02/11/12 Our first week
Today was supposed to be the
first day on Curieuse Island for us seven ‘newbies, but the plan was changed
when we discovered that there was no room on the ferry from Mahe (a first, it
seems!), so we were treated to an unexpected overnight stay on the main
Research Base at Cap Ternay. It was
really interesting seeing the base, tucked away in what felt like the middle of
the jungle. We ate their food and slept
in their dorms, then waved goodbye in the morning to finally make our way over
to Curieuse.
The first glimpse of Curieuse shows
a lush, hilly place with beautiful white sandy beaches. As Dexter (the boat) pulled up on the beach
we could see the base camp just nestled behind a few trees. We had a lovely welcome from the staff, and
were greeted with delicious flapjacks!
What a good start! The staff here
are all really friendly and helpful, and are very knowledgeable about their
subject areas. They didn’t let us off
very lightly though as we were soon engrossed in lectures about Curieuse
Creatures and GVI and given a camp orientation.
We were finally shown to our dorms (mine is endearingly called Leper
Lodge due to the fact that it used to be part of a leper colony) and given time
to unpack. The first evening was very
relaxed, with everyone getting to know each other and finding their way around.
An early start (the first of
many!), we had a turtle briefing at 7.00am, and by 8.00am we were off on our
first beach survey. This took us on a
trek over the hills, which provided some amazing views, and incorporated the
giant tortoise centre where we were amazed by how big they really were! Guided by April’s expert eye we found several
new turtle nests which were logged, measured and tagged. After a hot trek back to camp we had a bit of
time to jump in the sea to cool off, which was fabulous. We’ve started to get used to the local
wildlife here, like the huge palm spiders (no prizes for guessing where they
got their name from), the crabs and the unwanted giant centipede that appeared
in our dorm! Luckily the lads got it
with the can crusher! The weirdest thing
is having a shower in the open air with the bats flying overhead! This afternoon we learnt how to husk a
coconut using a machete, and found out that it is illegal to husk a coconut
after dark or under the influence of alcohol!
Luckily I don’t think the coconut police will be visiting this island
anytime soon!
It feels like we’ve been here for
quite a while already. This morning
brought a turtle walk along the local beach, and then a snorkel back. I spotted my first turtle! While snorkelling, I had cautiously
approached several turtle-shaped rocks, when finally a real Hawksbill swam past
right in front of me. It was truly
amazing to see how graceful they are under water. Everyone is getting to know each other
better now and the place is starting to feel like home. I think we’re even getting used to the rather
unusual bathroom facilities! Tonight we’re
being treated to movie night, then it will be off to bed early ready for
another early start. I’m on kitchen
duties tomorrow in between the turtle walk and first aid training – oh dear, my
lack of cooking skills will soon be revealed! We’ve been told that we should
see some hatchlings soon, so fingers crossed......
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