Bota Island
A cluster of small islands off Limbe's Bota district, reached by dugout canoe.
History
Bota Island sits just offshore from Limbe's Bota neighbourhood, part of a small archipelago of volcanic islets that also gave the area its role as a 19th-century port and, briefly, a base connected to the coastal trade that ran through Victoria (as Limbe was then called). Fishermen still cross to the islands daily by dugout canoe, and the short crossing has become a popular half-day trip for visitors staying in Limbe who want open water and a view back at Mount Cameroon from the sea.
Beyond the facts
Culture & traditions
A living tradition or belief tied to the place, distinct from its recorded history.
The waters around Bota are worked by Bakweri and Isubu fishing families whose canoe routes between the mainland and the islands have stayed largely unchanged for generations, even as Limbe itself has grown into an industrial port town around them. Local boatmen who ferry visitors across often double as informal guides, sharing stories about the islands and the wrecks and reefs in the surrounding water passed down from older fishermen.