15 FEBRUARY 2011
Grammy-Bee's First Green Turtle in 2011
The Christmas blizzard forced us to change our plans. We missed the Love Boat, so we flew directly to Miami to visit Ali Ingersoll, a St. George’s alumna and resident of Cat Island who is undergoing extensive therapy for a broken neck. Ali’s condition is improving with her spirit and hard work and the support of her family.
Two days later we celebrated New Year’s Eve with Diana Claridge and her family in Spanish Wells. Diana is a world famous marine mammal specialist who lives and works in Sandy Point, Abaco.
January 4th we took the Fast Ferry to Nassau to attend the Bahamas National Trust public meeting about the proposed shark ban. With support from the Pew Charitable Trusts, the BNT has initiated a campaign to ban commercial shark fishing throughout the Bahamas. Many years ago the BNT pushed hard for legislation that banned the use of longlines to protect large pelagic fish and sharks. As a result of that ban and the exclusion of foreign fishing fleets, the shark population in the Bahamas is one of the healthiest in the world.
Pierre Cousteau and a representative of the Pew Trust joined Eric Carey and members of the BNT staff to announce the BNT campaign and explain the reasons for banning a commercial shark fishery in the Bahamas. They played to a packed house of believers. The questions from the children were the hit of the evening - questions like, “If mangroves are so important for fish why are people allowed to fill in the mangroves to build houses?” It was a great evening.
The next afternoon I had lunch with Eric and Charlene Carey and Portia Sweeting. There was a lot of serious talk about sharks, taking grouper off the restaurant menus in the closed season, educational outreach, volunteer programs, and the parks; but there was also plenty of laughter and good natured teasing about growing up on the wrong out-island. I always feel there is a fresh breeze blowing through the Trust. Barbara and I always leave Nassau fired up and ready to go.
After two weeks of boat maintenance and the installation of a new outboard on the speed boat, we headed south from Spanish Wells. Sib Reppert anchored alongside us in Norman’s Cay, and we had supper together at McDuff’s. Sib’s daughter, Victoria, works at the US Embassy in Tunisia, and her mother, Chris, was visiting her when the revolution started. Sib was in touch with them every day on Skype, and the stories he told us went way beyond the information published in the press. It seemed impossible, but Victoria and Chris felt safe in Tunis, slept at home to the sound of gun fire, and worked at the embassy every day.
The next day we were anchored inside Fowl Cay getting ready to visit the local schools and meet David and June Rosen to cruise in company to Andros. We gave a presentation on sea turtles at the Black Point Primary School before Shacara Lightbourne arrived from the BNT to award badges to the members of the Discovery Club. It was a lively celebration. The next day Barbara and I caught two small green turtles in Dotham Creek and carried them to the school so the students could help tag them. Hands on education can really spice up a day at school.
Proud Keeper of the Turtle Scale
At the Staniel Cay All-Age School we talked about shark biology and the shark ban. Kids are always fascinated by sharks, and enthusiasm was high. When we mentioned the danger of a black market for shark fins among the Chinese workers at Baha Mar in Nassau, one boy leapt up, “And I’ll have to watch out for my dog.”
The trip to Andros was very successful but too short. We moored in Lisbon Creek, Mangrove Cay, and we met some wonderful people. We turtled in the western creeks with bonefish guides, Marvin Miller and “Shine” Greene and tagged greens, hawksbill, and loggerheads. The Rosens came with us when they could, but their mate, Allan, came every day and proved invaluable. I have never seen so many large juvenile hawksbill in one area, and subadult loggerheads are reasonably common just off the western coast.
We gave presentations in the Mangrove Cay High School and Burnt Rock Primary. Androsians are fishermen, and their children know a lot about marine wildlife. The high school and primary students asked excellent questions.
The weather was dry, and we had a good easterly breeze, so the famous Andros insects did not bother us. The problem operating in Andros is distance. The men there think nothing of running up to 40 miles and back to the bonefish flats. We didn’t mind the runs to the west side and even down to Thatch Cay, but the gas consumption put a hurt on the wallet.
Back from Andros we refueled in Samson Cay and moved down to Black Point to take members of the Discovery Club to the Exuma Park. David and June Rosen donated their family’s 32’ Regulator and Allan’s time for a day, so we could carry 11 students and two teachers in the two boats. Mrs. McKenzie, the principal, and Juanita Monroe had the students all organized, and throughout the trip the students were very well behaved despite their excitement.
We ran the boats up to the southern anchorage in Wardrick Wells and then around to the headquarters where Andrew Kris, the head warden, met us at the beach. Andrew was fantastic with the students. He took them on a long tour of the cay showing the kids the various ecosystems and explaining things along the way. Two Defense Force officers went on the tour.
After lunch we took the boats out to snorkel on one of the small heads near Emerald Rock. Since the park is protected, the small heads are covered with fish – not just grunts and snappers but also large grouper, Margaret fish, and crawfish. The kids were amazed.
The Exuma Land and Sea Park is one of the world’s great parks and the Caribbean region’s first marine reserve. It is beautifully managed and usually full of yachts and visiting scientists. When Barbara asked Andrew about visiting students groups, he could count on one hand the number of groups that had been to the park, and most were from the United States. “We need to get more Bahamian students here, and that’s why what you are doing today is so important.” That made us feel good, but it was also a challenge to make these visits more frequent and sustainable.
Next week we will fly to Nassau and take the Fast Ferry to Spanish Wells with Shelley Cant from the BNT to help promote the shark ban.
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