3: The lagoon of the lazy jellyfish … and the wisdom of EM

Tuesday:

In addition to diving, there are some other trips and activities on offer on my island (and I mean in addition to reading my book and having naps). Today, on my ‘rest day’ (no diving), I spent some time on the beach reading and then also walking around the coast and investigating the mangroves and walking along the sand with Dog (he just accompanies me now. I think we’re friends. I am concerned he’s hoping I shall take him back to England with me. Not to mention the cold and lack of miles of beach based freedom to roam, given how appealingly KLM treat inanimate luggage, I wouldn’t ever entrust live animal cargo into their system!). In addition, I also went on the trip to a local island. Four of us went (an American couple who teach abroad and Ana who is Portuguese and lives in London - pour soul). We met on the beach where EM joined us, he appears to be the guide for everything here!

We went on one of the smaller boats, which we first all had to heave and push until we’d got it afloat from where it was slightly beached - that’s how they park them it seems! In we clambered and were each directed to sit by one the life jackets. We didn’t put them on - they were tied quite securely to the boat, presumably just so if a sinking incident occurs, we could watch clearly as our allocated spaces sunk with their high-vis accessory!

On the way to the other island, we asked EM various questions about what we saw and the sites. It became clear at many points during the afternoon that EM is much better with things underwater and less knowledgeable about land matters. He knew (we assume correctly) that all of the plastic bottles that were dotted around arse-end up floating in the sea were being used as markers for seaweed farming, which was interesting.

(Research says EM is correct - the locals rely heavily on various marine based activities for their income and survival but some are not particularly sustainable or good for the marine life and reef. The WWF have funded a project and invested massively in providing training and support for the local community on how they can grow and farm the most desirable seaweed and then provided support and materials for them to turn it into toiletries and cosmetics that use the weed. It has supported the community to generate a sustainable and far more lucrative (relatively speaking) income.)

At the little bay, we walked through some forest and then got to the lagoon, where were donned our snorkels (and water shoes for me as I have discovered that having something on my feet makes snorkelling less terrifyingly life-threatening). And in we splashed. At first, you don’t see the jellies but then you realise that what looks like the sea bed and weed is actually a carpet of jellyfish. They lay upside down on the floor, presumably just waiting for food to fall into their mouths. One or two occasionally leave the sea bed but I think that was when the water movement from snorkelers caused a swoosh that meant they were water born briefly. Strange looking and very weird. They have no predators in the lake so have evolved to be sting-less.

After the lagoon, we returned to the boat - complete with another heave and push manoeuvre to get going and this time, chugged along the coast, where was saw the most incredible sight of two MASSIVE eagles - just sitting in the trees and watching us go by. Utterly amazing birds - they just live here and you can see them sometimes. Like pigeons and robins in the UK. Only eagles and in Africa! Our next stop was another bay and a walk up to some ruins from the 12th century - an original Swahili settlement complete with a large ‘main house’, smaller buildings, a couple of mosques with graveyards and then spreading into the jungle, the remains of an entire village. We got there just as the sun was setting so it was also quite eerie. Walking back to the beach as the light was really starting to fade became slightly intimidating I felt - the jungle came alive with crickets and insects and all sorts of weird calls and noises. I figured we’d be ok as we were with a local but then EM did a massive scream and leapt in the air … before reassuring us that it was just a crab but that it had startled him! It was a massive crap - its body the size of a side plate and way up in the jungle. EM says they call them rain crabs and if you see them so far from the sea, it means a big rain is coming. It rained solidly for most of yesterday so perhaps that’s why he’s out? Today has been sunny and blue sky all day.

After a final re-float of the boat and clearly a little behind schedule, we set off back to our island long after sunset and in darkness. They don’t have any safety features like lights on boats and we had to stop several times to untangle seaweed farming bottle buoys from the propellers along the way! It was an excellent afternoon though and lots of cool stuff - most of which I now need to research as, as I said, I’m not convinced EM is fully genned up on all the facts…..

On arrival at the lake:

Us: what type of jellyfish are they?

EM: upside down jellyfish

Us: how did the jellyfish come to be in the lake?

EM: they swum in

Us: isn’t it a closed in lagoon? Can they just swim back out then?

EM: no, they like it here so they stay.

Us: surely predators would have swum in by now to eat up this excellent food source if it was open?

EM: they don’t know about it. Shhh don’t tell them.

(Research says - no one is sure how they got into the lagoon but it was likely a flood or changing land structure. Although the lagoon is tidal, it feeds through tiny cracks and fissures and not large enough for other sea life to enter or the jelly fish to leave. They’re known as Medusa jellyfish (because they do lay upside down on the seabed as their photosynthesis and feeding technique). They are of the genus Cassiopeia. Usually they have a mild sting. The ones in this lake have evolved to lose their sting entirely due to lack of predators!)

On spotting the eagles:

Us: oh wow - look at those birds! Are they eagles?

EM: probably

Us: don’t you know what type of eagle they are?

EM: African eagles

Us: cool, are there many of them around?

EM: well, they’re eagles and they’re in Africa and they’re up there so maybe. I’m better with underwater things.

(Research says: they are African Fish Eagles - so EM wasn’t far off! We saw an adult female (most likely) with a juvenile (the one without the full white head). The females weight up to 3.6 kgs and have a wingspan of around 2.4m (8feet)!)

On touring the ruins:

Us: what are the ruins of?

EM: they’re ruins

Us: yes, but what were they originally before they became ruins?

EM: they are ruins from the 12th century.

…. Most of the ‘tour’ then consisted of suggestions of what people believe (by people, I think he meant himself) the different rooms and things we saw could have been used for. The map helped up work out the key information!

(Research says - the ruins are of a medieval Swahili town which went through Portuguese and Omani rule as well as independence, enslavement and then abandonment. Chinese and Islamic ceramics have been found there and historical Portuguese accounts include the great wealth of the Swahili people. The ruins include residences, mosques and a sultan’s palace. The site is threatened by ongoing weather conditions - and also continued attempts from people digging for Swahili gold! Funding grants have been given in recent years for some basic restoration and to make the site safe, as well as manage tourism. However, the local people are aware of the significance but unable to really maintain the ruins. There is a community local preservation attempt that has been funded and who have cleared the site of invasive / destructive vegetation (which revealed the second mosque) and who watch over the area. We each paid 10,000 shillings (around £3.50 to visit today).

Wednesday

Today was back to ‘usual’ with a late start (diving is set according to the tides so the meeting time today was a terribly civilised 11am), some time for reading and some diving. I also spent some time watching the staff begin to Christmas-up the place, with some excellent health-and-safety approaches to ladder use and also ‘plugging in’ the fairy lights. We did one dive inside the bay and one outside. Fortunately, the wind has dropped and the sea is far calmer. I was diving with Sarah, the American from Uganda, and Anna, the Portuguese from London. And we were guided by EM, again. The dive in the bay was a little murky but floating about and finding pretties to photograph. The ‘outside’ dive was much clearer and with a bit more of a current. It whooshed along enough to flatten out the anemones but not enough to make you need to hold your reg or mask in place so was very pleasant. It essentially requires you to drop into the water, sink to the required depth then hold depth and position while the water does all the work. A bit of light finning is required for changing direction and heavy ‘all-out’ finning to try and pause for a photo!

As I write this, a family of Americans have just arrived at the dive shop opposite my room. I know they’re Americans and that 3 of them have advanced scuba certification and that they’ve all dived recently. They have two sons - teenagers or possibly early twenties at most. The older of the two is an instructor. I know this because they have all talked loudly about it in every sentence and he has taken it upon himself to advise everyone around him of best practice and his superior consumption abilities. They have booked for the early morning snorkel trip to see the whale sharks tomorrow and are hoping to get back in time to then join the 11.45am diving. I am on that dive trip with Anna. I will not be disappointed if they don’t make it. I was much more interested in watching the little gecko rush about nearer by while one of the small-cat sized ants caught and ate another ant! All while doing my best to block out the incessantly loud new arrivals. Dog is so unimpressed, he got up from his favourite spot on the terrace, wandered towards the dive shop, did a solo bark then walked off! I’m considering the same course of action myself.

Thursday:

In excellent news, the Americans did make it back from their first trip in time for diving BUT they were put on their own boat with a different guide, so the four of us, who dived together yesterday too, had our own boat and were guided by Gideon! Another ‘in - out’ double dive trip with a meeting time of 11.45am. Light currents on the second dive but nothing too strenuous. There was a bloody bastard bitey trigger fish monster though, who I didn’t see until I turned to see who was pulling on my fin only to find it was one of the monsters having a good go on my fin! I think my reaction of a massive kick, big shouty-scream and quick swim (which with the current meant I flew like a bullet away from him) saved my life … or at least my fin from any further nibbles. Nothing else to report except that I saw the biggest conch shell ever. Sadly, I couldn’t collect it and bring with me as it have someone living in it - and it would never havebfit in my BCD pocket or indeed my suitcase anyway!