Underwater photos: basket star

Cynthia really enjoys her underwater camera, but has found that the best way to spot new and interesting things is often to read about them. I, too, found in my youth that this worked: if one is prepared to see something, one will see it.... and if one is not, the eyes and mind will entirely miss it. So, Cynthia read her reef creatures series of books and then sees these cool creatures.... like the basket star.

This critter feeds at night, crawling about and snagging little animals from the water and dragging them into it's mouth: a definite candidate for a horror film! During the day, it crawls onto a gorgonian and curls up into a tight knot, looking like a bit of rotten netting or plant material tangled in the plantlike animal.... and this is exactly what Cynthia spotted. Very cool.

PS: these pics were taken when we visited the Exumas back in February, I believe.

Heading north from Bahamas to NC.... and getting another visitor

My visa ran out and, given that it was about that time anyway, I headed north. I anchored a couple days at the very north-westernmost point of Grand Bahama to wait out a strong blow, then set out. A couple days into the sail, this little critter visited. I suppose it must have seen the "welcome aboard" plaque given to Cynthia and me by her sister and thought correctly that it applied.

The bird checked the boat, including inside the cabin and various perches outside..

..including my big toe

and an insulated mug,

took a good nap,

and disappeared.

I had a few good blows on this trip, including one in which I simply heaved-to for the night with a bit of jib up and all other canvas tied down...

and was about a hundred miles from shore when the bird arrived. I hope it just needed a rest and then continued and survived the spring migration north.

I am currently anchored at Wrightsville Beach, NC, working on fixing and improving the boat (painting, electrical work, fixing leaks in the deck), cleaning up, and otherwise preparing for Cynthia and Lucy to arrive on the 16th. Cynthia wants to go fishing and sailing and soaking up sunshine and I think Lucy wants to bite any fish Cynthia catches.

On May 23rd I am scheduled to pull the boat in Oriental, NC and then Cynthia heads home on the 25th...I think. I hope to put the boat back in the water on the June 3rd and head north for the summer.

Kapok!

Kapok! It sounds like a noise made in a Batman fight in the 60's, but is, in fact, the name of a tree and the fuzzy material it produces. I've heard of kapok for years, used in old-fashioned life jackets and in couches and never knowingly saw one, but noticed this tree when walking through Current Settlement in North Eleuthera, Bahamas. 

The oily fuzz seems to act as a way to help the seeds blow around and become dispersed.

Big thorns resembling those on a rose or blackberry adorn the branches and trunk and make me think there must be some part of the tree tasty enough to require protection from browsing animals. 

Whatever: I'm simply delighted to have come across this tree from my childhood in real life. 

And no, I will not try to grow the seeds or use the fuzz.