Utila Town and Punta Sal, Honduras
What a day! We woke up to a clear sky while docked at the small jetty in “down town” Utila, Bay Islands, and Honduras. The sun was a red ball rising. We had come in late evening yesterday, and some of us took advantage of daybreak to leave the ship early to wander the narrow streets before the town started to bustle with Monday morning activity, finding birds and flowering gardens waking up as well. Snorkeling was excellent off the reef nearby, with some surprises swimming among the corals for us to find. A juvenile spotted drum was found, which quite a few of us swam over to admire. How could we not, with such an absurd dorsal fin trailing out over its black and white banded back. David Stephens said how wonderful it was to see a fish that made him laugh, though it proves awkward, as water leaks in when one smiles under water. Filefish and trunkfish, French angelfish as well put in appearances among the sponges and corals.
As often happens on our vessels, whenever we get the chance we like to do some local “shopping”. In this case, during the morning a local fisherman came by with a wonderful wahoo for the galley. We have set up an arrangement with a local provider, a woman who lives on one of Utila’s farther cayes to the west, and on a regular basis she sends over the snapper, snook and wahoo we use on board during the week. As you can see in the photo, our sous chef Mainor is holding the excellent addition to our menu, to be served soon...(can’t tell the secret). These fish are open ocean inhabitants, fast swimmers and coveted for their flavor…fresh fish indeed. We also resupply regularly with organically grown veggies and fruits in Guatemala…tomorrow’s destination.
As soon as all were confirmed on board, we set sail to the southwest with the wind on our stern, and arrived off Punta Sal in the late afternoon. I went out with the kayaks, and together we all discovered a hidden lagoon, accessible only through a very narrow, shallow waterway through grassland. Just when we thought it dead-ended, on the far side it continued through a watery mangrove glen of quiet, still waters. We never did find out where it led, since fallen tree branches and time made us retreat back out to the main river. Meanwhile Zodiacs went out exploring the main channel of the Rio Tinto and also encountered very active wildlife, probably due to the much cooler temperatures caused by the overcast skies. Toucans, parrots and howlers, bat falcons, trogons and jacanas all made their presence known. Finally, on our return we felt the drops of a light rain, the first we’ve seen this season. The local children of the community at the river mouth all waved as we passed, lined up as if for a family portrait.
What a day! We woke up to a clear sky while docked at the small jetty in “down town” Utila, Bay Islands, and Honduras. The sun was a red ball rising. We had come in late evening yesterday, and some of us took advantage of daybreak to leave the ship early to wander the narrow streets before the town started to bustle with Monday morning activity, finding birds and flowering gardens waking up as well. Snorkeling was excellent off the reef nearby, with some surprises swimming among the corals for us to find. A juvenile spotted drum was found, which quite a few of us swam over to admire. How could we not, with such an absurd dorsal fin trailing out over its black and white banded back. David Stephens said how wonderful it was to see a fish that made him laugh, though it proves awkward, as water leaks in when one smiles under water. Filefish and trunkfish, French angelfish as well put in appearances among the sponges and corals.
As often happens on our vessels, whenever we get the chance we like to do some local “shopping”. In this case, during the morning a local fisherman came by with a wonderful wahoo for the galley. We have set up an arrangement with a local provider, a woman who lives on one of Utila’s farther cayes to the west, and on a regular basis she sends over the snapper, snook and wahoo we use on board during the week. As you can see in the photo, our sous chef Mainor is holding the excellent addition to our menu, to be served soon...(can’t tell the secret). These fish are open ocean inhabitants, fast swimmers and coveted for their flavor…fresh fish indeed. We also resupply regularly with organically grown veggies and fruits in Guatemala…tomorrow’s destination.
As soon as all were confirmed on board, we set sail to the southwest with the wind on our stern, and arrived off Punta Sal in the late afternoon. I went out with the kayaks, and together we all discovered a hidden lagoon, accessible only through a very narrow, shallow waterway through grassland. Just when we thought it dead-ended, on the far side it continued through a watery mangrove glen of quiet, still waters. We never did find out where it led, since fallen tree branches and time made us retreat back out to the main river. Meanwhile Zodiacs went out exploring the main channel of the Rio Tinto and also encountered very active wildlife, probably due to the much cooler temperatures caused by the overcast skies. Toucans, parrots and howlers, bat falcons, trogons and jacanas all made their presence known. Finally, on our return we felt the drops of a light rain, the first we’ve seen this season. The local children of the community at the river mouth all waved as we passed, lined up as if for a family portrait.
