The busy time

The next five weeks will be very busy. The best way to book a trip this time of year is to call my cell #, 252-241-6866. I'm on the boat a good deal of the time. Returning E-mail is time consuming and difficult this time of year.

I still have many openings, you just need to call.

Capt. Ron

The Bahamas are still there

The Bahamas trip this year was in late June instead of our usual trip in mid May. Yes, it was a lot hotter when I arrived. At least the boat had a generator and air condition.

We sailed for Wardrick Wells in the Exuma park and arrived after dark. Not the best way to travel in coral infested water but we anchored off shore and went into the island the next day. We had inoculated Alligator Cay with six iguanas in 1988 in the hopes of placing a population of Cycluara cyclura ordinata in a protected area in case the Leaf Cay population where some how wiped out. Getting 14 people ashore in an 11 foot Boston Whaler through rough seas with lots of nets and other gear always takes some time. Off loaded and on the beach we spent the entire day thrashing through the underbrush trying to round up the offspring of the six iguanas we had left there 19 years go. It proved very difficult because the animals where not bait sensitive and very weary of nets and nooses. Ten Iguanas where all we caught. A bit disappointing for so much effort.

We moved the boat north 10 miles the next day to Bush Hill Cay and went ashore in even worse conditions. At least the increased wind made it a little cooler. It had been two years since we had made a census of the other subspecies of ordinata. The San Salvador Iguana was inoculated on this Cay in an attempt to provide a safer habitat in a protected area. This iguana is smaller then the Allans Cay iguana but makes up for it in color variation. Blue with orange spots, orange with blue spots and yellow with green spots. The color variation is unique. We spent one and a half days, again thrashing around the island over rocks and through bushes to net just over 100 iguanas. Not a record for us, but a very good effort.

We where all sporting puncture wounds, scratches and sunburn by now. The next day we again sailed north to Alans Cay this time. The weather was windy with clouds and rain which made it difficult to attract iguanas, since they are sun lovers. We did a survey of the islands in the Alans group searching for new, untagged, animals and fresh nest burrows.

Our trip back to Nassau sailed through some more rain and high wind. Its always that way. We had large numbers of conch fritters, washed down with a fair amount of local beer that evening and made our way to the Airport the next day. It was exhausting but good, very good.

Off to see the lizzards

Ron and Good fortune will be in the Bahamas from June 23 to July1 to track the populations of Rock Iguanas in the Exuma Land Sea Underwater park.
I will resume charters on or about July 2 or 3.
Really, its just a conch fritter and beer drinking contest. Hope I win!

Turtles in the hole!

We sailed to the Cape Lookout turtle hole today. One Loggerhead was seen on the way out along with immature Gannets and a group of dolphins following one of the local shrimpers. We also saw several cownosed rays in the tide line off the Beaufort Inlet. We anchored in the turtle hole at slack high tide and ate lunch while we waited for the first turtle. In no time we started seeing Loggerheads all around us. The total sightings were 22 or so. The last turtle seen might have been a small Leatherback. Positive ID's are always difficult at best. This is the best time of year for turtle watching. The turtles are actively nesting now, according to the ranger, with twelve nests on the west end of the Cape so far. The snorkeling was not good due to windy conditions but the sailing was great. Smooth sailling back to Beaufort.

Update on Red-necked Phalaropes

We spotted a group of sanderlings two miles off shore on May 30th. The birds were feeding on comb-jellies grouped at the edge of the tidal line. There were millions of small jelly fish and the birds were feeding amongst them. Closer inspection of a photo taken at the time and a conversation with John Fussel confirmed that the birds where Red-necked Phalaropes. These birds nest on tundra ponds and winter in small flocks feeding on weed lines in the open ocean.
What a great sighting.

Stand by for great turtle sightings on June 7th.

Three trips toCape Lookout

We made three trips to Cape Lookout over the Memorial Day Weekend. The two hour ocean voyage along Shackelford banks allowed us to see a whole host of sea birds and aquatic mammals.
The birds included, Sooty Shearwaters, Greater Shearwaters, Wilson's Storm Petrels, loons and immature Ganets. The shrimp boats,while trawling, had collected dozens of dolphins,feeding behind the boat.
We saw at least 6 Loggerhead turtles in the turtle hole and two Kemp's Riddly Turtles at the jetty while we where snorkeling.
We also visited the light house and then went to Shackelford to see the horses. We also saw a deer on Cape Lookout. That's a first.

Future openings:
June 7th, turtle trip and snorkeling at Cape Lookout.
June 8th, 8 hour sail to Cape Lookout, two openings

Whales and Tales

Good Fortune made two sails off shore today. The wind was North East at 16 K. Protected by Cape Lookout we sailed in smooth seas with a great wind. The wildlife was abundant and the water was incredibly clear. Dolphins could be seen ten feet under the bow. A Large pod was followed for about fifteen minutes as the young leaped from the water. We also saw a Sooty Shearwater, a rare sight in these latitudes. The fishing was good with a large blue fish and a spanish mackerel coming home with us.
This time of year a trip to Cape Lookout features a trip to the "turtle hole". There are more numbers and varieties of turtles in the "hole" then any other spot on the east coast. The numbers are greatest in June with fewer in July and August.