We were invited to join a group of 35 for dolphin/whale watching. There were hundreds of dolphins and they put on quite a show and although we've see the humpback whales from land (they are migrating south now) we didn't see any from the boat.
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| Our ride is the Gannett III. This is also how everyone gets on and off the island right now. There is no deep water harbor so larger ships drop anchor further out, passengers board a small boat, are ferried to this spot, wait for a break between swells and jump shore. |
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| Jamestown as seen from the water. The larger white building close to the center is the customs house. The grey on the hill to the left is metal netting, put in place to protect buildings and people from rockfalls. |
It is said that when the island was first found it was covered with vegetation - how I'd love to see it like that again! There are efforts underway to support re-growth of endemic vegetation and overcome the serious erosion but it is slow going. Still, the rocky barren cliffs are certainly interesting.
It sometimes seems that on Saint Helena there is positive and a negative side to everything. Who doesn't like dolphins, right? But right now the fisherman say the dolphins are over populating and eating too much of the mackerel, which is the bait fish they use for tuna.
Your point is well-taken, Genevieve. We do tend to value our fellow creatures based on their attractiveness, according to a narrow set of criteria, rather than their natural place in the biological order. Food for thought, so to speak.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely Monique. I adore dolphins - I have since I was a child. At my requested my father painted big graphic dolphins in a border all around my bedroom. So I told my husband on the boat that "its all aIl can do not to just jump right into the water with them!'
DeleteBut what a different perspective I get when I get to the know the fishermen who are struggling financially because they can't get enough bait to catch tuna to sell to pay their bills and feed their family. We'll have dinner with that fisherman tomorrow but we won't be having fish - we'll be having BBQ. Sobering.