Today we went on a maritime adventure. We were picked up just after breakfast, and driven north to Havannah Bay, where we then took a small boat out to an old sailing ketch called the Coongoola:
This ketch took us across the bay to Moso island:
We stopped at a conservation reserve for endangered Haweskbill turtles, where we got to see the turtles close up and even hold some of the larger ones:
Apparently the Hawkesbill turtle is the fourth most endangered species in the world, and it's illegal to harm them in any way. The conservation programme takes half the newly hatched turtles and puts them into a safe environment where they are fed and cared for until they had reached 30 centimetres in length when they could be released. In the wild, only 2-3 percent of the baby turtles survive, but by keeping them safe until they are larger, they get an 80% survival rate, which should help the turtle population to recover.
After the turtles, we got back onto the Coongoola and headed around to the far side of Moso island, where we landed on something that looked like a movie set -- pure white sandy beaches, amazingly blue water, dense jungle behind, and thatched shelters nestled among the bush:
We spent the day there, twice heading out to go snorkelling on the reef, being treated to a delicious lunch, and the children enjoyed exploring the cliffs and beaches. We saw enormous spiders, dozens of butterflies hiding in a single bush, blue-tailed lizards, a strange pole covered in rusty nails, and amazing lava formations in the cliffs and rocks that surrounded the beach:
In the water, I saw a box fish for the first time in Vanuatu, as well as many fish I hadn't seen before. Ruth pointed out a lobster hiding in a cleft in the rock, with just its feelers sticking out:
We saw amazing coral formations: staghorn coral, coral that looked like giant mushrooms, and coral that looked like enormous brains. Ruth saw a giant sea slug swimming through the water:
The children also really enjoyed snorkelling in the water near the beach:
When it was time to go, we were ferried back onto the boat and headed back towards the mainland. About halfway there, we saw a pod of dolphins that followed the boat for a while:
We circled twice to get a good look at them, and were rewarded when one leapt out of the water not too far away -- too quick for a photo, unfortunately. Then it was time to head back to Hideaway Island, where the children went swimming in the pool to cool down, while I did a quick ride. My hamstring is a bit tight and sore today, so I didn't go far, but I still rode the first 250 metres up the steep hill just to get a photo of a sign. The road was so steep that I couldn't stop pedalling long enough to unclip my foot -- for a moment I thought I was going to have to either keep pedalling all the way to the top, or just fall over (I tried turning around, but it was way too steep for that). Fortunately, I managed to get my foot out of the pedal in the end, so I could stop safely. Whew!
The climb was worth it, as the photo I took of the sign was perfect -- the vertical signpost shows clearly just how steep the road is, and I got the picture I wanted:
After my ride, we had dinner back on Hideaway and spent the rest of the evening having hermit crab races:
Of course, Tighe won almost every time. His way with animals is amazing.
Tomorrow we're planning to stay on Hideaway the whole day, and do some more serious snorkelling in the reefs that surround the island. For tonight, though, I think we're all exhausted. It's been a full-on day.
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