Today I went to a remote uninhabited island in the Exuma Cays ("keys"). There's about an 1 hr. windy boat ride to get there; it is about 35 miles from Nassau. The Exuma Cays are a chain of 360 islands in the Bahamas. The chain is about 130 miles long. The largest island ( not the one i was on) is approximately 73 miles long but most are shorter then that. Many are part of the Bahamian version of the National Parks. Many others are privatively owned (the one I was on was privately owned by Powerboat Adventures) as resorts and movie actors such as Johny Dept known for Rango and the Pirates of the Caribbean.
The first stop was to feed the iguanas grapes on sticks at Allan's Cay, an uninhabited cay. The iguanas were
Bahamian Rock Iguana (Cyclura cychlura inornata) which are greenish brownish iguanas, and are also the second stage of endangerment which is endangered. (You can see the full endangered list at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_status). The kind of Bahamian Rock Iguana called the Allan's Cay Iguana lives only on Allen's Cay which is the island we went to, and there are under 1,000 left of them. The iguanas are wild, but so many boats come by to feed them, that the iguanas come to the beach to meet the boats.
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| This is a cay. |
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| The iguanas coming down to the beach as we come close |
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| This is an Allen Cay Rock Iguana |
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| Another iguana |
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| Feeding the iguana grapes on a stick |
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| Me surrounded by iguanas |
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The next stop was the cay owned by Powerboat Adventure. We got to
feed sting rays. Sting rays are not endangered. The sting rays are wild
but come up to be fed. They swam around your feet and let you pet them.
Their wings are really soft, smooth and feels sort of slimy, but there
is no slime. But their backbone which is hard and spiny, and if you rub
it it hurts. Their stinger is at the end of their tail, so don't touch
the tail. Their eyes are on the top of their body and their mouth is on
the bottom, so they can't really see what they are eating. To feed
them, you take a piece of fish and hold it loosely between your fingers
on the ocean floor. And then the sting ray will come up and suck it from
you. If you hold the fish too high, the sting ray may try to climb on
you.
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| Sting rays coming to feed |
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| sting ray waiting to be fed |
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| This is a gar fish. It is a carnivorous fish from the Mesozoic era. |
Tomorrow sharks, coral reef, and conch ("conk") salad when I conclude the Powerboat blog
Block two:
ReplyDeleteHenry pointed out that looking at these pictures, and reading your messages is making us even more jealous :) Thank you for your responses to our comments, that was really fun to read! Bobz and the rest of your "crew" like your hairstyle in your picture :) Brianna noticed it seems like you are having a good time. She also wants to know how the iguana's were acting around you while you were taking your pictures, Ella and I said we would be freaking out!!!! Have you gotten sea sick on your trip? If so what did it feel like.... We're worried about the boat trip to Catalina. Bruno knows how you feel because he has been on a vacation with sting ray's too! Quinn wants to know when you were feeding the sting rays, did they ever try and climb on you? Freya wants to know if sting rays only eat their prey alive..? Joseph says pet all the animals for him. Gabey and the rest of the class hope you have a good rest of your trip and we all miss you!