( CNN ) -- Most people would struggle to place it on a map , but Socotra is one of the world 's last unspoiled island chains -- an archipelago off the coast of Yemen that has wildlife so diverse it has been described as the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean . Its isolation lends Socotra a bucolic serenity and has blessed it with an array of unique animals and plants . A third of Socotra 's 825 plant species , 90 % of its reptile species and 95 % of its land snail species do not occur anywhere else in the world , according to UNESCO , which added the archipelago to its World Heritage List for its natural beauty . German photographer Claudius Schulze had been fascinated by Socotra since reading about it in a magazine , but he was led there by an old proverb . `` I had a project that did n't work out and we have a proverb in Germany about being 'ready for the island ' if you are exhausted -- so I thought it was time to go to Socotra , '' he said . `` I started looking up flights and applying for a visa straight away . '' When Schulze , 27 , finally made it there he was captivated by both the scenery and the people he met . `` It blew my mind . It 's incredibly amazing and other-wordly , '' he said . `` The landscape is bizarre , with mountains , valleys that cut 600 meters into the landscape , moon-like desert plains and huge sand-dunes and endemic plants that are completely different from anything I 've seen . '' The archipelago has four islands , of which one is uninhabited and two others have only 450 and 100 residents respectively . Schulze visited only the main island , also called Socotra , which covers an area of 3,625 square kilometers . He has published a book of photographs and the story of his travels , called `` Socotra , an island . '' The tribal Bedouin people of Socotra live mostly from goat herding , date plantations and fishing . The population of the islands is estimated at 44,000 , according to the Socotra Governance and Biodiversity Project ( SGBP ) . However , Schulze said there appeared to be far fewer people , with official figures including many who now live elsewhere . Although the official language is Arabic , most people speak an unwritten Socotri language of pre-Islamic origin , according to the SGBP . Also on Inside the Middle East : Qatar 's first female Olympians . Schulze received hospitality from the Bedouin people of Socotra , staying in their homes and eating with them , but said he was never quite able to bridge the cultural divide he felt . `` I discovered I was alien to the people and they were alien to me , '' he said . `` They were extremely hospitable , they welcomed me in their houses and I had tea with the village elders , but there was an invisible world of extreme cultural difference . '' Schulze said he also witnessed the devastating impact of industrial fishing on the island 's small boats . `` I was a guest of fishermen on the coast and there were days when they did n't catch anything so there was nothing to eat but yesterday 's bread , '' he said . `` They are often victim of pirate European fishing trawlers illegally depleting their stocks , because neither Yemen nor ( nearby ) Somalia has effective coast guard to stop them . `` I realized for the first time what overfishing means . It 's not about running out of tuna in 10 years ' time , it means people will starve now because they do n't get their daily fish . '' Also on Inside the Middle East : Auctions celebrate art of the Islamic world . He visited Socotra three times over a year , each time for three weeks , in order to see it in different seasons . Schulze has been unable to return to Socotra with his finished book , and a lack of a postal system makes it impossible to send it there . However , he has presented the book to members of the Friends of Socotra , an international group composed mainly of scientists interested in the unique biodiversity and culture of the islands . In addition to its endemic plants , reptiles and snails , Socotra has 192 species of land and sea birds , including many threatened species , and diverse marine life , according to UNESCO . The SGBP says the local population has developed strong traditional rules to protect the island 's natural resources because of its isolated position and history of self-sufficiency . Schulze 's book is available through his website and at selected bookshops listed on the site .
This , off the coast of Yemen , has been described as the Galapagos of the India Ocean . Hans Claudius has been in search of adventure and exploration . He has published a photography book of his adventures in Socotra .