural practices and the cultural values that have supported the ecosystem,” he says.

The island currently has just 125 residents, reflecting the reduced amount of fish in the surrounding waters.

Gerald Lubega, a fishmonger, came to the island in 2003 to buy fish and says his first experience of the island was terrifying. “When you would go to sleep, you would find yourself surrounded by snakes,” he says. “After some time, you get used to the snakes,” Lubega adds.

Conservation strategy

Musambwa Island’s unique conservation strategy is bearing fruit. The once-endangered birds have multiplied, and other migratory birds have also found sanctuary on the island.

Ntale says the consumption of birds and eggs has been abolished and anyone found eating bird eggs is punished.

“The birds back then were endangered, because there is that bird called the grey-headed gull, people used to pick their eggs and eat them because they loved then eggs, and then there is also a bird called “Entajuga” (long-tailed cormorants), they also used to eat them a lot but after those organizations came and sensitized us about the importance of preserving the wildlife, we accepted and people stopped picking the eggs and hunting the birds because of the benefits they bring to the island.”

Growing awareness of the existence of the island, however, threatens to destabilize this natural idyll.

“We are getting a lot of international tourists,” says Nsibambi. “The moment we start getting people not respecting the local practices that have for so long protected the area, it means its future is in danger,” he adds.

For now, though, Musambwa, or “Ghost” Island, continues to serve as an example of how man can coexist with nature.