After spending a fun-filled week in Tyrell Bay we returned to Sandy Island and were astonished to find that our most favorite, as well as everyone else’s favorite, mooring was open. Life is good.
Getting ready to swim to shore I was dangling my feet off our swim platform and felt a very painful stab on my ankle. I caught a glimpse of the culprit – a trigger fish darting to the underside of Ice Floe. As many times as I put my hand or foot into the water, the fish darted out in attack-mode. I took a couple of photos from above the water.
My attempts to get a shot under water were met with immediate and swift attacks and many failed shots save these below that I managed to get before he/she banged headlong into the camera.
Silly triggerfish
There are 40 varieties of triggerfish and most are strikingly beautiful.
George and I have observed many over the years, but this is the first time we observed the characteristic aggressive behavior they are known for. Generally, it is felt to be associated with their defense of a breeding territory. This territory is conical from the bottom to the top so it is advised that if being attacked you move horizontally, rather than vertically.
Fishing Bats
One evening George was lifting our dinghy for the night. It had gotten quite dark and he had his headlamp on. As the light shined over the water he caught a glimpse of something large flying over the surface of the water. He called me to the bow and we both watched as several darted back and forth presumably scooping up the many small fry that frequently jump from the water. At the time we knew of no night fishing birds, and the flight pattern was typically bat-like so we immediately Googled “fishing bats”
It was a challenge getting a photo of the nasty triggerfish, but it was impossible to get my own of the Greater Bulldog Fishing Bat we observed that night – so I borrowed one from the internet.
They are decidedly not cute and if that is not enough, they are a very large bat. Their bodies are just shy 5 inches in length and they have a wingspan that can exceed 2 feet. They use echolocation to detect water ripples made by the fish and use the pouch between their legs to scoop the fish up and their sharp claws to catch and cling to it. They are found from Mexico to Northern Argentina and also most Caribbean islands.
We have been living in Grenada since December 5th, 2019 and rarely a day goes by that we do not observe or learn something new.
George and I just finished a lovely lunch of lambi (conch) fritters and salad at Paradise Beach Club and are hanging out here for the balance of the day. George is reading and working on reconciling our credit card bills, Duhkxy is harassing crabs, and I am attempting to write this post.
Once Duhkxy hits a beach, he is digging up and chasing ghost crabs. They are nearly invisible on the sand if they remain still. After unearthing them, he LOVES to chase them and he will bark and prance around them if they don’t run.
They are called ghost crabs because, if they remain still, it is difficult to see them.
In the absence of Hashes on Carriacou, we decided to make it a tradition to take a mid-morning hike each Sunday. We start out and end at Paradise Beach Club in time for a delicious late brunch.
We were recently introduced to an app (wikiloc, for wiki location) that allows you to input routes you take and to insert photos taken along the way. Your route is then visible on the app for anyone else using it and you have access to any others that have been put in the app.
This is the trail we loaded https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/paradise-beach-loop-64152484 A trail that has been created in the app can be used by others. You can click on any location along a trail to see where you are, post or view photos of points along the trail (flags), and see elevations and distance.
The trail shown above is the one we created in wikiloc from our first Sunday hike. We actually started and ended at the red point with a black square (we forgot to activate the app until we reached the green triangle point). Starting at the Red Point (Paradise Beach Club) we turned left on the road to Hillsboro. This road is fairly busy and certainly not a highlight of this loop trail. It is almost flat and passes quickly. At the blue dot, we turned on to a quiet road for a short distance until we reached the intersection, Six Roads. From Six Roads the trail becomes a dirt road where we encountered roaming goats, new vegetation, trees with giant oval calabash-like fruit a very large immature soursop orchard, a hillside covered in Caribbean pumpkin patch, a beautiful bird we had not seen before, and the shell of a large turtle. We often observe new wildlife on our walks and do our best to identify them when back on the boat.
One with, one without tether. Neither secured to anything. Goats are pervasive, requiring any home or garden or farm be fenced.Most likely Bitter Gourd (aka Balsam Pear and Bitter Melon), renowned for medicinal purposes. The Chinese type is lighter green, with bumpy, smooth skin (although still quite bumpy compared to a cucumber), while the Indian variety is darker green, much rougher in texture (even somewhat spiky) and with pronounced tapering ends.
These large oval or round “fruits” grow from the trunks or larger stems of Calabash trees. When they dry, they are brown and hollow and often used to make pretty bowls.
This massive Soursop orchard is young and not yet producing many fruits. Soursop is a heavenly tasting fruit that lives up to its description of having combined flavors of banana, apple, and pineapple. It makes a wonderful juice, jam, and smoothy (personal experience)
Pumpkins (or very large squashes) are a staple in the Caribbean diet. There are many varieties. Patches are often, like this one, rambling vines on a hillside requiring little maintainance. They are delicious!!
Mangrove cuckooShell of a Caribbean Land Turtle aka Red-Footed Tortoise
The Red-Footed tortoise is indigenous to South America and was introduced (or re-introduced?) to Grenada and a couple of nearby islands after hurricane Ivan.
After a short gentle climb an overlook facing north provides a Glimpse of Hillsboro with Union Island (St. Vincent and the Grenadines) in the background. Travel restrictions due to Covid 19 have thwarted our plans to travel there. We plan to head there soon after we return next year.
Union Island is frequently the first destination for sailors leaving Grenada for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
As we continued the ridge there are views of the southern waters of Carriacou.
The hike continues west along the backside of the hill, views of the southern side of Carriacou Island overlooking Tyrell Bay emerge.
Property with beautiful overlook and a giant Ceiba TreeAnother property looking towards Harvey Vale and Tyrell Bay.Overlook of Tyrell Bay, a very much used anchorage in Carriacou.
Continuing and descending northern views are of L’Esterre Bay (including the Marine Preserve and Sandy Island).
Sandy Island off Carriacou, GrenadaHomes above Paradise Beach overlooking L’Esterre Bay and Sandy Island
The loop ends at Paradise Beach Club, where we began.
Don’t miss your chance to visit Paradise Beach Club where you can “Put your toes in the sand, and a drink in your hand” to quote Allison, the restaurant’s proprietor. On Wednesday’s join “Sip and Paint” to add the name of your sailing vessel to the wall (Allison provides paint, brushes, and wood). Sunsetting behind “The Sisters”
The year 2020 will be remembered for a litany of events we could not have imagined. Our decision to remain in Grenada for its entirety offered the opportunity to live completely removed from the pain and suffering around the world.
Our personal lives oscillate minute by minute, day by day, month by month, between the opportunity of “Living in the Moment” and the depths of despair for our fellow humans, the world, and our country. How is it that we remain so personally protected amid such suffering? Our hearts break at the thought of how much has been damaged and lost.
New Beginnings
Today is January 19th. The inauguration of the 46th president of the United States will take place tomorrow. Vaccines to protect the world from Covid 19 are being manufactured and distributed. It truly is the beginning of the end of this nightmare.
Living in the Moment
Our interest in the lives and habits of hermit crabs on Sandy Island has not waned. We have written previously about these beautiful and interesting creatures Footprints in the Sand on Sandy Island. We continue to learn more.
Hermit crabs need fresh water and carry a supply around within their shells. After a rain they generally appear much earlier in the day and you may see them replenishing their supply from vegetation and objects that have accumulated it.
Two hermit crabs accessing water after a rain from a coconut shell
Hermit crabs are the primary reason almost all coconuts found on the ground in Sandy Island have holes in them and are eaten out. It is remarkable that they can tear through the thick outer hull and into the coconut inside. No doubt, the coconut water, in addition to the meat, provides additional motivation for the crabs, especially during the dry season.
We never saw them without the holes and thought it unlikely they could work fast enough to always get to them before we visited the island (at least once, and often twice a day). We knew the hermit crabs can climb the trees. We have seen them apparently sheltering in the burlap-like material that is wrapped around the trees towards the top.
We were fairly certain the crabs must drill and eat out the coconuts while they were still on the tree. We went in search of hermit crabs eating coconuts up in the trees.
First, let us confirm that there are many hermit crabs in the coconut trees. Once we started looking we found them climbing the trees and eating the coconut flowers, as well as the immature coconuts.
And they can climb pretty fast.
Hermit crab climbing coconut tree
And we also saw immature coconuts still in the tree that had already been eaten out.
This concludes our chapter of Living in the Moment – “Mystery of the Lack of Mature Coconuts on Sandy Island” – SOLVED.
We returned to Sandy Island shortly after a new outbreak of Covid 19 cases were reported on the main island of Grenada. Overnight, Grenada went from being categorized as low risk, to high risk; the immediate consequence of which, was that restrictions put in place for visitors from Grenada, made travel between island nations no longer feasible. If the outbreak was not quickly controlled, travel restrictions between Grenada’s own islands (Grenada, Carriacou, Petite Martinique) could also be put in place. In the event we need to stay put for a prolonged period of time, Sandy Island off the coast of Carriacou is where we needed to be.
At first sight, we were reminded of the beauty of Carriacou, Sandy Island, and the waters between these two islands. These waters are part of a protected marine preserve (Sandy Island Oyster Bed Marine Park).
Moored off Sandy Island during Covid 19 lockdown (March-June, 2019)
Sandy Island and the Marine Park Have Much to Reveal
During our prior stay at Sandy Island (March through June, 2020) the skies were constantly full of seabirds. Initially, flocks of laughing gulls, shortly joined by Brown Boobies, Royal Terns, and small flocks of pelicans. Mixed groups fed upon enormous schools of young fish. These fish were continually assaulted from below the water, as well. Small groups of jacks would arrive like torpedos in formation attacking and gorging themselves on the young fish. Feathered predators would simultaneously attack the disorganized schools until, they too, had their fill.
Having now arrived at the end of December, we found large flocks of pelicans, no gulls, and, on occasion, small numbers of boobies and terns. The jacks and other fish predators are extremely active. We are entertained from sunup to sundown with what appears to be a small underwater explosion followed by a larger plume of the small fish launching themselves in the air.
In addition, individual jacks and occasional barracuda fly out of the water with such force they land 20-30 feet beyond. The most beautiful behavior we enjoy is when schools of small fish, presumably startled by a perceived threat, emerge in unison, fly a short distance, and upon re-entering the water, startle fish from the same school ahead of them who launch themselves, repeating what appears and sounds like small waterfalls over and over again. We have observed this behavior before, both here near Sandy Island and in other locals, but never as often, with schools of fish so large, and the repetitive waves.
Boobies are demonstrating a different fishing behavior. We have routinely seen them fly straight down, fold their wings, and like olympian divers, plunge into the water without disturbing the surface. Moments later they bob to the surface like a cork. We now see them skimming the surface of the water while retrieving a snack. On occasion, they sit upon the top of the water with their heads under water eating fish in conjunction with the assault of the fish from below.
Flora and Fauna on Sandy Island
The island’s hermit crabs that had almost entirely moved underground when we left Sandy Island last June, were now more apparent; but nowhere near the population seen previously. Duhkxy was delighted to find that the white ghost crabs that build burrows at the water’s edge remained plentiful.
Referred to as Ghost Crab – Aptly named as they are virtually invisible when remaining still on the sand.
He has become more persistent and accomplished in his pursuit of them. Guided by smell, he digs following the tunnel entrance until he unearths the crab. When he gets one out, he delights in chasing them. His play is invariably brief as they are amazingly fast and nearly invisible when they stop moving. In addition, they head for the water and can bury themselves in the sand within a second in wet sand. On occasion, one takes a stand, refusing to move. Duhkxy will bark and howl in dismay which translates to “Cmon, play with me.”
Duhkxy digging for a Ghost crab.Duhkxy has startled this Lined Shore Crab (aka Striped Sea Crab) who decided to stand his ground.
The Sandy Island rats have not revealed themselves, thus far. Perhaps they have moved on (who knows where or how) or Duhkxy has been too busy terrorizing the crabs to hunt for rats and flush them out.
The island vegetation is lush as it is now nearing the end of the rainy season. We enjoy observing blooms and seed pods that were not here earlier.
While examining the sea grapes for hermit crab activity we spotted several beautiful spiders (Yellow and Black Garden Spiders) and what we believed to be egg casings.
Several days later our suspicians were confirmed as one of the egg casings had released hundreds of newborn spiders. The following day they had all dispersed.
Sandy Island itself, had also changed. The beaches are frequently transformed depending on storms, and are now wide and shallow in slope. We often observe many small fish in a line at the last reach of the waves, having been left to die on the beach to the delight of the ghost crabs.
We are sharing this idyllic spot with as many as 24 sailing vessels in comparison to the few (2-5) during the 3 month lockdown earlier in the year. Our coveted mooring that we learned some sailors refer to as Ice Floe’s mooring, is occupied. We find it desirable, as it is the closest to a beautiful shallow reef perfect for snorkeling, as well as to the beach for us to swim ashore without the need to launch our dinghy.
We are safe, our days are full, interesting, and pass all too quickly. We miss home and our family and friends and hope to return in April. 2020 has been a year bearing no resemblance to one we have known or might have imagined. The human suffering weighs heavily and our hopes for 2021, are for Americans like ourselves who have thus far been spared the worst of 2020, to open our eyes and take action to alleviate this suffering and to address its causes.
May this new year be the beginning of the best and most well spent year of our lives.
We are still here in Grenada on Ice Floe, moored off Sandy Island within the Sandy Island / Oyster Bed Marine Protected Area (aka Carriacou Marine Park). We have been here since March 18th when the majority of Caribbean Island Nations closed their borders. Our June 18th flight was rescheduled for June 16th and subsequently canceled. The airport in Grenada will open no sooner than June 30th. We are now rebooked for July 4th.
How do we spend our days under lockdown?
That is a question we hear quite often so here is a description of our typical days.
We are both reading a lot, and of course I write my Blog every so often. I spend way too much time reading the news and then I feel depressed and play solitaire on my iPad for an hour, or so.
I am heartened that the outrage played out in the peaceful protests following George Floyd’s death has rekindled the Black Lives Matter movement and drawn international attention to the need for police reform. I track and graph the pandemic statistics every day. In my humble opinion, we haven’t seen anything yet.
There is the requisite cooking and cleaning every day, 3 times a day. Now that the Paradise Beach Club has re-opened we treat ourselves to a visit there a few times each week – sometimes for the best rum punch we have ever had, sometimes for the best fish tacos we have ever had, sometimes for the best lamb fritters we have ever had….
I FaceTime with Riley and Tristan on Wednesdays. They are both reading me a different book and Tristan recently serenaded me on his ukelele.
Our days are frequently variations of the same, with occasional outings to sail, fish, snorkel, watch the seabirds and turtles around Ice Floe, or take a hike around Carriacou. Many of these adventures are described in other blogs.
We visit Sandy Island almost every evening with Duhkxy and I will devote the balance of this entry to Duhkxy discovery and fascination with the rats on Sandy Island.
Duhkxy and the Sandy Island Rats
Soon after we arrived I saw the first rat on Sandy Island flash past into a pile of palm fonds. Several weeks later, George and I both caught a glimpse of several surfing along the branches of a sea grape.
The photo of the cute little rat at the beginning of this blogpost was first seen less than two feet from George’s right shoulder. I said “George, there is a rat – right there – pointing”. George asked “Where?”, a bit alarmed. I pointed again and George, now seeing it, quickly retreated to a safer location. I then kept staring at the rat, who kept very still in hopes I did not see it. George pulled the camera from our pack and I captured this adorable shot.
Now, as rats go, the Sandy Island rats are quite cute – smaller than nasty dump rats, shaped a bit more like a kangaroo rat, with soft-looking brown fur and big round eyes. George was having none of it – he does not like rats (or snakes).
It was not long after that Duhkxy discovered them and for weeks his favorite past time, while visiting the island, was trying to flush them out and catch one. He is a clever doggie and it was not long before he succeeded.
His favorite game is chase. Unfortunately, he is too fast, and so are the rats, for me to capture that in a photo. He has treed them as below.
I got you
Get down here and play with me (or let me play with you)
And he forced one into the water. He would have been in there after it if we had not restrained him.
Admittedly, not as cute as when dry and fluffy. This rat sure could swim.
Each day brings new discoveries and things to see on Sandy Island. Each evening a new sunset.
Sandy Island, Carriacou, Grenada viewed from a hilltop on Carriacou. Ice Floe is furthest to the right.
Duhkxy has become a capable and comfortable swimmer. He howls with delight when he sees me don my bathing suit and we need to be very careful to make sure he doesn’t land on our heads when he launches himself into the water after us.
Our Evening Routine
Each evening we swim with Duhkxy to Sandy Island to walk the beach, and visit the hermit crabs. The evening before, they created beautiful new patterns in the soft sand as they travel to and fro in search of food, new shells, and whatever else they have a hankering for.
Their footprints tell the tale of their long journeys, and they leave very little of their terrain unexplored.
An island bird’s footprints lay atop the beautiful quilt-like pattern laid down by hermit crabs
A hermit crab crossroad
Largest land hermit crab we saw on Sandy Island (~3-4 in)
Hermit crabs are remarkable creatures. They do not have a protective shell covering their abdomens. They must borrow one left behind by a dead snail or other animal. Having searched the beach on Sandy Island for months, I can attest to the fact that there are not many shells and the most beautiful ones invariably have been taken by a hermit crab. As they grow, they must find larger shells and on occasion they may do so in a cooperative manner.
When a hermit crab (Crab 1), in need of a larger shell, comes across one that is a bit too large, it may stay by this shell in hope
that a larger hermit crab (Crab 2) may come along also looking for a new shell. If Crab 2 takes the larger empty shell, its previous shell may be the perfect size for Crab 1.
Sometimes, a number of hermit crabs line up in size order waiting for the biggest one in the line to start the switch. Then each crab exchanges its shell for the next larger one that has just been vacated. Take a moment to see this happen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1dnocPQXDQ
Recognizing the shortage of shells on the island I felt compelled to return suitable shells from my collection to areas with large populations of the crabs. In less than 15 minutes, an interested crab came by to look at a three quarter inch blue shell I had returned. At this point, in the next photo, the small hermit crab has already examined the blue shell, turned it on its side and appears to have positioned itself to line up the shell openings.
In the next regrettably fuzzy photo, the smaller crab has inserted its abdomen in the larger shell.
Within the next several minutes another hermit crab approached and examined the newly empty shell.
However, it ultimately deemed it not a good trade and went on its way. By the following morning about half of the shells I had distributed were gone, with very small empty shells in their place.
Land hermit crabs mate on land and the female carries the eggs until maturity (~ 1 month). At that time, she distributes them in salt water and they immediately burst, releasing the immature hermit crab. Each crab will undergo a number of life stages in the sea, and upon acquiring a shell, they begin to spend some time on land. Their final metamorphosis occurs buried in the sand at which time their gills are modified such that the hermit crab can breath air. At this point, a land hermit crab will drown if submerged too long in water.
The approximate size of of the hermit crabs shown below are less than two inches in diameter, but we have seen some as small as an eighth of an inch and as big as George’s fist (first photos above). All of these hermit crabs are land crabs. They must periodically replenish a supply of water that they carry in their shells. A hermit crab without its shell is not only in danger of becoming someone’s snack, they will dehydrate quickly and die.
Tucked all the way into its beautiful shell you can see the brightly colored claws of these Caribbean land hermit crabs.
This odd looking hermit crab shell was wearing the calcareous shell of a tube worm (also photo below)
Our initial encounters were with hermit crabs in the sand.
Later we found them climbing palm trees and congregating and feasting on the foliage of the sea grape. The following photos are representative of the majority of the hermit crabs we encountered.
Addendum, added June 26 – Shortly after publishing this post, the hermit crabs all but disappeared on Sandy Island. Most had not returned by the time we had to leave Sandy Island, and those that did were tiny. We concluded they had buried themselves in the sand and started a synchronous molt. The time it takes for a crab to complete a molt varies. As a general rule, the larger the crab, the longer the whole process will take. It is not unusual for an average-sized crab to spend about four to eight weeks going through the whole process, during which time it may stay completely buried in the sand.
Stay safe and well. The worst of the first wave of Covid 19 is passed but new infections are being recorded at a rate around 20,000 per day – BE CAREFUL!! We may choose to believe that there will be no second wave, but most likely it is at best a few months away. Try to take these limited summer months to prepare to the extent that you can.
Every cruiser we have met, who like ourselves had their plans waylaid by the Covid 19 pandemic, has spoken of the pros and cons of either finding a way home or remaining in relative safety on their boat.
Why stay in Grenada?
In the early weeks, those highly motivated to get home had to first get to an island with an operational airport that would let them check in while each day more islands closed their borders and airports. Quite a few American cruisers headed to Puerto Rico or to the US Virgin islands. These trips took many days with few protected anchorages. As islands closed their borders, they also prohibited anchoring in their waters. Once arriving, they repeatedly booked flights that were then canceled. We chose to stay.
Living on Ice Floe has provided us with near absolute safety from the Covid 19 pandemic. We have an infinitesimal risk of encountering anyone who is infected. Moored in the Marine Park between the Grenada islands of Carriacou and Sandy Island we engage with only a handful of people – cruisers, like ourselves, who had been cruising in the Caribbean for months and several Grenadian citizens who live on Carriacou and have delivered groceries and other necessities to us. Carriacou has not had a single Covid 19 infection. We are safe here.
We love spending time on Ice Floe. She is a modest sized boat, similar to most cruising vessels we see. It is not a hardship to spend a great deal of time confined to her space. We also feel some measure of pride in living and eating simply and leaving small footprints on the environment. Wind provides the energy for our transportation, both wind and solar to make fresh water, to refrigerate our food, and to power our lights and electrical appliances.
It pains us to consider the possibility that, if we go home we may not be able to get back to the islands next season.
Why return home?
We have now been living in the Caribbean since December 5th, 2019 – in this safe and idyllic setting for over 2 months. So much has changed since we left home. We have mourned the loss of lives, livelihoods, and our way of life. We could not have imagined how quickly so many things we have taken for granted have been lost.
We miss our children and grandchildren, and all members of our family. We miss conversation and friends. We remind ourselves these longings will not be satisfied by returning home.
A possible opportunity to fly home has emerged, and we feel drawn to return. Our rational minds cannot provide a cogent reason for voluntarily returning. We are frightened.
On Ice Floe, we have not built up any tolerance to the fear of contracting Covid 19. The death toll from this virus has slowed a bit in the warmer months, as many coronaviruses do. We see a window of opportunity and are less terrified to fly to the JFK airport. We put out of our minds our certainty the outbreak will resume in the cooler months to come.
We are drawn to a home that only exists as the physical structure and gardens and memories we created over the past 3 decades. We hope we will be safe and find some ways to assist others less fortunate than ourselves. We are not needed here.
Our mooring off Sandy Island, Cariacou, Grenada has served as our home from the day we checked into Grenada on March 18th. We could not have asked for a more ideal location to quarantine as the course of Covod-19 unfolds.
At any one time, we had as few as 3 other boats as neighbors, and as many as 7. Some came and went and came back again. There was no place we would prefer to quarantine so we remained.
We have been provided with a service to secure groceries, as we are not permitted on land in Cariacou. We place our order with Alison, a proprieter of the Paradise Beach Club restaurant on Cariacou. The restaurant is closed, but Alison oversees efforts to ensure cruisers are provisioned. Cariacou receives its groceries from Grenada (the big island) and there is no way to know what will be available on a given day. Alison stands in lines with people in masks keeping 6 feet apart, sometimes for hours. She has invariably brought us as many of the items we requested as possible, and does a great job of substituting when necessary. We eat well – never better than on the occasions a blue marlin has been caught.
Things to do while moored off Sandy Island – Underwater
You may think that remaining on a boat such a long time in one place would be tedious, but we are never bored. There is a very lovely reef within swimming distance from Ice Floe and our snorkeling has rewarded us with views of frightening moray eels, a small yellow snake head peeking out of a hole, slipper and caribbean lobsters, two types of sting rays (yellow and southern) a spotted eagle ray, a host of vibrant corals and other sea invertebrates and many species of fish. Every visit reveals something new and we never get tired of snorkeling on the reef and along the island shoreline.
We often catch glimpses of fish backed into a crevice like this one that is either a spotted burrfish or a porcupine fish. They look a bit like ET with their big eyes and wide mouth. When they are threatened they blow up into a big fat ball with spikes sticking out. It is hard to get a photo because you need to dive down and they usually back further into their hole.
This fish is likely the same type as the one above, but not the same fish. This was my third attempt to get a photo – very proud of myself.
Glasseye Snapper
This is the West Indian Sea Egg, a very common type of sea urchin. They have the curious habit of collecting seagrass and small shells. Sea urchins are part of the broader category of sea creatures Echinoderms. Echinoderms include starfish, brittle stars and feather stars and sand dollars.
French grunt fish swimming near what I believe is Smooth Star Coral
Juvenile Mahoghany Snapper
Blue Tang
Identifying coral is difficult as their color may vary depending on what algae grow inside the coral polyp. Relying more on shape of the total colony and the individual polyps, my best guess is that this is a Great Star Coral. Those, in very shallow water, which this one is, tend to collect green symbiotic algae.
The blue dotted fish is a juvenile yellowtail damselfish. The Yellowish tan coral in the background is a type of fire coral. The red is likely a sponge.
School of French grunts
Trumpet fish
George
Southern Ray
Above the water
While sitting in our cockpit, we have been surrounded every day by the heartless slaughter of small and juvenile fish. We see large fish as they decimate the huge schools of tiny and young fish. We have observed a progression of the type of predators, as well as the seabirds who take advantage of the disorganized fish that come too close to the surface.
Underwater predators
Underwater predators we have observed include redfin needle fish, barracuda, and jacks. It is common for the predators to launch themselves from the water, especially in the initial attack. At times this is a single predator – they may fly straight up in a tight arc or cross an amazing distance. Sometimes groups of predators come by in what looks like an underwater airplane configuration. They will suddenly erupt just above the surface. We believe all of these tactics help them disorganize their prey making them easier to catch.
School of horse eye jacks
Predators from above
Above water predators have included terns, laughing gulls, brown-footed boobies, and pelicans. They continually keep a watch and when the fish strike, the birds are right behind them.
Royal Tern
Laughing gull
Brown footed Boobies
Pelican
The prey
The innocent prey are generally schools of silversides or young fish. The predators have varied over the weeks – most recently the horse eye jack, perhaps as some of the prey has grown from half inch to several inches.
A school of silversides just below the surface of the water
An enormous, dense, school of silversides we swam through while snorkeling
The play unfolds
Jacks, erupting at the surface of a school of prey
Several laughing gulls are next on the scene of carnage
Birds assail from above as jack (center bottom) attacks from below
This scene plays out dozens of times a day
Initially Duhkxy reacted to every loud splash from the attacking predators. As he has grown accustomed to the behavior, he reserves his barking to instances when he becomes bored or the attack is particularly loud and close to the boat.
Duhkxy maintains vigil.
Watching the birds can reveal some behaviors you cannot imagine. Have you ever seen a seagull stand on the head of a pelican? WE HAVE, many times. After a pelican catches a fish, it also takes in a large amount of seawater. Before swallowing, the pelican allows the water to drain out of its pouch. In this interval, gulls hang around and often stand on the pelican hoping they can snatch some of the catch.
We often watch laughing gulls stand on top of a pelican’s head immediately after the pelican catches a fish
Many larger birds of prey routinely steal fish right out of the mouths of others. We have observed that here, with frigate birds taking fish from boobies. In other locals, we have seen eagles and osprey do the same. We wonder if this is the main way frigate birds satiate their hunger as we routinely see them soaring above but have only rarely seen them catch a fish.
Our neighbors entertain us with their water activities. Some paddle board, some kite sail, some kayak, and once, we watched a cruiser successfully use his hammock as a sail for his kayak. He had a little better luck than Marilla when she tried this in the Boundary Waters.
Marilla, in Boundary Waters (1989)
At the end of day, we sit in the cockpit and watch the sun go down. No two sunsets are the same. Each is a peaceful, end of day, experience.
Our loved ones and humanity as a whole are never far from our thoughts. Stay well.
The sun set over Sandy Island as cruisers like ourselves enjoyed their last few minutes on land.
Foreign vessel restrictions in Grenada due to Covid 19 Coronavirus
Efforts in Grenada to keep the island free of the Covid 19 Coronavirus have become more stringent by the day since our arrival March 18.
March 19, 12:00am – any foreign vessel checking into Grenada must fly a quarantine flag and be quarantined on their boat for 14 days
March 20 – Foreign vessels in Grenada or Grenadian waters cannot set foot in Grenada
March 21 – At end of day, Grenada closed to any new foreign vessels
March 22 – Grenada’s main airport, Maurice Bishop International Airport closed to commercial traffic
We applaud the precautions the Grenadians are taking, but how I cried when the restriction was put in place that we could not touch land. Poor Duhkxy lives for the time we take him to Sandy Island, often sitting wistfully gazing at the beach.
In an effort to establish a new routine for play we put out a ramp for Duhkxy off the swim platform. Once we jumped in he was happy to join us but he headed immediately for shore, took a poop, and then swam back to the boat.
We were visited later in the day by Grenadian immigrations, customs, and coastguard. They checked our papers to ensure we were checked in. I asked if the land restriction included Sandy Island and was told we could go there. What a relief and how kind.
We have been assured that we will have assistance in obtaining provisions, water, and fuel as needed and have already been visited by gentlemen who will provide this service. Our personal situation is not a hardship and we feel extremely grateful to be so fortunate.
My anxieties concerning the magnitude of this growing tragedy erupt without warning – concern for my loved ones at home, friends who are trying to get home, cruisers who have not found a home, the health care providers who risk their lives while not even being provided the most basic of protective apparel, the many hundreds of thousands of lives that could be cut short, the inexcusable delays in preparing for and managing the spread of this virus, businesses ruined and repercussions that we cannot even imagine.
In an effort to form my own conclusions regarding what we may expect from this pandemic, I have been tracking the number of deaths from the virus in several countries that have had the best to least success in managing the spread of the virus. Death is the only way to compare countries as the rigor of testing is so varied. At present, the United States appears to be on a trajectory similar to China. Even if the most “draconian” measures implemented in China were adopted now, we will likely see several more thousand susceptible people die. If unchecked, we can only hope the virus peters out.
Stay safe – stay isolated to the fullest extent you can, stay well. Understand that each person who contracts the virus passes it on to others – some who will inevitably succumb to the disease.
Go With The Floe 
