The Malagasy island of Sainte-Marie: A pirate stronghold in the 17th and 18th centuries
The island of Sainte-Marie, off the eastern coast of Madagascar, is renowned as a tranquil destination for whale watching. Visitors relax on its beaches, go diving, cycle around the island, and visit the pirate cemetery. Indeed, Sainte-Marie was a favorite hideout for pirates during the 17th and 18th centuries and remains forever tied to their legacy.
Among the legendary figures whose names echo through tales of adventure are Thomas Tew, Christopher Condent, William Kidd, Dirk Chivers, Olivier Levasseur (aka "La Buse"), and John Avery
Sainte-Marie: The island of pirates
The island's name was given by Portuguese navigators who arrived in the bay on the Feast of the Assumption in 1503, marking the first European arrival on Sainte-Marie. As maritime traffic increased in the Indian Ocean, more ships reached Sainte-Marie, including those of buccaneers.
History remembers Thomas Tew, a famous and wealthy pirate who married a local princess. Their son, King Ratsimilaho, became one of the first known mixed-race individuals (zanamalata) on Madagascar's eastern coast. His daughter, Princess Betty, is credited with signing the official Act of Donation of Sainte-Marie to France on July 30, 1750.
The period between 1685 and 1720 is considered the golden age of piracy on Sainte-Marie, with reports of over a thousand pirates living or stopping on the island. The bay became a favorite spot for the most notorious pirates, serving as their hideout and a place to store stolen ships. Legal documents, ship logs, and maritime charts provide evidence of this history.
Famous pirates of Sainte-Marie
Dirk Chivers, a renowned Dutch pirate, he achieved one of piracy's greatest feats in 1698 by capturing the *Great Mohamet*, a massive Turkish ship (40 x 14 meters) carrying 600 pilgrims to Mecca. Its cargo of gold, silver, and jewels is estimated today to be worth €350 million.
William Condent (Christopher Condent, aka "Billy One-Hand"): Captain of the Fiery Dragon, the richest pirate ship in history. He intentionally burned the ship in 1721 after negotiating asylum in France, avoiding British laws. Retired in 1720, he had captured an Indian pilgrim ship transporting gold coins, silk, medicines, and other valuables worth an estimated €375 million today.
Olivier Levasseur ("La Buse"): Known for his cryptogram leading to a hidden treasure. His loot is considered the most significant, as in 1721, he and his crew seized the *Vierge du Cap*, a Portuguese galleon carrying gold, silver, diamonds, rubies, and other treasures valued today at around €400 million. Captured by a French merchant ship in 1730 and sentenced to death, Levasseur allegedly threw a coded parchment to the crew, saying, "My treasure to whoever understands."
The legacy of piracy in Madagascar
Some residents of Sainte-Marie are descendants of pirates, and the graves of these sea bandits can still be seen in Ambodifotatra, the island’s largest town. Today, it is one of the island’s most visited tourist sites. Near Forbans Bay, the wrecks of pirate ships remain visible, including those of Captain Condent and Captain Kidd.
The waters surrounding Sainte-Marie are also ideal for scuba diving, with stunning wreck sites providing a glimpse into this pirate history.
For a closer look at historical evidence of pirates on Sainte-Marie, visit the Pirate Museum in Antananarivo. This unique spot, located in Tsaralalana, on the fourth floor of a building opposite the Ballou Society, showcases artifacts and tales of Madagascar’s pirate past.
Piracy in Madagascar also gave rise to the legend of a humanist pirate republic called Libertalia, said to have been hidden in the Bay of Diego-Suarez, lasting from 1685 to 1697.