Our next port of call after the booming metropolis of Rock Sound Harbor Eleuthera was to be the Exumas Land and Sea Park at Wardwick Wells. This is not so much a town as a preserve. The snorkeling is said to be wonderful and we were looking forward getting a chance to get in the water again, especially now that the water temperature had increased from 65 to 75 degrees.
Okay, I’m thinking here I’m going to get some good natured ribbing but in my defense when you are going to be in the water for an hour or more the difference between 65 degree water and 75 degree water is substantial. If you don’t believe me you come visit and I’ll show you.
On arrival to the island we were disappointed to find that there was a strong westerly wind which made the mooring field quite bouncy. Expecting the wind to settle down and switch we settled in for the night and in the morning went to check in at the office. Due to the fact that the wind had not yet clocked around or reduced Monica and I decided to do home school on the beach near the office. It was a stunning vista and completely comfortable (on land).
In addition to math, reading and writing Nicole was also enamored by the small yellow and black banana birds which you could feed by hand just outside the park office. They have tongues that they flick in and out as they eat almost like humming birds. We fed them in our hands sometimes with as many as 7 per hand. The park provides sugar in a small jar and they flock to it and literally lick the sugar out of your hand and wipe their beaks on the sides of your hand when they get too much crusted along the edge of their beak. The whole thing was just adorable as well as a good nature field trip for school.
Then we fed some other birds (which looked more like the mocking birds we have back home) some of our crackers, they came to visit us the moment we sat down at the picnic table, smart birds. After that we created a hysterical scene with some giant hermit crabs and a bit of the same crackers. These hermit crabs are not like the ones we have on the boat these guys are the size of Nicole’s fist. They are so big I’m afraid to pick them up due to the risk of being pinched.
I decided perhaps the hermit crabs (who were hanging around under the bird feeder) would be interested in some of the cracker too. I took a corner of one back to the spot I’d seen the hermit crabs and dropped it in front of one of the larger hermit crabs who appeared to be combing through the sand for crumbs of sugar dropped by the birds. For a moment I thought the crab wasn’t going to be interested. Suddenly I saw him wheel and head off to the underside of the building.
As though in slow motion replay of a football move the larger hermit crab (I’ll call him #1) tucked the entire piece of cracker under his shell and headed away from the other crabs. The nearest crab wasn’t fooled, somehow he knew about the goody and started following #1. #1 turned and with his other claw he pushed the smaller crab, a big shove, which the smaller crab tried to block. The smaller crab was no match for #1’s strength and it rolled the smaller crab right over on his back. By that time the other crabs were on to #1 and started to bum rush him (all in slow motion mind you). It was quite interesting to watch.
Later Paul got a chance to reproduce the drama with another piece of cracker and then even later we fed a large rather bold lizard a piece of cracker that had apple (kind of like the peanut butter crackers) jam in it. He had the kids in stitches as he tried to fit the entire piece into his mouth at one time. Once he finally managed to swallow the cracker, which took a lot of work, he licked his mouth to get the crumbs and jam off his lips and finally resorted to rubbing his side of his mouth on the rocks to get rid of the excess. We all laughed until it hurt! No snorkeling but what a great time.