Traveling with Al

5:45 A.M. First light, the forest glistens with the clean fresh look and smell of a clean, recently watered garden. Individual drops form jewel-like necklaces at the edge of each leaf. The first light brings a feeling of expectation, of new discovery and of new adventure. Each turn in the river brings with it the hope of something new and exciting to behold.

…We enter the large lake and behold a sight that is difficult to describe … The lake is several miles long and wide and is completely placid. NOT A RIPPLE!!! The dawn has produced a bewildering mix of incandescent hues, some of which probably don’t have names yet. Every cloud in the sky absorbs and reflects this incredible panoramic display of kinetic beauty. And the forest at lake’s edge has not yet shaken loose from the darkness of the passing night. It is a lovely dark line along the meeting point of the multicolored sky and the mirror image that is the lake.

And as for us, we are not really looking for anything. There are pink and grey dolphins all around us. There are egrets on the shore plant mats, there are birds in the trees, there are hawks aloft, we’ve seen the last of the fish bats heading for cover, to rest, during the heat of the day. We are simply here, now. We are skimming across a totally flat and impossibly beautiful water mirror, cool morning breeze blowing through hair and grateful faces. No talking, we take turns pointing as something new is sighted. This is always followed by nods and secondary pointing.

It is a beautiful dawn in Peru – and we are in Peru – skimming – through the surface of one of the thousands of seemingly timeless lakes in this region.

The skiff cuts through the water the way we all cut through life. Things move to the side – then fall behind, like the spray behind the boat – they move aside and fall back – never to return – and with each turn of the boat, new things appear, each to be enjoyed, cherished and respected.

It’s dawn in Peru – we are flying – skimming to somewhere – and we are grateful!!! (Thank you).

Al Molina kept personal journals of all his travels. His most exciting journals are those he wrote while leading international natural history trips for the Oceanic Society, for whom he worked from 1985 until his death in 1997. His first Oceanic Society trip was a whale-watching excursion to Baja California, and in the years to follow, he would lead many such trips, not just to Baja but also to such exotic places as the Amazon River, the Galápagos Islands, and Belize.

He kept his logs in bound black books; every page is meticulously labeled with the date and location in the upper right hand corner. On the right side of the page is Al’s handwritten narrative—sometimes neatly written, sometimes scrawled, often water-stained; on the left page is a species list of flora and fauna he saw that day.

These trips usually involved him getting up at about 5 A.M., getting his gear together, seeing to everyone’s needs, spending the day leading groups of whale-watchers, snorkelers, or hikers around the terrain, lecturing all the while on the local natural history, answering questions, reading up, socializing with everyone, giving slide show talks after dinner, and getting back to his cabin around 10 or 11 at night. And still he found the time to write detailed and even poetic entries in his logs before going to sleep.

It happened yesterday. For the first time I touched a living, free swimming whale – and my life will probably never be the same again.

We were all up at dawn coming into the opening of San Ignacio Lagoon. There were whale spouts everywhere. As we approached the sand bar we saw spy hopping and breaching. I saw more whales before breakfast than I have seen on all my whale trips put together. As we came to Rocky Point and dropped anchor, the excitement and sense of anticipation was intense. …

I went ashore first with half of the group. We examined sea shells, barnacles, dolphin skeletons, turtle shells, pickleweed, ocotillo in bloom, Opuntia and recent fossil shells by the score. It was fun in the sun – but we kept hearing the sound. Whales breathing. Whales breathing so close that we could hear the giant exhalation and the air going INTO the lungs.

At 10:00 we switched and it was our turn to go “whale watching.” Intellectually, I suppose I was prepared for what I was about to experience – but it was still amazing. We cruised about for a few minutes hoping for our encounter with a “friendly whale.” She came right to the skiff. She came from deep water with her whale child of a few weeks and she came in peace. She came to the skiff and exhaled as she broke the surface a scant 5 feet from the skiff. The 10¢ spout flew across our anticipant – and stunned – faces and she fulfilled our dreams.

I cannot put into words how or what I felt – there was no shouting or screaming – just a quiet rejoicing – and awe – at the control – the mighty and wonderful control. She would come to the skiff and dip down just enough to not touch the skiff – but be touched. Leaning down over the edge I could see her mighty fluke, her flippers – her head – her eyes – inches from the skiff – but not a bump. She came to both sides of the skiff with her head where anxious hands patted, stroked and scratched her. Some were moved to kiss her. Her + 18¢ child also came to visit and be touched. Several times she moved beneath the calf and lifted it to the edge of the boat. Both opened their mouth to allow us to see “living” baleen. I was within a foot of two whale nostrils as they opened and closed. I’ve got to say it again. She came by right side up, upside down. I saw her mighty 45¢ body rolling, gliding, sinking backward – doing all these things – and not once touching the boat. Incredible, I still can hardly believe it. She was beautiful.

After a short ocean & sky watching stint on the bridge, I went to sleep dreaming of those friendly whales and those eyes – so close I swear I will never forget that feeling – ever.

P.S. I don’t want to forget this special evening’s sunset. After returning from the mangrove trip, three boats went back out to “whale watch.” I went up onto the bridge to watch the sunset. As the beautiful evening glow filled the sky and the water, sky and distant mountains seemed to blend into a single collage of color, I was treated to the sight and sound of whales swimming around the large boat and the three skiffs. They would surface through the shimmering liquid gold, pink and red water, their dark bodies and their vapor exhausts back lighted by the splendor of the evening – What can I say – what can be said. Is beauty something we interpret because of our previous experiences and cultural experience or are there some things that are intrinsically beautiful – on their own – by themselves – whether or not there is someone or something there to perceive, enjoy, appreciate, experience and love.

My group went first into the skiffs today. The morning whale encounters are excellent because the lagoon water is flat and the whales seem especially anxious to play. (I will never really understand why they come to the boat. I only know that they DO). We hadn’t moved 30¢ from the Qualifier 105 when we were picked up by a mother whale and calf. Sam (the skiff operator) recognized this large mama as one of the most friendly whales in the lagoon. We have 2½ hours in the skiff and we spent the entire time drifting in her company. Once again I was taken by her gentleness and amazing muscular control (less emotional on my part this time – more “objective”). I’m sure a 45¢-48¢ human under these same circumstances would have hit or bumped into our boat frequently or at least once – but not this lady. The very few times we even get touched was when she actually lifts her calf to the boat. She did this several times.

Everyone in our skiff who wanted to touch, stroke, rub and scratch or kiss a whale had ample opportunity. This time I really tried to remain emotionally detached and tried to see what was really going on. I failed miserably. I don’t know what was going on. Was the motor attracting her? Then why did she keep crossing beneath the boat and up each side? Was she curious? We have the entire lagoon to ourselves today – but how many thousand folks been here in the past 10 years? How many encounters like this has she gone through – and why? Was she there to have irritating parasites removed? The barnacles are sharp. They actually cut our hands – we removed none. (I did remove some cyamid whale lice – when I did this the skin gave a bit. There was an intimate response to my touch. I’m convinced that she felt my fingers – and she stayed right there.) Was she simply bored – and we provided a diversion for her and her whale child?

I watched this mother whale do a 2½-hour water ballet that defies rationality. She often rolled beneath us so that I could quite clearly see her belly, one flipper then the next. She sometimes came up beneath the skiff so that her head was presented upside down. Always in my mind was the thought of looking into her eyes and of seeing her on several of her passes, as she moved beneath us and I leaned over and peered into the water. I actually saw one of her eyes moving and looking up at us. But I saw her eyes – like some distant museum object – or a slightly more distant star – not as an eye. Not once did I look into her and discover anything important about her soul (too bad – I really wanted to).

After a lunch of magnificent proportions, we set out for the land once again – this time with a different group. All went well and I enjoyed visiting with birds, shells, and mangroves once again. We spotted an adult whale dead on the beach and made plans to visit it on Friday.

At 4:00 P.M. we loaded everyone who wanted to go into the skiffs and set out upon a “Mangrove Jungle Adventure.” It didn’t seem like it would be a big deal – but it turned out to be really fun and educational. We went a long (loooonngg) way up stream through ever narrowing channels. In addition to the birds we had previously seen, we saw Black crowned and Yellow crowned Night Herons. We stopped for a brief period to go ashore and while looking for the rare mangrove warbler, had a Virginia Rail walk right out in front of us not more than 15 feet away – across the channel at the base of the Red Mangrove roots! I was also able to demonstrate how the Red Mangrove propagates itself with its floating seed pods and talked a bit about sand dune and pickleweed adaptations.

After a memorable spiny lobster dinner, I gave a slide show/talk in which I likened all of Baja Calif. to an island and compared it to the islands we have visited. (San Martin = no endemics, recent volcanic island 30,000 B.P.) San Benitos Is. – older island – 4 endemics – Note: “over 80 of the 115 species of cactus in Baja California are endemic.” Touched upon several items of biogeography, & spoke a bit about lagoons, estuaries and their formations. Talk seemed to be well received. Gentleman from New Mexico said it was the best talk yet and his wife asked me where I taught (the next morning) and said that if he lived closer, he would like to take classes from me. No big deal – but it made me feel good. Had a cold beer. Watched the stars, listened to the whales, did a few re-runs on my talk with corrections and went to sleep. Happy, happy, happy and at peace.

[Early morning mangrove exploration]…Returned to Q-105 to have a late breakfast and to prepare for our last day in the lagoon. …A touch of sadness is evident. Marc Stewart heads for the water to swim, Marc Webber, Bill, and Dana wander off by themselves, and one by one the “group” breaks up into singles and pairs – each with his own thoughts. I left the beach and found myself walking alone in the sand dunes. No questions, no talking, just sand, surf, sky, whales – and thoughts. There were literally miles of exposed sea shells to explore and examine. I probably walked less than a mile, but the supply was endless.

Note: While walking in the dunes, I was tremendously impressed with the number of whales I saw just outside the surf and in the open ocean offshore. These must be whales getting in their “jogging” time or actually departing on their 6,000 mile swim. It seemed that the spouts, spy hops and an occasional breach were everywhere.

We fired up the Q-105 and pulled anchor at exactly 4:30. I was on the bridge – on the open wheelhouse with John (young captain – we have become good friends…) Our departure left nothing to be desired in the excitement department. It’s a pretty tricky entrance, with hidden sand bars and shoals. We had two of the skiffs aboard. The third ran ahead of us and continually read depths to us. (We draw 6¢.) Any time we got into water that was 10¢ we stopped and backed off. Once when we got to 8¢ John did a neat 180º and started again. This isn’t that easy with a triple engine 105¢ boat with strong tidal currents, incoming surf, and a brisk cross wind pushing the boat. John had to execute a kind of S route in order to clear the sand bars and stay out of the surf. NEAT JOB! (Whew!!)

Getting the third skiff aboard, in the open ocean, with pitching swells and with stiffening breezes was not exactly routine either. When we finally got everything stowed, tied down and throttled up, we turned into the wind and waves and headed for Cedros.

This was the first time we had gone “uphill” the entire trip and the results were sadly predictable. For the first time, spray was flying over the bow and up to the bridge windshield (we had moved inside). Each swell sent a white fury of foam and sea water swirling down the side decks. An occasional swell would send a shower of spray aloft clear over the wheelhouse. I was really impressed with the way the Q-105 took the water. In spite of the action, it was a relatively flat ride.

As the evening wore on the wind and seas picked up and more and more of our people disappeared. When it got to be “show time” after dinner (Cornish Game Hen stuffed with peppers & cheese!!) we decided to do a program. About half the people hung on to the tables and heard me review the day’s main things and Marc’s talk on porpoises and dolphins. I tried to work on my notes but found it difficult. Couldn’t walk around much, water was everywhere, it was washing into the aft gunnels and washing across the deck in both directions, spray – and occasionally water – cascaded down from above – it was pretty wild – and a harbinger of things to come. I still marvel at how well the Q-105 rights itself…Good boat. Folks don’t know – but things could be much much worse.

I awoke when I felt the motion of the boat begin to abate. Throttles on the three engines were still the same but things were different. I thought that we must be in the lee of Cedros (our destination) so went up to take a look. It was still dark out and I shivered in the pre-dawn air on the way to the wheelhouse. I noticed fewer white-caps on the surface and that not all the stars were visible. The clouds meant we would be treated to a special sunrise. Cedros was clearly visible in the dim light – off the port bow – where it should be. Before too long John came in scratching and yawning. He figured 2 ½ hours to get to where we would anchor – and we reviewed the morning’s plans.

At 11:30 we pull anchor and head north – into gathering clouds and a rapidly rising sea. (look out)

Things began to come apart a bit during the afternoon. for a while I sat outside and tried to catch up on my notes – but things kept getting wetter and wetter. When a wall of water came down on my head from on top of the cabin I decided it was time to move inside.

…The cabin was amazing! All sorts of things (cameras, binocs, clothes, salt & pepper shakers, cups) were flying around. The pots, pans and dishes in the cupboards were absolutely going berserk. I anchored and picked things up as best I could and called it a day. I won’t forget the night. We bounced, we banged, we churned – and we plowed north. There were a few monumental hull slaps during the night. Once when I was turning from flat on my back to my side, I became momentarily airborne! (yes – no fooling), later with a little more care only parts of me left the mattress at any one time.

…The worst seemed to be from about 1:30 to 4:00 A.M. It rained on and off, the wind blew, the seas broke and we plowed on. (Parts of an old song called “Highway North” kept going through my bouncy mind. Heading north, bounce, bang – heading north – heading north, bounce, bang.)

Got up to stay at 5:30 A.M. Unreal – there is water on all the floors. Several people are sleeping huddled together in the main cabin. Water that had been falling onto the upper roof had finally worked its way into the light fixtures of some of the staterooms and water and sand dripping onto the beds had soaked everything and driven them to higher ground. Attempting to use the men’s upstairs john is a lesson in survival, the mirror is broken and gone, there is water running down the walls, and the toilet, sinks and walls are pretty much decorated with vomit. The door on the downstairs toilet is gone. Two of the plexiglas wind and water shields forward of the wheelhouse (way upstairs) are broken and gone. There was some concern during the morning that one of the wheelhouse glass windshields might go. It took a lot of water head on – but they held. There is a four foot wide laminated wood hand rail (1¢ on sides) that runs around the bow of the Qualifier 105. The piece on the starboard side came loose when the brass screws failed. One by one, bleary-eyed passengers lurch in. Still a tremendous amount of motion but things seem to be getting better….We drink coffee, hang on and tell of our aerobatics during the night.

…John told all of us at our last meeting prior to customs that we encountered 40 m.p.h. winds from 2-4:00 A.M. last night and that we had 15’-18’ swells. The boat sustained several thousand dollars damage. It was a real storm and I think we came through it o.k. – all things considered.

5:45 A.M. [Captain] Mike hollers (we are sleeping in a horizontal phone booth that has 6 bunks in it right behind the wheel house) – “Breaching Humpback!!” Marc almost dropped on my back as I crawled out on to the floor from my bottom bunk. Right out in front of us is a large Humpback – we announce on the PA – as we slow down to make approach – the whale moved about the boat, just as most of the sleepy people arrived on the bow, the whale jumped clear of the water in a mighty full breach and came down with a resounding splash about 30 feet from the side of the boat. Everyone on both decks (even me) let out a yell or a whoop. What a blast! The whale stayed with us for quite a while, then we broke off and headed south.

8:00 A.M. Sea is dead flat – and for a while we ran through a pink unreal dreamlike ocean. The pink of the sunrise clouds reflected upon the water and created flat, shimmering pastels that really made me feel that we were sailing through a wonderful dream.

We send boat ahead into San Ignacio Lagoon – seems so familiar – the low distant sand dunes, the mangroves, the wonderful sound of whales breathing, mother calf pair swimming past together, their bodies moving together – a precise water ballet – nice.

…All the things I felt before come rushing back. It’s so wonderful. By God we are not chasing whales. The mothers and calves come from the corners of the lagoon – to the skiffs. One pair that had followed the skiff to the beach when it picked us up now follows in our wake – and when we slow down, they come right to the skiff to be touched! – and to interact. Love it!! No one who has not seen and felt this place can – nor will ever – understand.

We have a family aboard – mother teacher, father is physicist at Livermore Lab, son is honors senior in high school. When they returned from second whale watching (on separate boats), mother and son embraced – Mom cried – very emotional scene – we all gulped a bit – and understood.

Awoke to a dead flat sea in the lagoon. Sounds of whale breathing all around us, we estimate 30+ whales (Mothers & calves).

…Last night, after my talk, we turned most of the lights out, turned off all the generators, and went outside and just listened for about 45 minutes. It was AWESOME to hear the mothers and calves gliding by in the moonlight. Most everyone – really for the first time – began to feel a kinship. We weren’t just listening to objects. We were listening to fellow earthlings. The inhalations, and the explosive exhalations will stay with me. This is a very important and good thing to do.

We had planned to go to the Mangroves this A.M. but it was so flat, there were so many whales – and the Qualifier 105 was coming in – that we decided to give everyone all the whale watching they wanted. Trip after trip went out – each returned with tales of touching, touching baleen, stroking. Folks ran to get more film, many embraced – caught up in the excitement and magic – conditions were perfect. Names began to appear for some of the more recognizable individuals – “Angel,” “Spot,” “Bubbles” (repeatedly exhaled beneath different boats – making boat look like toy in Jacuzzi) – One calf discovered glass bottom boat and seemed to enjoy rolling over and looking up through window!! (I SWEAR TO GOD)

Everyone agreed that this was one of the most significant mornings of their lives, that they were exhilarated by the morning whale watching experience and that they were extremely happy.

Woke up coming up on Cabo Falso – just N. of Cabo San Lucas. Clear morning – Blue whale on bow at 6:00 A.M. Took boat in close to Cabo San Lucas hotels. Two BIG cruise boats in – “Love Boat” types – I can see many changes – first came in 1966 – last came on last diving trip in 1972 (1973?), Finalista 100 is now on the bottom – never thought I would see this place again.

Stop at Bahia Los Frailes for snorkeling is the plan – but on the way BIG THING HAPPEN.

At approximately 11:00 – as we are moving toward snorkeling spot, something TRULY AMAZING happens. We spot the dorsal fin of a whale shark!! This is the fin of the largest (and harmless) fish in the world. I had only seen drawings of these huge animals and never – never ever dreamed that I would actually ever see one.

The shark was swimming ever so slowly near the surface and showed no visible sign of reaction as we approached. In fact, he even turned a bit so that he was swimming along side us and came right up beneath our bow. The books estimate total length as from 60¢-75¢ – Beautiful checker board markings – huge caudal fin. The very clear water made the entire whale shark just as visible as it would have been in a huge Monterey Aquarium. Not once does he go deep – he just keeps up that lazy swimming. We estimate his length at 3 skiffs (45¢).

The Most Astounding Thing Happens. Marc comes running back to where I’m getting my wet suit etc together and says that Mike (the Captain) will allow two of us to go in and swim with the shark!!!!!

We both fly around putting on booties, wet suit, fins, grab face mask and snorkel – and before I realize what we are doing – Marc and I are through the rail door and over the side. I am excited by this – I calm down and we swim easily – in open ocean toward shark (can this really be happening?) Soon the HUGE form of the shark appears below and ahead of us. Soon it is directly beneath us. IT IS HUGE!

We hadn’t had a chance to make a plan, but suddenly Marc is diving down – he obviously is going for the dorsal fin, I dip down and go for the tail. He is only 5-8¢ beneath us. I feel like I’m diving down on a small city that is moving. He feels us (he feels like sand paper). He begins to sink very slowly. We bob to the surface and I begin to realize what we have just experienced. We begin the swim back to the circling Spirit of Adventure – I notice that a boat is being lowered and that other divers are scrambling madly about getting their stuff together.

Mike has said that 4 other divers – experienced in open ocean diving can go. The first mate (Jeff ) and I go with them. We relocate the shark, load the skiff and motor to within 50¢ of our goal. This time we all swim to points above the monster and dip down and touch. It is a huge thrill. We return to Spirit amid cheers and yells.…

[Beginning a new trip, with a new group of clients] Trip off to a very depressing and tragic start. It was raining in San Francisco yesterday when I left.

Left under gathering clouds – a dark evening with no sunset – Sea looks gray – no sparkle – wind & motion picking up.

At 6:50 we began to have a few folks not feeling well – two actually sick. Did what we could to make them as comfortable as possible.

7:10 REAL TROUBLE. Mrs. [—], 69 year old lady from Houston has passed out. Jeff and I run in to find her, slumped half on seat, half on floor – beneath table. We immediately move her to floor, loosen clothing, clear airway. Pulse weak & fluttery, “good” color. Taylor C[—] (a Doctor) is there within seconds. Steve C[—] races up stairs to tell Capt. Mike Keating and returns with O₂ tank & mask. No breathing signs. Jeff starts 5 count C.P.R. with C[—] giving mouth to mouth. Abdomen distends with each breath. Dr. C[—] suggests I apply pressure to abdomen between breaths. No signs of breathing, losing color, very weak pulse. Mike takes one look – turns around and radios Coast Guard. They will dispatch Medi-Vac chopper – 11 miles.

Steve takes over for Dr. C[—]. …I take over mouth to mouth. Administer till about 8:10 P.M. Couldn’t see what is happening behind me – but sound of chopper hovering right above aft deck, just outside open door is deafening. Dr. C[—] goes up first – litter is lowered – we move toward litter in jerks – Jeff keeps up C.P.R. and counting, I breathe on “5.” Coast Guard says to keep it up till last second. AMAZING SCENE. We have chopper blades spinning away 15¢ above us, lights flashing, Jeff and I kneel on aft deck, counting/C.P.R. and breaths – while lines to litter are tightened. Litter swings free, we release, chopper starts 10 minute run to hospital – leaving us feeling empty, anxious – and a little scared.

Spend a good portion of next hour talking to [her husband]. He seems to be a little in shock (we all are). Mike says Coast Guard had good things to say about what we did. We wait – I’m feeling real depressed.

Return to H & M Landing at 9:15 P.M. Dr. C[—] tells us (Mike, Steve, & I) that she didn’t make it. She’s dead.

We decide not to tell [her husband] yet. One of Mike’s good San Diego friends will take him to hospital, where attending physicians will explain everything. We find his son’s address in San Antonio and urge him to call “regardless of how it all turns out” (He knows). Mike’s friend will take him home and he can stay there until everything is settled….

We leave again at 11:00 P.M., into the rainstorm – south swells. Folks are trying to be cheerful. Many say nice things about immediate first aid they witnessed. – But it is all very depressing – and we are sailing under a black cloud. I go to my bunk at midnight. It is bouncing violently. I think back over the evening. I keep thinking about sitting with my arm around a begrieved “old man.” The feeling of loss – so great. I share the grief – and I cry a bit.

I look up at the top of the hill where I sat and wrote…last year. It was so absolutely wonderful and beautiful up there. Now the wind is blowing across the top – and there are small currents flowing beneath. …I will strive to shake the feeling of depression.

Too soon it is time to head for the boat – we walk among flowering Tarweed, Agave, Mallow and Frankenia. We come to the very place where I stood and took a photo of the Betty Jean at anchor 20 years ago! The Elephant seals have moved back into the southern coves now that virtually all of the villagers and their dogs are gone.

Return to boat and leave at 5:00. Wind has really picked up. Big swells and white caps follow us from the north. Glad we’re going south tonight. (Joe, my buddy the cook, says it all when he says to me – “when we turn around in 3 days – it’s gonna be balls to the walls.”)

We look for whales, have 3 common dolphin with us, watch a beautiful sunset and realize just how large Cedros Island really is as we pass its southern end in the twilight.

Steve gives animated talk on Pinnipeds – I play the part of a Bull Elephant Seal.

Have long, personal talk with Steve afterward regarding his life. He is 28 years old, is getting married next year, has led trips to Mexico, Australia, Africa – has worked for various conservation groups – and is trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life.

I breathed into the lips of a dying lady yesterday. I watched – and hoped – for signs of life. I wanted – more than any thing for her to be alive. Steve is young – and full of life – and hope. Maybe this trip will help him to plan a course – he wants to be useful and happy. He wants to feel that his life has made a difference.

Tomorrow we will be in San Ignacio. Will the awe and wonder of that magic encounter help to shake this feeling of depression and loss. I wonder. The seas are pushing beneath us. I really don’t want to think about the trip north and “Balls to the walls.”

Gonna wash, stand outside and listen and watch the ocean for a while (everyone else is asleep – except for night watch). Will get full night’s sleep and try to get “up” for tomorrow. I feel surrounded by a feeling of loss – where is it?

Got up at 3:30 A.M. to take look at Halley’s Comet. Sky was hazy and everything – including stars – was very fuzzy and indistinct. Went back to sleep but ran into Joe at 4:00 A.M. – who was getting up to get things ready for another big day of cooking. He had left me – alone – writing – when he went to bed and thought that I was still up. He must work 20 hours/day. He was having his dinner at about 10:30 P.M. last night – alone.

Re-awoke at 5:30 A.M. when boat slowed. Two Humpback whales ahead. Steve & I interpreted what was happening to sleepy folks as they came on to deck up forward.

Real funny – floppy “T” shirts, pajamas, night shirts, bare feet – all rubbing and scratching – but BRIGHT EYED with anticipation. Dolphins come to grace our baleen sunrise. Group is starting to come together – share coffee – lots of laughs – sleepy humor – begin to feel relaxed a bit – at last. Maybe it’s over – perhaps we’ve come out from under the cloud – the loss. Seems like we’re ready to go forward. To experience nature, to listen to whales breathe – to share and to help each other to understand. I take a deep breath of the ocean air – and begin to relax – for the first time in several days.

Saw many spouts and bodies at entrance and to the north. Mothers and kids getting ready for the 5-6,000 mile swim. How incredible!, how unlikely and yet how special and wonderful.

…Here the whales keep up their seemingly tireless and timeless nurturing. When they are both ready, mother and calf will point north and begin to swim. Some won’t make it. All will try. Enroute, they will bring joy and pleasure to countless anticipant people. Some mothers, holding the hands or clutching their children. The mothers and children – all trying to get there.

…There are many mother/calf pair just north of entrance, inside large sand bar. The sight raises the same old questions. What triggers the “release” of a given pair? How is one day different from the next. For weeks a given pair return to the lagoon but one particular day – they swim north and start a 5-6,000 mile swim. Another mystifying “one of nature’s secrets.”

Last encounter turns out to be a meaningful and excellent one for participants. Whales, now that wind has died down, seem especially anxious to be playful/friendly. Boatful after boatful comes back with folks bubbling, laughing, exclaiming the details of their last encounter.

I witness two mothers, each with a calf being especially playful. They glide smoothly beneath our skiff – on both sides, frontal & rear approaches. Sometimes the calf is “riding” on the mother’s back, sometimes the mother intercedes when she doesn’t approve of what is going on. We do get touched occasionally – very lightly – except once when we feel the calf actually lifting and moving the skiff ever so lightly. The excitement of watching a whale breathe inches from our faces, of touching the skin and baleen, of hearing the swoosh and gush of exhaled air – hasn’t diminished in the least. IT IS THRILLING and a very special privilege. I know, full well, that I can never explain the feeling – or the depth of the experience to anyone.

A highlight – calf does spy hop in middle of “circle” formed by three skiffs then moves slowly to side of one skiff, gets petted and slides away from skiff backwards!!

Awoke at dawn thinking that we are south of Cedros Island (remembering last year’s horror ride northward to San Diego). Instead we are right beside island.

Awoke with a very stiff back. Most of night I found I was going down when boat was going up. Mine is only bunk on boat without a mattress – I have a mat. Have interesting talk at sunrise with Mike & Miguel.

MAJOR EVENT (Fin Whale) – At about 9:00 A.M. we slow boat to take better look at whale blowing ahead of us. As we approach, we see the dorsal fin and white splash of color of characteristic of the Fin Whale. Marc and I wanted to see one so badly on the last trip. I have never seen one. This group of 3 are beautiful and extremely co-operative. We are with them for most of an hour. They pass on both sides across bow – [some observations recorded]

10:30 A.M. Stop to wait turn to enter San Ignacio. Put skiffs in and I “lead” excursion. See many large single Gray and mother/calf pair in bivouac area. Find several whales “surfing” in large waves that are breaking a sand bar.

Wind begins to pick up. Waves getting sloppy, folks getting wet. We begin to beat upwind toward Spirit of Adventure that has been moving about with whales.

All of sudden there is a great splashing and thrashing in water. We can see flukes, flippers of thrashing bodies in the foaming swirl. To my amazement, we see three large adults that are quite obviously copulating. Now and then we see one or the other extended pink penis. (But never both at once). Have trouble figuring what’s what and who is doing what to whom – but after a while I think I know which is the female. Very confusing with spinning, twisting and thrashing. All three skiffs and Spirit are watching. Could be this could be first time Gray whale copulation has been captured on video tape? (x-rated whale watch, smoking baleens!)

Whales would “thrash” for about 10 minutes – then suddenly dash away for + 100 yards, then stop and begin to “thrash” again. Quite a show!!! – Wow!!

2:30 P.M. Wonderful to be walking again on one of my most favorite beaches. Recall my first visit here and impact it had upon me in 1985. We find thousands of sea shells – many sand dollars. There is a feeling of timelessness here and I feel that an important part of my new life is bound to this beach. There are countless whales & calves blowing, spy hopping and occasionally spy hopping in the surf and “staging area” just outside of the entrance and within the bar.

8:00 P.M. Marc gives good talk on “other cetaceans.” Breakfast: Pancakes, coffee. Lunch: Tuna Salad, Tacos, Chili, Beans. Dinner: Roast Beast.

7:15 A.M. Spend morning checking out pairs of Humpback Whales with isolated groups of Common & Bottlenose Dolphins. Wonderful to see animals cutting through flat glistening water. Looks like stars on water with magnificent animals knifing through. Whew!

3:00 P.M. Arrive Frailes for first snorkeling session. Things go pretty well. I joke that “we came, we saw, we were conquered.” Total equipment failure on beach, masks don’t fit, straps break, some flood etc. etc. We get everything settled and see some pretty good fish and invertebrates.

Was going to lead walk but by time we get everyone back to boat through heavy chop, its too late. We shove off heading north through Sea of Cortez.

I do talk on tectonic history of Baja California with German translation. We get through it.

12:00 P.M. Lunch – then we split up. Steve leads the “lighthouse/walk around the “island” group. I take rest of group back to village…

I leave folks on beach and head for familiar Mt. San Bonito (660¢) where I can watch group returning uphill from lighthouse.

Felt wonderful to be on top of island alone. Sky is clear/blue – water looks excellent – I re-read note I wrote in 1985 from this point. Think a bit – and begin downward return to boat – feeling refreshed, relaxed and at peace. Sun feels good on shoulders – and fat body.

6:00 First shift starts. We have wonderful luck and spend delightful 2 hours in the company of mother/calf. They come to boat to visit. We all gleefully rub & stroke. We watch through glass bottom. We are amazed at eyes – of size of head & body – flippers & flukes. They are so BIG when seen so close. No whale lice.

Turned out to be a wonderfully beautiful start to our trip. Arrived, went through customs, were met by naturalist Roberto Haro, who it turns out is a bright – very knowledgeable and pleasant young man. Were delivered to the dock by the most wonderful pseudo bus. Dust flying, Palo Santo and Palo Verde greeting us as we flew past.

Introduction to Beagle III was great. Looks like a sturdy – 68¢ – metal hull motor sailer. Twin Gardner diesel (will do 8 knots in good water). No safety rails on forward deck but plenty of deck space for reading, talking, book checking etc. Inner cabin looks comfortable and fantastic smells are wafting up from the galley.

After a brief introductory talk by Roberto, we got our snorkel stuff together and headed for N. Seymour Is. …All in all it was just a splendid first swim….Feels so good to be home again – could feel it in the plane the last few minutes – could feel it as we banked and settled in for final approach to Galápagos – to sea, to marine life, and to home.

After drying off, we went with Roberto to shore to take photographs – and walk on nature trail. …Were treated to Blue footed boobies – on nests – many with young, some with tiny babies – the older fledglings are so cute!! Frigate birds (magnificent). Many [symbol for male]s with inflated gular pouch. Watched and listened as birds drummed bill against inflated pouch each time [symbol for female] flew over.

Fun to watch B.F.B.s land, I’ll never tire of watching Frigate birds soar and I marvel at how anything can be as beautiful as the magnificent Swallow tailed gull.

Today and this evening felt so special – thank you – I’m so glad to be back.

Went ashore at 8:00 + A.M. to interesting sight. A green sea turtle had come ashore at 5:30 A.M., dug a nest and proceeded to deposit its eggs in a 3¢ x 4¢ cavity. Up to 80 eggs may be deposited by the turtle. By 8:00 A.M. the turtle had covered its eggs, turned around and retreated to the sea. The incubation period is 20+ days. Roberto says that about 70% make it to the sea.

3:00 P.M. Jerry, Karen, Eva, Roberto & I take 2+ hour walk to explore the 90 year old lava beds of Sullivan Bay. Fantastic look at splatter cones, lava tubes, shapes, colors and patterns that suggest recent volcanic activity. Looks like it could have come down yesterday.

Work on notes after dinner, look at sparkling sky, watch southern cross and Ursa major doing their evening ballet – no sign of Polaris – it’s way up north somewhere.

…After lunch, we go to small coastal lagoon where 18 beautiful flamingoes and several white cheeked pin tail ducks reside. Important to note that there are several flamingo chicks present. Two adults are on nests. Roberto says that flamingo have not nested here before. Good sign for future. We go for brief swim…

Boat left at 3:00 A.M. – arrived Floreana at 7:00 A.M. After breakfast, we go ashore to meet and visit with Mrs. Wittmer (now 83).[1] Pioneer lady, authoress, proprietor, post mistress etc. etc. etc. Group had good time shopping, eating cookies, buying “T” shirts, and photographing and visiting with “historic lady.”

6:00 P.M. [Al’s second grandchild was due any minute] Talk to Brad & Sue – not yet – all O.K

11:20 P.M. Still no news about new Molina – Brad sounds O.K. – but a little shaky – can’t blame him. [Desireé Marie Molina born 7-15-87, 9 lbs. 8 oz.]

6:00 A.M. Arrive Punta Suárez – mean roll at end. Several Waved Albatross seen (waved because of pattern at base of neck & breast – BEAUTIFUL!!). Love this island.

8:00 A.M. We carefully work our way through creatures that seem determined to nest on the walking trail. When we arrive at the first Albatross – sitting upon the ground – well – it’s real special. We work our way slowly and carefully through the breeding area – we see singles incubating, pair (reinforcing their bond by clacking bill – mutual preening etc.). All in all we count 6 new chicks. FIRST SINCE 1982!!!

We watch the grand adventure as birds “walk” to the edge of the cliff – spread their wings – look around – look at the distant sea far below – take one last look straight ahead – and with 8¢ wide wings spread full out – JUMP – MY GOD – oh yes!! What a sight – low slow dip – long slow dip – long slow curve – and magnificent flight – WOW!

Fun to walk to Blow Hole – waves rush in – water flies up through several holes and cracks – fun to stand and look up at spray and listen to mighty swoosh.

5:45 A.M. Up to a wonderful sunrise. I share with Ralph – Listen to some Kitaro while eastern sky goes through every color of purple, violet, lavender, maroon, red, orange, gold, yellow – to blues – that can happen during early morning sky miracles. When it gets too intense not to record for posterity, I go awaken Erb.[2] He stumbles up onto deck – in operating room “jammies” – and begins to click furiously in all directions – mostly eastern – when he suddenly realizes that the camera has no film in it!! He disappears below – and soon emerges – in a much more dignified fashion – with proper lens attached to camera – and a meaningful and knowing look in his eye – to capture – forever – the glorious sunrise.

By now the sun has long since made its quite expected appearance – has come up through the sea and scudding clouds – has provided an unforgettable moment of brilliant back lighting of the large Opuntia echios ssp. – has provided El Capitan a moment of joy – he with my Kitaro head set in his ear, his wonderful smile, and his camera clicking away – all is set for Erb of Floreana to begin to capture the moment – but – alas – the moment has long passed – the sun has climbed up behind the clouds and Erb of Floreana is left – camera in hand – staring blankly at a not too special morning.

Actually where we have anchored is quite beautiful. The anchorage at Barrington (Santa Fe) is horseshoe shaped with clear blue/green water. Two small white beaches adorn the edge of the small bay and the Palo Santo, Opuntia echios dotted lava rises away from the bay toward the north west. Extremely gregarious sea lion and mockingbirds greet their early morning visitors. The mockingbirds are all over the decks and the sea lion are noisily swimming about Encantada and exploring everything – including the ladder. Three manage to get into the panga and proceed to claim their territory with great exuberance and apparent determination.

8:00 After breakfast we go ashore to start pallid phase land iguana search. Have good luck and see 4½ (one seen twice – and one juvenile)…climb to top of cliff – where we are afforded wonderful view of Encantada far below in sparkly – shiny – sun sprayed bay/lagoon, Gordon Rocks, Plaza and Santa Cruz Islands. Getting better with finch I.D., manage to find 3 native rice rats – they have almost been exterminated by feral animals.

10:30 We return – hot and sweaty – from land adventure – and spend a WONDERFUL 1½ hours swimming beside Encantada with playful Galápagos sea lion. We spin down to bottom in groups – we play “tug o’ war” with ropes and boat rags. We bump into each other – those wonderful eyes are constantly looking back – as if to say – “It’s O.K. – it’s O.K. Let’s play some more.” We (us & sea lion all have a joyful and all too brief “encounter”) – loved it. Eli did manage to get bitten on her butt when she took too long to go from the bottom platform into the water.

12:00 Lunch: Hot fresh vegetable soup, large pan of rice, large pan of fried bananas, large platter of chicken in wonderful sauce with maraschino cherries and peach slices on top, LARGE pan sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, cooked carrots (sweet), beet slices – half grapefruit for dessert.

“About 9% of the vascular plants in the Galápagos arrived by floating or rafting”

Load up to go to tour Darwin Research Center at Academy Bay. Take a quick spin around Iguana. Very, very eerie! The ship is broken and on its side, hatches awash. Each wave flies & splashes through hull – gives off ominous hollow sound – like death rattle – ship is spilling its soul into the sea – from the bottom view, ship resembles giant whale – beached & dead. Propeller is barely visible. Guts & things (bottles, boxes, cans, lumber etc.) – have been washing ashore. Really don’t like it – Glad to leave it behind and head for Darwin Research Center dock.

I go by “La Banana” but miss Roberto Haro. I go by his house and leave a note.

Walk to Fur Seal Grotto near James Bay. Water cool & turbid with plankton, but huge schools of sardines in grotto are spectacular. Ulla, Judy & I swim back to Beagle from beach. We hope for boobie dive bomb attach – but no such luck. The are dive bombing in vicinity – but they move away from us although there are many sardines in the vicinity.

!!P.S. Traditional Equadorian Sunday lunch with corn on the cob, mashed potatoes with peanut sauce, “salsa” salad, banana chips, roast beef & watermelon was so, so, so, so, excellent!

4:30 P.M. Two baby green sea turtles “go for it.” They start down toward water, in broad daylight, under a canopy of swooping Frigate birds – brutal. Our group & group from Isabela II escort both to water. Huge flippers compared to size of body. [illustration] They make it to water, but within minutes, both are taken by Frigate birds, when they come up to breathe. A sad, but real, and important biology lesson for all.

We walk back to drop off point to swim before dinner and see two more baby green sea turtles “going for it.” This time a Great Blue Heron picks one up – takes it down to water, cleans off sand by dunking it into water a few times – and swallows it. Bird then goes up to dune and does a repeat performance with other baby turtle. I’m not real happy watching – but it is fascinating. Great Blue Heron then returns to where nest is in small conical depression – and cocks head and watches intently (listens?) as third baby turtle emerges – with hope and anticipation – into his/her new world. Wham! – three down.

Decide I don’t want to watch anymore – go for swim – no face mask – just swim and loosen up after Jets/hotels/tickets/customs/notes/phone calls etc. etc. WATER FEELS WONDERFUL. I flash on terms like “biotic potential,” “carrying capacity,” “predator-prey” – think of baby turtles that experienced precious few moments of life – and shiver a bit in the mild, gentle water.

9:00 A.M. More baby Green Sea turtles are “going for it” in broad daylight – Not a chance – I walk into surf with one – he/she swims into ocean and I feel good – turtle is seen beyond “muddy” breakers – in clear blue/green breaker. A tiny dot with flippers – swimming like crazy toward the middle of the ocean – and away from land. I stand there and watch – on a beautiful beach – gentle sea breeze, sea water lapping against my legs – content – I watch for any sign of “my turtle,” as he/she swims, to keep its appointment with its destiny (fate). I watch the Frigate bird swoop down and study the sea surface a short distance out, as if timing – and watching.

I watch the Frigate swoop down and grab – and watch as the bird gains altitude with a small wiggling object held fast in its beak – and just like that, he/she is gone. Another minute lesson – another tiny bit of the cosmos exposed – but the empty feeling of loss – and yes, even grief – is mine. I know I can’t do this – it isn’t my business – Frigates must eat too – But life is my business too – I enjoy it, I love it – and the sudden loss of it leaves me feeling empty, sad and a little alone – on this beach in the Galápagos.

Go to dock to meet San Antonio II. FIRST IMPRESSION – So what’s the big deal?

2:00 P.M. We go ashore for first venture of “Las Bachas.” Walk to salt pond behind sand dune. Sea has that wonderful sparkle & “let’s have fun” look to it. Begin to feel peace and in rhythm for the first time in quite a while. I see the plants, the birds, the familiar volcanic rocks, think of all those lessons – and know that I am home – at last (My soul never left).

3:30 P.M. We return to “our” beach and go for first swim. OH GOD HOW I LOVE IT – to be immersed again in Galapian water (72° F). I go in my shorts so do not have face mask – so when the questions begin I borrow first Clare & later Sharon H[—]’s face mask and dip down to check out fish… and soon the whole gang is there checking out plants, fish, birds, & just enjoying.

5:30 P.M. We clear channel and turn south – and for the first time I get to feel what San Antonio II does going into the weather. She does fine. She has a broad beam and a deep hull and she glides into each swell with little or no spray coming aboard. She knows how to balance going into the wind and swells – Nice lady – she is built of local wood – put together in Guayaquil two years ago – No shudder, no wallow – just glide.

6:30 P.M. Star session: First look at Southern Cross (we don’t all see it) and Scorpio looks appropriately menacing in the southern sky. The sound of sea lion and the wind song are our symphony for the evening.

9:30 P.M. Carlos Santana (head phones sound great) – my own little room and time to think & write.

10:10 P.M. This is amazing – I think everyone but me is asleep. Hope Carlos can’t be heard outside of my “little house.”

2:20 P.M. Land South Plaza (my favorite island). Wind is from the south and we walk uphill through the Sesuvium (now purple) & tree Opuntia. We stop to photograph the land iguanas – it’s only a matter of time and then we are – THERE –

Wind allows for excellent aerial display. Birds zoom in, wheel, cruise by – AMAZING!!!

8:30 A.M. Ashore through Red & Black Mangrove thicket to Punta Espinosa…Same magic, blue ocean, very young island (the youngest volcano still active), clouds partially obscuring top of main volcanic crater with recent very black flows. Bare Palo Santo looks like winter Aspen back home high up on crater. Black basalt has sharp edges – hasn’t had time to weather yet. Sun comes out for us – Just a beautiful, beautiful morning. Iguanas look like they were chiseled from black volcanic rock.

Best water I’ve seen in years. Grotto pretty empty of Fur seals but very clear. Can see all of 25 foot bottom. Move group “outside” and am thrilled to see clear blue water, loaded with fish all the way to bottom with plenty of playful fur seals.

THIS IS A GORGEOUS SWIM & I ONLY WISH THAT ALL MY FRIENDS THAT LOVE OCEAN COULD HAVE BEEN THERE – THRILLING.

Over the years, I have described in great detail and in glowing terms the virtues of this wonderfully beautiful and enchanting little island. It always has been and still is one of – if not my favorite island of the Galápagos Archipelago. It did not disappoint me – or us. The male sea lion that guards the landing was in fine voice. The Sesuvium was in fine color, the endemic land iguanas were in a mood to parade in places where they would be accompanied by the clatter and click of camera shutters. The swallow-tailed gulls performed their breathtaking aerial displays (still my favorite bird). Red ring around eye, [they] use tail and large feet so beautifully when they are coming in for landing. Love that double white line on upper surface from base of neck to trailing edge of wing.

The “bachelor pad” was loaded with beta bulls, young & senior citizens. The strident call of the Red-Billed Tropic birds accompanied the lightning fast pass-overs – complete with trailing white tail feathers (2) (what a fine looking creature! – When they enter crevice/burrows, all that sticks out are those two long white tail feathers.)

To me, the gestalt of Plaza represents what the Galápagos are all about. The stiff, cool S.E. wind shooting up the steep southern cliff provides a wonderful drawing pad upon which each species can etch its individual statement regarding what wildness – and Galápagos – are all about.

This place lives in my heart and mind – and – this place must be protected and be allowed to exist – as is – forever!

10:30 A.M. Snorkeled the south wall of N. Plaza. Visibility much better than yesterday. Showing Chuck a blue striped snapper when I fail to see “El Macho” alpha bull swimming toward me. I pull fins up at last moment – and watch huge, hairy submarine swim between my legs. Wow!

10:00 A.M. Go for morning swim. Interesting! About 5 of us will swim out from beach. I go first. Local “El Macho” waits till I am putting my fins on and swims right at me. Can’t run back to beach (one fin on) nor swim fast (holding one fin), he barks and goes underwater and charges right on. There is nothing I can do, whole episode lasts about 3 seconds. This is different than everyday underwater swimming with male sea lion. This alpha has been very vocal, is only one on beach with females and pups and I am standing in chest deep water, watching a furry, dark torpedo speeding toward me at full speed. He decided at the very last moment to skip lunch and veered off just enough to miss me. He literally brushed by me, surfaced several feet behind me and began to vocalize and circle back. He achieved what he wanted to achieve, we were all very impressed! My fellow swimmers were all safely up on the beach and I headed for deep water at about Mach III.

…Albatross rookery was loaded, many birds on nests, many wheeling about, some landing and crashing.

We went to the “launch pad” cliff and watched individual birds walk to the edge, raise their wings, look about, stare at the ocean – and launch themselves into the air high above the crashing swells. FANTASTIC. I’ll never tire of witnessing that. GOD I WISH I COULD DO IT JUST ONCE.

1:00 Set sail for South Plaza. It’s a real wonderful sensation to actually be sailing. Things I want to jot down so I don’t forget:

I suppose – like all things – we forget all about the things that are the most important to us from the time we experience them till the time we remember them – or try to.

When sailing on the open sea at night – the moon shiver on the sea seems even more mysterious and meaningful – then, in broad daylight, the sun flecked foamy spray flies with even more kinetic energy – and grace – past the boat – it flies – it flies – it flies down the side – over the top – it co-mingles with the very air rushing up to fill the sails – the lovely sails.

And on dark nights – oh my God – on dark nights – the masts and sails perform wondrous and mystic dances – ballets – among the Southern Cross and the billions of other brilliant miracles of the southern skies.

Sail, – sail at first light. Watch the first bold rays of dawn bring promises – of a new day – Watch the sea sparkle come alive – listen to the wind song – how lovely it is when the day is new – and the expectation is of new life – of new wonder – and awe. Breathe deep – new life – fresh start.

Sail, – sail during the noon day brilliance – see the shadows and the color, – Learn – learn of Petrels, Shearwaters, Albatross. Notice how each small change in wind direction translates into surface waves and chop – how the boat and those lovely sails react to each small change –

Sail, – sail into the golden – lavender – purple – red – sunset. There comes a time when you mustn’t look away, mustn’t stop paying attention – mustn’t even breathe – for the rainbow – mystic fantasy just might disappear. There are those moments when the golden fluid color of sea, sky & sail become one – when the incandescent miracle of life seems almost too filled with joy – and wonder – to be true – when the time to be grateful – for the miracle – is paramount.

Then the darkness – the hush – the sliding – and hissing of water in the dark.

Sail, – sail through the darkness. Sail beneath a canopy of untold mystery. Where a speck sparkles and is measured in quanta, in light years, in billions – . Where the very meaning of “brilliance” is as illusive as the glow itself. Look up – oh God – look up and watch the dance – so incredibly lovely. Find out how truly small you – and we – really are.

It’s a time for looking, for listening, for thinking – and wondering. It’s O.K. to be awed, joyful – and just a little frightened – by the dark – small shivers are O.K.

Sail, – sail, – sail on through the dream passage – on open water – with eyes, ears – and heart open. Sail on, – the boat goes only in one direction – sail on – enjoy the miracle – home!

Very arid, youthful mountains – brown with no plant cover – clouds cover mid-range of mountains – tops of mountains – and then seen through cloud cover below – covered with pristine looking snow fields. Bright blue sky & sunshine aloft – Broken clouds, white/brown mountains below – No forest! Terraces & roads visible on lower slopes.

Flight from Cusco was memorable. We flew through Andes. Plane altimeter showed 5,000 meters (15,000 feet) and we were looking up, yep!, up at mountains on both sides of our plane. I supposed I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was, that we were flying past terraced mountain sides – some almost vertical, each with its beautiful patchwork pattern of colors – according to the crop being prepared or grown. My biggest surprise of all came when we crested a particularly steep canyon – with snow-capped Andean 18,000¢ mountains showing through the clouds – and I saw (I swear to God) the cows, three of them, (others saw them too!) grazing on a terrace – with a nearly vertical drop beneath them – and only God above – And they were above us a bit as we flew up the canyon – gaining altitude to slip over the highest ridge – and into a fantasy – cloud, candy cotton world.

Slipping over the Andean crest and beginning the downhill slide into the verdant lush Amazon Basin is a dream trip come true. Within minutes the dry, arid mountains are replaced (when glimpsed through the clouds) by a solid green “carpet” of tall trees – it’s the beginning of the vast rainforest. The weather coming from the east “stacks up” against the Andes and creates huge thunderheads that tower, like huge castles made of cotton candy – way, way up above us into the clear Peruvian sky far above. Our pilot deftly banks and glides between thunderheads – we are like an Andean Condor, with set wings and two beaks that spin. The visual experience is fantastic. It reminds me so much of places I’ve never been fortunate enough to have been before.

As we lose altitude, drop through the cloud layer, and the top of the forest gets closer, soon enough, we are flying at tree top, beneath the clouds, and lining up to a red dirt strip, with three stripes cut in the jungle. We glide in over the tops of the last trees and the three wheels hit the three strips – and the Condor has landed.

We load long canoe & start what will become 5-hour river trip with all our stuff – and high expectations. Nice clear day on the Baja Madre de Dios River – we fork to Manú River, pass where Alta Madre de Dios drains into Rio Manú …and arrive at Manú sandbar shortly after dark. We are treated to: Excellent introduction to bird life, 19 collared piccaries, 1 river otter & a breath taking sunset – with large shafts of light radiating from the direction of the magnificent Andes off to the west.

Next comes the “grunt” of the day. Walk across sand bar & into dark forest, along a trail never walked, with all our bags. Doesn’t take long to break into a serious sweat (I’m carrying an extra bag). Arrive at Lodge catamaran – Two dugout canoes with planks laid across. We scramble aboard. Gnats are fierce – I know we’ll have many red spots tomorrow. As we paddle out into the lake, we are treated to breathtaking view of crescent moon sliver with Venus, the Southern Cross, Scorpio & a sea of stars whose names are still shrouded in mystery – for me.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS – Large wooden buildings with palm thatched roofs. Kerosene lamps – outside paths to shower building & toilets. Very cozy feeling inside with wax candles in room & open, screened windows. Insect net to drop over bed.

5:00 P.M. Back to sand flat – walk to Manú Lodge. Sprinkled a bit when we left lodge. Had a nice morning on river. Things are getting much more familiar. When we got to the lake at Cocha Salvadore, we first experienced a light sprinkle – then it really began to rain. It poured for about two hours (we had thunder & lightning the night before). During the rain, we ate lunch, huddled together & talked, three of us actually saw some giant river otter, went back to covered canoe & then returned to lake for two hours of birding and Giant River Otter searching. Got stuck once on way back, some of us got out to pull & push and we got “home.”

Toads have returned to surface. Amazing amount of sound from forest tonight. – A REALLY FUN DAY!!!

7:25 A.M. Boat leaves sand flat. Clear, cool (74°F) morning. Rain & cooled & freshened forest.

The trip today was successful in that we saw the Giant Otters (7) and this is just one of two places where they are known to exist. Our first sighting was from the landing and thanks to the spotting scope, we were able to see heads and bodies.

We next paddled the triple dugout “boat/platform” to where they had last been seen. After a long while, I spotted them and guided the paddles to where they were swimming. Two otter left the group and approached us – the others swam to the opposite shore. As they approached us, the two otter separated and “reared up” in the water. This “rearing” afforded the best opportunity for photography. Just before they turned around, each snorted loudly and opened its mouth to show its teeth, they then swam to opposite shore, hauled out and were last seen “walking” into the dense growth at the edge of the lake.…

Arrive at “Mammal Blind” sand flat. 800 meter walk through dense Heliconia, bamboo, palm thickets. Small farm – banana, lemon & lime plants.

Blind: Two seats, room for eight persons, thatching all around, sitting on knoll above flat with Piccary “burrows,” deer & other tracks in muddy flat beneath us. Difficult for eight persons not to wiggle & squirm.

7:15 A.M. Great flights of Blue-headed parrots & yellow-crowned Nealy parrots are flying up & down the river – but not landing. Large Red & Green Macaws are flying in and settling in tree tops. Lots and lots of parakeet & Macaw calling & screeching. Very exciting!

First the parakeets venture on to the lick, then the parrots – fly first to the brush in front of the lick, then on to the soil-bank itself. Difficult to tell what they are actually doing at this distance…but they seem to be pecking – or actually licking the minerals seeping out of the soil above the ledge that most are standing on.

Quite unexpectedly – they all fly away – So we wait – and the process starts again.

Red & Green Macaws fly down to brush – Some lean upon limbs and roots to touch soil.

Macaws are on soil!! (we counted 91 in all). They are on soil, parrots are gone. Color & sound are way beyond description. Video cams & long lens 35mm cameras are going crazy. They suddenly go – then come back – to the lick – and the color, Al, do not ever forget!!!

We head upstream. Boat tips this way and that way – but it goes upstream. …We basically hang on. No problem, we will get to Lodge before dark – As the day goes on, and we battle every rapid, it becomes ever more evident that we will not get to Lodge tonight.

We stop at Boca de Manú for soft drinks and beer – but discover that there is none of the above – So, back into the boats – and we boat, and we boat, and we boat – we are going upstream. We see the “backside” of the Andes getting closer – and at 5:45 P.M., we decide to make camp – a mere 2 hours from the lodge we were trying to get to.

7:00 P.M. Lentils & rice for dinner. BIG clouds moving in. Tents go up, thunder, lightning and BIG rain splashes through the night.

4:45 A.M. “Up & at em” – Raining hard – so what do you do with soggy toilet paper?

6:00 A.M. All soggy of us are up. We brush teeth in tents (IT’S RAINING!!!), we help cook, we all prepare to leave.

Most amazing thing of all is that the cook tent is on an “island” surrounded by brown, roiling water… And even as we watch, the water is rising, it’s rising, and sand pools are filling with water, and we scramble to pull tents away from the rising water.

7:00 A.M. – We move – upstream. This is amazing. There are small islands of trees, ferns, herbs & shrubs flying by our dipping and struggling “canoe” … as we “glide” upstream on the totally brown water. We also see dugout canoes “flying” past (empty).

2:00 P.M. [Back at lodge] After lunch – we head for beach – load & board new Manú Lodge truck/bus (buck or truss?).

3:45 P.M. We start rolling. “Road” is actually a path cut into the side of the jungle covered mountain. Deep puddles filled with water, streams come down canyons and flow across “road” – rocks & [illegible] everywhere – in places where washouts have occurred.

Small land fill “bridges” of branches and limbs have been constructed, covered with dirt & gravel. I soon learn to close my window when my side of the bus passes a waterfall. We soon come to where a new steel bridge is being constructed. The old bridge is a suspension job with planks for the tires. We get out of bus and “walk the plank” across the river, followed – very slowly – by our “truss.”

We stop for snack from cooler – but it soon gets dark and we continue to climb into Andes – through lush, wet rainforest. This would have been a highlight of the trip if it hadn’t gotten dark (5:30 P.M.) so early into the passage. Every time we meet a truck, we have to back down jungle path until we can find a space large enough for the truck to pass us. (We encounter no cars.) It rains hard with lightning & thunder. We make several pit stops during the night – Very dry and arid on west side of Andes on way down to Cusco.

UGLY DAY – Didn’t expect to be here. Clouds above. Went to airport – no luck – best part of day was “fruit plate” and strong coffee.

From Lima, Al flew to Quito, Ecuador. He had about 24 hours of R&R before flying to Guayaquil, Ecuador, to meet his next group arriving from various localities around the globe for a two-week Galápagos trip. After that, he went home.

Warm and humid trade winds sweeping across white coral sand moves and creates rhythms in the coconut palm groves. The water, as seen from the beach, is that same Yucatan combination of blues, greens, azure and all those other beautiful colors I don’t know the names of. The surf breaks on the barrier reef about a half-mile off the beach and the contained lagoon offers much in the way of swimming, exploring, and learning.

Turtle & Manatee grass darken the water in patches – the bottom of the lagoon is white ground coral (actually Parrot Fish poop).

Main building, where we have orientation and will have our meals, is clean & pleasant. Fans spin near the ceiling, all windows offer a wonderful view of the reef, lagoon, white beach and the coconut palm grove. The waitresses are extremely black and wear beautiful white dresses with embroidery (reminds me of Mayan ladies in Yucatan).

A small white canvas quonset hut that houses the black women who work here and a large metal, World War II-type quonset hut that is the general storage space for the island. Here is kept canned goods, the ice machine, the dive shop where dive tanks and the compressor operate, outboard motors, power saws, drills etc.

There is a kitchen where meals are prepared for the workers and screened in “rooms” where the black males who work here sleep. A T.V. set with V.C.R. provides nightly entertainment (all violent) – and so I am introduced to SILVER CITY, where I will stay during the week (not air conditioned).

When Dennis took me to Silver City on a Saturday night, I arrived wearing long pants, shoes & socks. While unpacking my bags and getting settled in my “room” I thought I would sweat to death. Fortunately, I met Gilbert.

Gilbert is about my age and is the “honcho” and carpenter of Silver City. He is a walking mound of black muscle with a muscular pot belly if there is such a thing. Like all of the other blacks of the city, his english is “carib” – although english is the official language of Belize, the blacks speak to one another in a language that cannot be identified.

Gilbert: reminds me of a combination of my dad and Armando (Santana band). Very expressive eyes, a good man.

He finds me an old fan (doesn’t swivel but blade spins). Shows me where the hose is for cooling off, the bathroom, and even comes up with some clothes hangers so I can dry my clothes. I know things are gonna be O.K. when I get fresh towels and wash clothes.

Shafts of light stream down to reflect off of the white coral sand and to highlight 15-20¢ Elkhorn corals, 8-10¢ Staghorn coral, 8¢ brain coral head, and all around are tropical fish. Some look familiar, some belong to groups I’ve seen before and many will require “book snooping” to identify. My first impression is – breathtaking – and I am filled with that same sense of wonder – joy – and gratitude – that I have felt so many times in the past – in water. I’m back, my soul never left.

4:30 A.M. “Up & at em” early because we must leave at 6:30 A.M. to get to the fabled “Blue Hole” and Redfooted Boobie Wildlife Sanctuary.

“Getting up” is not as routine as it sounds. I sleep on top of my sheet with a towel in my hand. Early in my sleep the towel is handy for wiping off sweat, and about 1-3 A.M. the towel goes over my legs up to my waist. Very surprised that mosquitoes are not a problem here (what is a problem are the “No-see’ems” that rise from the coral sand in the afternoon and evenings – the plastic and wooden lawn chairs and hammocks beneath the palms near the beach looked inviting – but when I tried them I found myself fighting a losing battle with these tiny beach gnats).

So back to the topic – after unsticking myself from my crumpled sheet, I wander to the small back porch and water hose behind the divemaster’s hut. Here I shave, wash, brush my teeth etc. It doesn’t matter that there is only half light because I don’t have a mirror and can’t see what I am doing anyway. More than anything else I’m shaving off the grit & sweat from yesterday and last night. …Actually this is a wonderful time of the day, the blacks are all still sleeping. (I can almost imagine their smiling faces as they dream of screeching brakes, flying bodies, knives, gunshots and the karate chops that were featured in last night’s V.C.R. special.) The only exception is the seemingly frail, thin black lady who is padding about in her small kitchen preparing the morning meal for the soon to be awake “Karate Kings” of Silver City.

This amazing lady was to be seen at all hours of the day and night, either cooking, washing dishes, wiping the wooden table used for eating – or wandering about with a broom and dustpan, sweeping here and sweeping there, while the S.E. trade winds carried in buckets of coral sand and dust at every whirl.

While doing my solo “Beauty Aid” number early in the morning I was treated to the most incredible tropic sunrises and the warm S.E. trade winds felt wonderful on my skin. This time of day has always been a special time and at Lighthouse Reef – washing and enjoying the arrival of a new day filled with the promise of more diving, new kinds of fish to see and identify – of that lonely underwater tapestry that is so amazingly wonderful – and the ocean shimmer as we “commute” from miracle to miracle – well it just felt good – to be alive – and to be there – Thank you.

6:30 A.M. Leave for 2½-hour run in open water to Blue Hole. 1½-hour snork around edge of hole, tank guys go 130¢ down edge of hole (there are limestone caves with stalactites and stalagmites from 130-150¢ – Cousteau did special).[3]

1:15 P.M. 2 dives in afternoon. Excellent visibility, no current (or very little). Underwater looks like living dream postcard. Have to keep pinching myself to be sure I didn’t croak and end up in underwater heaven.

8:30 P.M. …Guess what – the BIG ONE – I have never, ever heard of such a thing – but we are going to do it – A NIGHT SNORKEL!! On the outer reef!

No one at the resort has ever heard of this either – but we think this will help to appease the more vocal, who keep saying that the boat time is being planned around the needs of the divers only.

“Ohh – Mann – many big shawk an tings mebe come out at night – Yu-b-car-full mann. Yu-no-hab air – to hides.”

8:45 P.M. We leave the dock in darkness, equipped with lights and glo-sticks – we will run to the outer reef, anchor, and do it.

We decide that for this night snork, lights will be turned on and kept on aboard the boat and that glo-sticks will also be activated on board (they give off a neon green glow for 8 hours).

The group will swim 15 minutes out and return. I will be upswell and will swim back and forth so as to “cover” everybody.

9:10 P.M. We look like some sort of an aquatic carnival – with lights on and glo-sticks giving off this intense green neon glow – We slip into water in tight group form. Big chop – can’t see buoy, have to kick hard, strong current at entrance.

Our lights are flashing every which way into the dark sea. Green glo-sticks look like “Bar is Open” sign.

We can see many Squirrel fish, crabs, Vinegar Eels, lobster, “little blue circles”??

And all too soon – it’s time to return to “Ace of the Hole” – our main boat.

Well, it’s no big deal – but we did it – A night snork on a major reef – felt real good – Felt even better when I returned home to Silver City. The V.C.R. was flashing images of flying bodies, bullets, knives, cars and what ever else flies when Al, fresh from the garden hose and with his glo-stick still glowing, walked into the Silver City.

Yosh (because we couldn’t pronounce his true Japanese/Hawaiian name) is everything that “Gentleman” represents.

He “frog kicks” so does not use fins – but he was my diving buddy for this trip – and I will always remember those red trunks and white “T” shirt somewhere close to me on all our swims.

On shore, he always wore an undershirt, a button-down shirt, long pants, and shiny shoes. He shared a room with J[—], who never flushed the toilet, who took his suntan lotion, who managed to demonstrate to the world what “Ass-hole” means – and Yosh didn’t complain once.

A male bottlenose dolphin has chosen this part of the island to his “friendly dolphin” routine. …The dolphin would circle the group then either plunge through the folks at great speed or slow way down – kind of bow his neck and cruise through at a tantalizingly slow speed.

I was at the edge of the group and several times, as he slowed to turn back into the group, I thought I would get to touch him.

One time, as he approached, I dove to the bottom and kicked hard, we glided side by side and I rolled over onto my back so that I was directly beneath him and no more than a foot away – but when I reached up to touch him he just moved a bit – and was gone.

This time spent with the dolphin was unexpected and very special. As more and more of the folks climbed aboard the boat, the dolphin made smaller and smaller circles – finally, as had been the case on every swim – it was just Yosh and I left in the water with the dolphin. John signaled us in, it was time to go, it was over. Yosh went aboard and I took my last look at the dolphin, circling just a few feet away, looking at me like a small puppy who wants to play – but whose boy/child master has to go in to dinner. – WOW!!! – what an ending!

12:00 P.M. Hotel Acosta II – It’s Saturday night in Iquitos and it’s real clear that the troops are having fun. This is the night to drink beer (or what ever) and hang out. Town very crowded.

Hotel is a very pleasant surprise. Very nice and clean. Pool in center courtyard. My room is air conditioned & spotless with hot water, a toilet that flushes, a tile shower that works and a T.V. that doesn’t.

This city has no roads going into or out of it. The only way in or out is by air or via the Amazon River, so motorcycle taxis and homemade buses make all the sense in the world.

9:00 A.M. We load our stuff and climb aboard homemade bus. Drive through sleepy Sunday morning, hung over Iquitos – to the river.

Very sad collection of riverside shacks & shanties made of scrap boards, tin sheets, cardboard and unfulfilled promises and dreams.

NOTE: As “civilization” encroaches upon the Amazonian jungle/rainforest, a tremendous pressure is placed upon the teenagers. The world is simply too small for them to not know about discos, booze, T.V. (actually – electricity) and “something” besides hunting, fishing, farming and gathering. Once he or she leaves the jungle village to go to the BIG CITY (Iquitos) he/she will never return to the difficult but healthy life he/she knows in the forest and its plants/animals/weather patterns/healing properties etc. etc. They will go to the city and speak not kindly of the “Indians,” of the jungle that nurtured them and which they have disavowed.

And they will chase their elusive dreams around while THE CITY becomes overcrowded – and they will chase their dreams around in a place where there are not enough jobs for everyone – and where the plants that were used to cure disease, illness and yes even despair – are no where to be found. These things are back in the warm/humid rainforest – and the people are lost – hopelessly lost without them. The one consolation, as they sway back and forth on a drunken Saturday night in Iquitos, is that they have become “civilized.”

And so there are hovels along the river and the outskirts of town, filled with people who had a dream – and left the forest – and left their souls and their heritage behind.

11:00 A.M. The feeling of excitement and anticipation is gradually giving way to a feeling of resignation, as the rain pours down – and workers come and go, taking and bringing things from and to the boat through the mud and rain. Through all the shouting, it’s very difficult to figure out who is in charge. It’s almost like the ant colony “super organism.” People are carrying things this way and that, everyone is soaked and shouting – and the whole thing is getting us ready to leave.

11:45 A.M. We push out into the river and I can feel the current working against the boat.

Iquitos is the last major port town for ship/boat traffic coming up from the Atlantic so the water is considered to be organically clean although it looks dirty brown because of the heavy load of silt it carries.

Difficult to believe that we are within ± 60 miles of where the Amazon proper begins and we are looking at a huge swirling brown river – through the rain – pelting down upon it. Each drop forms a mini spout and starts its own individual splash circle that expands to fuse with the other countless billions of splash circles to join in the general collage of drops, spouts, circles, water, flow, silt, froth, foam, leaves, twigs, logs, trees, small islands of water hyacinth, block-long mats of living and rotting vegetation – all caught up in the powerful currents that make up the Amazon.

This is not a jungle here. Broken down shanties and derelict ex-boats line the near shore, and melon, corn, rice and various types of fruit crops line the distant far shore.

I always get (and hope I always will get) this intense feeling of anticipation when something like this is about to begin. I gaze at the swirling river again, at the endless procession of huge thunderhead clouds and lightning pouring in from the Andes, at our brave little Delfin (68¢) nosing into the maelstrom – and I shiver a bit – in spite of the heat.

No more airports, no more customs, no more “what did I forget” – Let’s Go.

Midnight. We are stuck fast on sand bar in shallow Tahuayo River. My little flashlight is “ship’s light” (spotlight doesn’t work) as crew runs about shouting and whistling to tell helmsman what to do. We rock forward and backward, veer sideways, roll and pitch – and after about 20 minutes – break free.

1:00 A.M. A torch burning on the bank signals that we have reached the jungle camp.

2:15 A.M. TROUBLE! The generator has quit. Main engine, of course, runs but electrical power to lights, pumps, cooler, refrigerator and ship’s radio is out. A speedboat roars off into the dark night with two crew men and the dead generator. They will return to Iquitos and hopefully Paul, who is in Iquitos, will work miracles and secure a new generator for the boat.

There is a small village on the Rio Tahuayo that will afford us an opportunity to spend some time with Peruvian fishermen and women and their children.

1) No cholera in this part of Peru. One case diagnosed with death – but some doubt that it was really cholera.

2) All young people in Amazonia (Peru) have compulsory grammar school education. Each village has school with teacher/teachers and you “gotta go.”

3) Yards in front of each hut are very clean. Grass and weeds macheted away and everything neatly swept. It’s like, we don’t have much – but what we do have is gonna be clean.

4) Neat little flower gardens adorn most yards. Banana, Papaya, cane Breadfruit and other edible fruit trees are along the sides and back of most of the huts.

5) The huts are simple, on “pilings” because this is a flood plain, 3¢-high walls of palm thatching, open to the ceiling, very thick palm-thatched roofs that are waterproof and last about 5 years.

6) Inside, hammock for the babies, adults sleep upon mats on the floor. Some huts have a table but many do not. Pots and pans and a stone hearth in the corner for cooking. Bigger huts may be partitioned into two rooms or have a small hut “out back” for meal preparation and fruit and food storage. Light is provided by a small tin can, kerosene lamp.

7) We visited two men building a baking oven…[he draws it] Fire will be built, allowed to burn down to charcoal, then bread dough, made of various pounded or diced roots, will be placed into oven and baked.

8) Children looked well-nourished and happy. They followed us everywhere we went, holding hands, singing and chanting. Heard almost no crying and fussing.

2:00 P.M. I take my perch on a bench just forward of wheelhouse – sit back with binoculars – and watch verdant jungle and increasingly familiar birds glide by. It is an incredibly beautiful afternoon – as we glide toward the “Y” that will mark the end of the Amazon. I’m starting to feel relaxed – and as people come up, I offer geographic pointers such as “That’s the Rio Cul de Saco” and other gems. We are heading directly toward the Andes and as evening approaches, we see the customary huge wall of thunderheads with lightning and huge shafts of rain coming to the earth.

[There is a drawing of the above inserted here, showing that the storm wall is about fifty miles across.]

The effects of the sun touching the filigree edges and poking through holes – and sending the last of the day’s rays through this seeming impenetrable wall are truly breath taking. Evening doesn’t just happen, it’s a memorable and monumental event.

The river is very wide here and has a glassy sheen, almost like a mirror – as the last of the light wanes.

Darkness brings the distant lights of Nauta, a small city where I felt like killing a rooster at 2:00 A.M. in 1988.[4] We have come to the fork and take the Rio Marañon to the right. To the left (south) is the Rio Ucayali.

…Small plantations and thatched huts line the river. Brown skinned people are at the river swimming (actually washing) and starting a new day. Bananas, rice, corn, melons, and other crops are grown, but the common denominator is fish. Single men in small dugout canoes made by cutting and hacking and burning logs – ply these waters. Some look determined with their hand held spears – a very few use throw nets.

…We stop at a village just at dark to give some candy to children (I’m still not certain this is a good idea. I see the smallest of kids getting trampled in the crush). I do manage to catch the eye of a young mother in a black dress – holding a baby – and manage to “get” two candies to her. To my surprise, she deftly caught each one. I prefer this so much to simply tossing candy into a crowd, on to the mud and into the water.

9:00 P.M. Run all night – will be close to Pacaya-Samiria Nat’l Preserve at dawn.

[They check in, and the Delfin puts in on the bank. They are now twenty running hours from Iquitos.]

5:30 A.M. “Up & at em” – Great feeling that something good is going to happen today.

3:00 P.M. We gather…with long socks, long pants, long sleeved shirts, hats, packs etc. It is hot and humid and we are sweating profusely before we even leave Delfin.

We all follow Beder into the dense growth. There is just the bare inkling of a “jungle trail” and Beder hacks with his machete. We stagger along behind, tripping over vines that are 2 inches off the ground or horizontal roots.

Beder does an excellent job. He stops frequently to step off the trail, we form a semi-circle and he explains how a given plant was used for food, medicine, snake bite, thatching, building etc. He has us listen and identifies all the bird calls coming through the jungle. All in all, it’s very educational and time well spent – in spite of the intense sweating.

10:00 P.M. That was a blast! We took two skiffs with flashlights to a very large lake just upstream of the checkpoint. Plenty of room for both boats – so we separated so as not to interfere with one another. We:

1) Drifted silently in the lake listening to the call of nocturnal birds and the blowing of pink and gray dolphin.

3) Checked out the Southern Cross, Scorpio and friends on a clear cloudless night.

4) Scanned the shore for Caiman. We saw several sets of glowing red eyes but the owners slipped beneath the water surface when we approached.

The highlight of the evening was when a 6-8¢ white Caiman slipped beneath the surface and stayed in place!!! We paddle the skiff up to him/her cautiously until the skiff was a mere few inches from his/her body and it stayed perfectly still, eyes shut, looking for all the world like a wood carving of a 6-8¢ pre-historic reptilian creature. It was just alongside of us and we could see its head, body, limbs and tail clearly in the light of our flashlights. Many flash photos were taken. Then Beder placed the paddle under his/her snout and gently lifted the head clear out of the water!

I began to think that the creature might be dead but the eyelids moved and it slowly opened its eyes. More flash photos were taken at a range of 6² to 3-4¢ depending upon where the photographer sat or stood in the skiff. We were just about to take turns touching its back with our hands when it suddenly remembered what caiman are supposed to do. With a mighty lateral whip like lashing of its tail, and a rapid scuttling motion, Mr./Mrs. Caiman darted forward, away from us through the plant mat, onto the bank and disappeared into the vegetation. We could see its body slithering along beneath the trees and bushes at the edge of the lake. There was much snapping of twigs and branches and it was gone.

We stood or sat in the skiff with mouths agape. The exit had been so fast, the power displayed had been so tremendous – and yet it hadn’t once snapped or done anything threatening to us. We were about to try and touch him/her and I am convinced now that it could easily have snapped a hand or an arm off or flipped the skiff. That guy/gal was powerful!! It could have done serious damage, but it didn’t – why???

The return to the Delfin (25 minutes) was magic. Planing through the dark warm night with fire flies, bats and night-flying birds was a special treat.

…We enter the large lake and behold a sight that is difficult to describe (impossible). The lake is several miles long and wide and is completely placid. NOT A RIPPLE!!! The dawn has produced a bewildering mix of incandescent hues, some of which probably don’t have names yet. Every cloud in the sky absorbs and reflects this incredible panoramic display of kinetic beauty. And the forest at lake’s edge has not yet shaken loose from the darkness of the passing night. It is a lovely dark line along the meeting point of the multicolored sky and the mirror image that is the lake.

And as for us, we are not really looking for anything. There are pink and gray dolphins all around us. There are egrets on the shore plant mats, there are birds in the trees, there are hawks aloft, we’ve seen the last of the fish bats heading for cover, to rest, during the heat of the day. We are simply here, now. We are skimming across a totally flat and impossibly beautiful water mirror, cool morning breeze blowing through hair and grateful faces. No talking, we take turns pointing as something new is sighted. This is always followed by nods and secondary pointing.

It is a beautiful dawn in Peru – and we are in Peru – skimming – through the surface of one of the thousands of seemingly timeless lakes in this region.

It’s dawn in Peru – we are flying – skimming to somewhere – and we are grateful!!! (Thank you). [his illustration]

10:00 A.M. After breakfast we nose back into the Marañon River. …This means that for the first time we are headed downstream. Toward Iquitos, toward –

3:30 P.M. Beder shouts back that a toucan crossed the river in front of his boat, he then shouts back that two toucans have crossed in front of his boat, I shout back, “If another crosses it will be a threecon.” Snicker, snicker, snicker.

Sooner or later, if you keep coming down here and taking skiff rides many miles away from the main boat, what happened to us is bound to, and will certainly, happen.

One minute we’re sitting near the bank, in perfectly calm water – when we heard it. The unmistakable hissing, roaring, splashing, sound of the Amazonian rain coming toward us through the forest and down the water courses.

We are in two open boats, no cover, no where to go, we are gonna get dumped upon! We all look at each other, at the sky, listen to the sound and in the famous words of one Lindy Millman think the same thought.

There will be no sprinkle, no dainty little preamble – we all know what’s coming. We stare transfixed at the last bend in the tributary. No one says a word. We simply wait and listen. Now there is practically no time between the lightning flashes and the huge thunder roar. Finally, as if to ease the tension, the solid wall of rain water flashes toward us from the last bend. It is utterly fascinating. It is perfectly smooth an inch ahead of the wall and chaos behind it – and it is racing toward us with amazing speed – then

We back into the channel and race for the lake. I’m at the bow and can barely see the other end of the canoe-shaped skiff, let alone the other boat. It’s not uncomfortable, it’s still warm but we are really getting wet. Folks in the back of the boat are bailing, laughing and screaming each time a lightning bolt hits nearby, accompanied by an ear-splitting thunder roar.

Hard to look for any length of time because with the boat going forward and the rain pouring down, it actually hurts the eyeballs to look.

I came up with a brilliant plan for some protection. I take life-saver mat I’ve been sitting on and put strap under my chin and wear mat.

[Drawing of the skiff going along in the drenching rain, Al at the bow with life mat on head, with a big cloud above, booms and lightning bolts coming out. A little bewildered fish in the water looks on.]

What had been a perfectly smooth/placid lake 1½ hours ago is now doing its best imitation of the north Atlantic during iceberg season. Small, steep Lake Tahoe-type chop waves cause the skiff to skip and hop in all directions. When we veer to cross the lake to return to Delfin the space between lightning and thunder is 3 to 5 seconds. Out in the middle of the lake we will be the highest point, sitting in an aluminum skiff. Does give me cause to wonder. Humm.

All is well. We finally see Delfin’s stern emerging through the watery gloom. Folks who didn’t go are alternately cheering us on and doubling over with laughter. And I mean – man – IT’S RAINING.

The two skiffs come skidding up to Delfin, they are half-full of water and their contents (ex-passengers) have been reduced to creatures resembling wet rats!!!

I’m real proud that my mat is still on. We had a great time. It was a lot of fun.

4:00 P.M. We return to Mira Flores and Beder and Captain go ashore to see if there are regal lilies [the huge pads four to five feet across that people come here to see] close by. They come back to tell us there [are] some in a pond ten minutes away, behind soccer field. Group grabs cameras and away we go for short walk in shorts, tennis shoes and “T” shirts. I begin to smell a rat when we enter narrow, very wet trail with mud and insects. We are not ready for this, much swatting and rubbing and when it starts to rain (lightly) after about 20 minutes, I put my shirt on and wonder just how long this “10 minute walk” will turn out to be. It turns out to be about an hour walk each way with rain, much mud, insects and some wet, single log bridges to cross. Only one person slipped and fell off of a log bridge. She was not injured. Members of crew who came on walk, Beder and I get down in mud with long poles for support and help folks to cross bridges. When we finally arrive at “Water lily site”, the biggest surprise awaits us. THERE ARE NO WATER LILIES. There are about 10 tiny floating aquatics (dime size) floating in a 5¢ x 15¢ pond. Group is good-natured about this. They are hot, flushed, muddy, bare arms & legs – swatting, sweating and rubbing – but laughing. Had this happened on the 1st or 2nd day it would have been an entirely different matter! Beder apologizes to group.

Walk back is different. Folks are flying down trail toward dry clothes, dry shoes and cold beer.

7:00 P.M. Fire up and head downstream toward Rio Tahuayo where we will have Delfin ready for 6:30 A.M. Royal/Regal Lily Walk, where we know there are lilies. When I announce this after dinner, the “word” is greeted with hoots, hisses, derisive laughter and shouts of “Oh shuuuur!!” – Wonder why!

5:15 A.M. “Up and at em” – gotta hurry to beat everyone else to cold shower – still dark – and mega amounts of mosquitoes. When light brightens I see why. We are in a very narrow part of a side branch of the Tahuayo River and the Captain and crew pulled it off again. They have this 68¢, two story boat parked in a tiny stream next to the trail to the Royal/Regal Lilies!!

6:30 A.M. Off we go with full insect battle gear on (many stay). Very muddy, swarms of mosquitoes and fire ants, but we do find lilies. When we return, we are about to leave when two “Amazon Expedition” (not ours) boats come up and tie on to us. CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS? There is a Merritt College teacher and a gal named Kate –?, (Marine Biology twenty years ago/Bolinas) who are shouting “Al Molina, what are you doing here?” I almost passed out into the river!!!!!

9:45-11:00 P.M. Long talk with Capt. Fernando and other members of crew. Extremely interesting and important. I won’t forget.

10:00 A.M. Having worked our way through maze of Mangrove covered coral cayes at Turneffe Islands we arrive at Blackbird.

Very clean place, everything raked and swept. Most wonderful person, Ray, who will operate boat and will be the person we run to when we need something. Kent is in charge but Ray is the one who will take us on nature trail the first time, will operate boat, will answer innumerable questions and will be our most immediate support person.

Cabañas are neat, with front porches and thatched roofs, each has bathroom with shower and shelves for storage. Many coconut palms, spider lilies, Sea Grapes, Sea Almond, a few Red, Black and White Mangroves in neat swept and raked yards. All four cabañas are about 40 ± yards back from beach. There is an L-shaped dock with future tackle shop where Blackbird (45’±), Dolphin (“our boat” – 20¢ ±), and two sea skiffs are docked.

8:00 A.M. Bad news, huge thunder heads, lightning, deluge rain, Caribbean in ugly, frothy, choppy mood. …Scrub morning Dolphin run.

Decide to do Mangrove nature walk – walk will come to be known as the “mosquito walk.” …We gather with Roy, start the walk, go about 5 minutes (200 yards) stop and go running back to “camp.” It pours!! – we will “wait a minute.”

9:00 A.M. Storm has passed. We try again – very humid and warm (not really hot).

Walk along open ground is pleasant. Spider lily is invasive, not enjoyed by kids who work here. …All is well for first half hour until we arrive at part of trail where it disappears into Palm/palmetto/mangrove “jungle.”

We stop and everyone gets real busy spraying one another with insect spray (Hell with the ozone layer!!!) I resist at first, but when I see mosquito squadrons ahead in training maneuvers and literally hundreds (thousands?) of them landing on the hair, face, neck, shoulders, back, legs ankles and feet (what else is there?) of my fellow hikers, I know it’s time to apply spray.

Roy leads the way hacking at the foliage with his machete. We stop now and then to allow me to expound mightily on subjects of which I know nothing about. Everyone nods knowingly, sweats a lot and swats mosquitoes and assorted bugs.

…On the way back, we open some green coconuts and drink deeply of the cool refreshing juice/milk inside.

…Slow going because weather has turned sour and we are plowing into white caps and being pelted with stinging raindrops. All hope of spotting dolphins is over for now. We are taking spray into the boat, and our eyes and bodies with every wave. Bottom of boat pounds and thuds into the trough of each wave. We have a long hard ride ahead of us.

3:00 P.M. B[—] loses it. She is practically hysterical. Glen puts his mask and snorkel on, and we all laugh. [B– thinks they are laughing at her.] “It’s not funny – I’m 43 years old and can’t hold on to this rope much longer. My hands won’t grip anymore, I have a bad back.”

I move up (crab fashion) put my left arm on the bulkhead to her left and take a firm grip on the rope to her right and tell her to relax. She can rest her hands now. Problem – I’m in a half turned, twisted position and I will feel the effect of this for the next two days. I later found out that she does not have a bad back, but was afraid that the boat slapping and pounding might cause one!!! Oh, My.

6:00 P.M. Lobster fisherman comes in with severely lacerated right hand. Very lean body, but fat and connective tissue is coming out of large hole on top of hand, behind index finger, deeply lacerated on underside of hand. I unwrap blood (caked blood) soaked towel from hand, run for clean metal pan, put in some hydrogen peroxide (cap full) and begin to clean wound. Do not like what I see. Speak to “patient” in Spanish. He seems to appreciate this, tolerates pain well. It’s been three hours since incident.

Diving for lobster with family in two small sailboats and pangas. Dove down – saw three lobster – reached for them, failed to see large Moray Eel – Heavy Hit!! Missed tendon – barely can move finger so tendon is okay.

Beth K[—] (nurse) arrives. Neurosurgeon arrives. We all agree that he needs stitches. He must be stitched within 6 hours (8 max) or it won’t take, edge of wound will dry out.

Problem: 1½ hour run to Belize by speedboat. All night by sailboat, brothers want to wait until morning to start sail to Belize. I talk to Kent, he doesn’t want to release boat and 40 h.p. motor to fisherman. I explain to Kent about need to stitch within 6 hours or it will never heal correctly. I get his okay (grudgingly) and then talk to fishermen brothers in Spanish. He must be taken in now! Kent looks the fisherman who seems to be in charge square in the eye and says “I’m holding you personally responsible to have this boat and motor back here tomorrow. I know where you live.” (they did get boat/motor back) Fisherman got stitched – and sent home.

It wasn’t until dinner that Beth came to me with a very serious look and said, “you should never handle other people’s blood anymore.” She checked my hands for cuts – there were none. I have not made the mental flop over to consider the HIV virus. I thought about it quite a bit as I lay waiting to go to sleep and came to the following conclusions:

1) It is impossible for me to carry gloves with me to the places I go for the rest of my life.

2) The rest of my life, I will stop and help anyone who I find bleeding on the street, on a reef, or on any of my trips – even if it means getting the person’s blood on my hands.

3) I will clean the wound to find the source of bleeding, stop the bleeding, dress the wound with whatever I have available – and go from there.

4) I want to go to Kaiser and get a doctor’s note and my own I.V. needles, in case I ever have to be treated down here, Ecuador or Peru. Dehydration is serious – but an injection or I.V. with the wrong needle could kill me.

5) I understand that it is now possible to buy a “Prevent AIDS” medical field kit with plastic gloves, a sterile air way for mouth to mouth and other goodies. Gotta get it!!

…When I emerge with new soccer ball, “the boys” are all sitting on their porch looking patient, but staring at my door. When they open bag, their eyes light up. This is not a plastic imitation, this is a top of the line, all leather, White with black panels, official soccer ball ($48.00).

They immediately form a circle and the ball starts to fly in all directions. There are heroic head butts, side kicks, much laughing (Roy and Kent are sitting on porch cracking up). Could this be the Belize Blackbird Olympic team in the making? I feel very good about this, these are wonderful young, black, Belizian people – and they are having a ball!!

2:00 P.M. Looks good enough to do drift snorkel from barrier reef toward Soldier Caye. Nice swim. I see my first non-nursing shark. It came in behind me, when I spun around to identify, all the illustrations in fish book flashed back and seemed suddenly important – Not a Bullshark, Hammerhead, Mako or Tiger shark. Long dorsal covered with notch, 5 gills, relatively small head 7¢ ± Lemon shark. Talked to Roy and Kent afterwards. Looked in 5 books – Lemon shark, with 2 Bar Jacks for company. No one else saw it.

Swim was all about what spending time on a tropical reef is all about. I feel the need to swim alone for most of this time – so I kick hard, find an alley through the reef, gain the crest of the reef and head for the solitude, peace and beauty of the deeper blue water beyond. Staghorn masses and large Elkhorn coral are gliding by me and beneath me. I slow down when I reach the deep water/outer reef weather side and just hang and look around. No other human being is in sight – and it is beyond doubt one of the most awe inspiring, spiritual, moving and beautiful sights I have ever been privileged to behold.

Light shafts are playing on the coral heads, making some dark and ominous one moment and then allowing them to be bright and stand out in bold relief the next. Large and small fish are swimming in all directions. Their shapes, colors and forms, so strange and mystifying when I arrived at Lighthouse Reef last summer, now look familiar to me. I still have so much to learn about the Nat’l History of the coral reef denizens, but at least I can put the names to the fish now which is exactly what I do. Some of these species I’ve seen virtually every day for 6 weeks now, others are less common and I’ve only seen now and then – the fish, rays, coral, jellyfish go gently by my mask and their names go more easily now through my mind.

I dip down to the bottom, without other swimmers around, the schools of Tang, Jacks, Grunt, Chromis and Snapper gently part to let me through. No mad scurrying away. Others, such as the parrot, squirrel, goat hog, damsel, basslet, gobies, and the gorgeous butterfly fish peek at me, swim by me or go about their business, unconcerned with this weird visitor from the air space above. As the weeks of swimming have gone by, I have paid more and more attention to fish behavior. I’m not just looking now, I’m actually beginning to see the fish of the gorgeous coral reef and perhaps a bit of myself as well.

I stop swimming and take a long look around, at the beauty, the timeless tranquility, a large Barracuda pauses by me to share the moment, his steely silver body motionless, his eyes checking me out, his lower jaw slightly agape. The “menacing” teeth so very visible. He gives a flick of his tail, an almost imperceptible move of his fins – and he is gone from view, like so many memories of things so real, so at hand – and now so distant – and gone.

I’ve had this feeling before, and will no doubt have it again. I can’t get anymore in – I’m so filled with the joy and the awe of the now. I don’t know where the Barracuda went – or the things that make memories. I just feel grateful – and at peace. And in spite of the 82º F clear water, I shiver a bit. Bathed in the sun, the water and the knowledge that now is now and the memories will come later.

9:45 A.M. Arrive at Chateau Caribbean. Pleased to see friendly and familiar faces behind counter. I point out that painting on wall (actually a cheap print) is crooked. This brings smiles and guffaws. This was our little joke a year ago. It was always crooked – and I always pointed it out. “Al, we will fix it before you come back.”

…“Team Blackbird” is on the way. Look of anticipation on folks who were non-snorkelers just a few days ago. Face masks and snorkels clutched in hand, some with “T” shirts, some with long sleeve shirts, some with state of the art stretch fabric wind/water suits – Turning into a beautiful day. Shafts of light pierce the space between puffy white and dark ominous tropic clouds to stream down and splash into a lovely Caribbean sea. Breeze is just right – and we scud with the stalwart Duncan at the throttle/tiller. It is a very special and magic time slice. A poet or song writer could do it justice. He/she could write something like “Ode to a Caribbean Morning.” A sense of freedom – Peace comes seldom actually – and those who obtain it – no matter how brief – must pay dearly for the privilege.

5:30 A.M. [The night before, Al had been watching a scary movie about alien invaders.] I wake up, get up and walk very softly, on tippy toes, so as not to awaken the aliens who I’m certain are huddled in my shower. I’m only kidding of course, I only opened the door 6 times to peek just to see if the hinges squeak. Discovered it’s difficult to shower when you are in this monster (twice as big as [my shower at] Bolinas) while spinning around and looking this way and that way at all times. Twice I soaped the water handles thinking they were part of me.

10:15 A.M. Arrive and anchor at Calabash. I can’t wait. It’s been almost a year – and the memory of this place – and the deep water. Divers coming to the surface from below – wild bubbles streaming from their bodies, their fins, their mask and the end of the tube – each bubble catching the light like some magic crystal – this is what I have thought of when I heard or thought of Belize during these past months. And we’re here.

Start in shallow water. I look for “alley ways” to get through reef and get into deep water on outside of reef. When I find a narrow passage through the huge Elkhorn Coral heads – and beautiful seafans (purple), I find that my [Elder Hostel] group is hesitant to follow. They swim to the entrance, peer into it, then gently fin away on the safe, protected part of the reef. It’s okay, all week long I’ve seen saying “go easy, be comfortable, stay within yourself, don’t push it, we made it this far, we don’t have to prove a thing – GO EASY.”

I swim through a kind of aquatic tunnel with coral on both sides – and finally emerge on the open water side of the reef.

I’m looking down into a deep water living aquarium. Here are large schools of blue tangs, french grunts, yellow tailed snappers, and small group of parrot fish, the pugnacious damsel fish, Pork fish, black durgons, hamlets and basslets are all around the coral heads. Out of no-where a large barracuda comes to a stop 5¢ from my side. Steely gray. He/she just has to be there to look threatening. …One moment it wasn’t there, the next, it was eyeing me with those unblinking, steady and steely eyes. Its jaws open and shut a bit and I can see those sharp teeth…

Must admit, it is a bit spooky with no one else around. It’s not sunny like I remembered it – and although light from the broken sky above does filter down around and below me, the dark clouds above create “aquatic dark holes” where things are not visible.

I return several times to the entrance to the grotto-reef front and try to entice others to join me – but they are content (and well they should be) with enjoying the inner reef and the large, fish filled, isolated coral heads in the turtle grass. Too soon it is time to return to the boat. I have made several trips through the reef and marveled at the mystery and seeming tranquility. Sure, I appreciate what is really going on, the predators, the carnivores, the fierce struggle for space, the natural toxins given off by corals to eliminate competition etc. etc. etc. But to a barefoot boy with fins on, it seems like a marvel of peace and unity. I can almost see my eyes, wide with wonder as I peer through my face mask at this seemingly timeless collage of color, graceful movement and timeless grace.

3:15 P.M. No one else ventured through the passage ways, even though they had the skills to do so. Later, on the boat ride back to the lodge, they had differing versions of why but it came back to the same thing. Apprehension – fear – of the deep water, being “outside” of the reef, and perhaps seeing “things they didn’t want to see.”

Every kid must remember. I remember as a small boy in Stockton, walking alone, at night, …back to the house – walking backwards, and sideways, eyes wide, wide open, listening to the night so that “they” couldn’t get me.

…Underwater Belize is wonderful but above water Belize is full of mosquitoes, soldier flies that draw blood and cause welts, many many questions and very complicated human interactions.

Quick Note: On whale watching trips out of San Francisco, …I get there, do [my] thing, answer questions (sometimes over and over) but there is closure. The folks troop off the boat and it’s over. Here we go to dinner (ask questions) meet for the evening program (ask questions) hang around afterwards – “this is such a silly question, I was too embarrassed to ask but I was wondering – ” Breakfast – ask questions – “Will the wind – ? Where are we going snorkeling? What did he say? What’s it like there, I know you’ll tell us later but – ”

…Folks are very happy about their last dive site. (Some are diving down to bottom who had never tried it before – neat.)

Truth be told, I really love these people. They haven’t given up, they haven’t quit. They all have plans – they are off to continue the quest.

I’ve watched their wide open eyes filled with wonder, through slightly fogged and flooded face masks. …They clapped when I finished my “lectures.” They inspired me, they made feel appreciated and for that I am grateful.

…I stand in the middle of the rain-pocked road in Belize City and watch the van and cab disappear down the muddy road, filled with gray-haired heads bobbing up and down and every which way. And I know that a tiny bit of me goes with them – And the silent, deep water sits just beyond the reef at Calabash – waiting.

1:30 P.M. Arrive at Blackbird. …Roy is one of the first to give me a big shoulder slap and handshake.

Duncan is there with wife Evelyn and Dee Dee (3 years old now). It’s a strange and wonderful scene. I’m in the middle of a circle of very black, very wonderful people who are all smiles and pats. The world is a funny place and we all seem to go insane at times (Truly sorry Lindy!) but I’m standing on the white coral sand of Belize with the azure blue sea gently lapping the turtle grass ten feet away and the warm tropic SE wind caressing the palm trees, the sea figs, the sea grapes, the slender palmettos bending before the wind. And I feel an intense happiness – and peace. These folks might just be being polite – just another dark gringo – but I don’t think so. Way down deep where it counts, I feel a bond and a kind of kinship – love – and I know I won’t be crazy again for a while.

7:00 P.M. Dinner – excellent, lots of fish, pineapple, papaya & melon & ice cold mixed fruit juice. Yumm! It has always bothered me that guests and O.S. folks sit on one side of the room and the Spanish and blacks sit on the other. The new dining room is excellent and beautiful but being much larger and separated by the buffet style serving table for the guests, the contrast and separation is striking and immediate. I’m not really in the mood for the “first night chit chat” (“What do you do, Yes I’ve been there, Don’t you just love to travel to…” etc. etc.) – So I say the hell with it and join Duncan and Dee Dee in the “colored section.” [—] hollers over, with wonderful sensitivity and sense of timing, “Al, there is plenty of room over here.”

…I give Duncan box from Scot [Anderson, shark researcher] and when he opens it he just holds it then turns it in his hands and examines the newness and every detail of the gleaming reel. I know that Duncan (34 years old) has used and owned countless reels in his life, but the gratitude I see and feel for this one is heavy. When he finally turns to me and says, “Tell Scot thanks for me man,” it’s a wonderful moment between two exceptional young men, one a black fisherman in Belize and the other a true friend at Inverness, California. I’ll pass it along to Scot.

…We talk for a while in the cool morning light, looking out to sea, couple of the men smoke cigarettes – and I marvel at the river of good fortune that separates me from my brothers. Soon they will pick up tools and toil in the hot tropic sun – and I will get in a boat and go look for Bottlenose Dolphins.

After a while, there is not much more to say for now so we head for the new fancy dining room (hand built) to have coffee and prepare for our respective days. I’m almost embarrassed by the spring in my step. I feel alive – and happy – and oh, oh, so grateful!!!

…Most people who ordered soup get salad and visa versa – it doesn’t really matter – they sort of look the same.

I enjoyed my chicken soup (even though I ordered salad) hadn’t eaten all day – been up since 4:00 A.M. – good flavor.

By the time the “main dish” began to trickle in, most of the wiser folks had departed to seek sustenance elsewhere. I had chicken breasts and I’m pretty much convinced that those foul had died of “natural causes.”

I got through 1/2 of one breast and began to feel weak again. Barbara chewed and chewed and chewed on one bite and pushed her plate away. Allison showed the most class and put everything in proper perspective. In her best (though unknown to her) Lindy Millman tone and with Lindy’s same ability to cut incisively to the core of truth, she took a bite, chewed for a while, looked around at the now almost empty room, placed her knife and fork on her plate, and uttered the words that seemed most appropriate – “Fuck this.” Some people just seem to have a gift for uttering the right words at the right time.

Dessert: Lime pie – Yummm – except it just wouldn’t arrive. We waited and waited – no one from the kitchen came through the double doors. Finally Allison & I went through the doors to investigate and THERE WAS NO ONE THERE. I headed for the front desk to see what was up – clerk looked puzzled – Barbara came dashing up – “Dessert is being served.”

The eating of the lime pie would have made a great T.V. video for “Men at Work” using hard hats, jack hammers, and cutting torches. It seems that the pies had been frozen and no one thought to thaw them out until potentially 17 people were ready for dessert (In actual fact, most of the 17 had retired to the bar to discuss their fate – or had considered the options and – opted for starvation.) When we had looked for them, the entire kitchen “staff” (I actually think they were a traveling troop of stand up comics just having a good time) was out back somewhere doing wonderful and mysterious things to thaw the pies.

The pies were wonderful and the filling was gooey – and true to its name – tasted just like lime tree and lime root. The “crust” had the taste and consistency of a slice of the Nimitz Freeway on a hot day. And guess what?, the rotund toothy lady who had scribbled down all sorts of order notes on small pieces of paper that fell to the floor – “We now have plenty FOR SECONDS!!!”

5:30 A.M. “Up and at em” – Had amazing dream, don’t know where we were but Lindy had a huge front yard like a small nursery and a building filled with quilts and “country.” I was busy carrying packages of bulbs, plants, flowers, an occasional quilt, lots of little country thingees to cars, whose owners drove off all happy and smiley. This was a neat dream.

…Surprisingly, it doesn’t take me long to find corridor to deep water. I swim back and raise face mask at arms length as a signal to those who want to go through to join up. Told them to relax, stay away from the walls (fire coral and sharp staghorn coral). We swim over a solid wall of staghorn and fan coral beneath around a forest of giant elkhorn coral and then the bottom begins to fall away and we are suspended above one of the most magnificent sights I’ve ever seen. BLUE stretches off out of our field of view. If I could see far enough, I would see the West Indies, Cuba, Florida, the Atlantic, etc. etc. What I can see are myriad colors, suspended schools of Blue chromis, chubs, Blue tangs, an occasional Barracuda, way down below, on and around the coral, I see Sgt. Major, Parrots, File fish, Queen Angels, Queen triggers, Ocean triggers, Damsels, two new ones for trip: Black Durgon and Rock Beauty, and the over all kinetic beauty of the seaward side of the reef. All the soft corals, the schools of fish and us move to the same rhythm, the soundless rhythm of water and waves. It’s very clear today and large shafts of light penetrate the azure blue – momentarily illuminating – and darkening.

An amazing transition has happened here. These [elders] are the best and experienced swimmers…With their wet suits and their smooth kicking, they could be any age, any group I’ve snorkeled swam and dove with over the past nearly 30 years. They take turns dipping down, going down to look, photograph, learn and experience. When they roll up to ascend the mask leads – heading toward the surface, toward air toward where we live – but what a pleasure it is to experience the other world momentarily. Bubbles escape from the tip of the bent back snorkel tubes and face masks, to float down along the shoulders, back, sides, legs and feet of the diver. The bubbles join the dancing trail of bubbles that trail off from each fin as they propel the owner to the surface. The dancing bubbles and the dancing light – How exquisite, how beautiful!!!

All too soon, it’s time to find and come back through the cut, to the turtle grass flats and the other snorkelers. One of my biggest fears is of having someone with a cramp, tired or just plain scared with me on the “outside” and because of waves, currents, my screwing up or some combination of the above, not being able to find the cut. I line up the snorkel boat with the topography and veg[etation] behind it when I get to the blue water and pay close attention to giant Elkhorn coral at the deep water end of the passage. So far, so good.

We head for famous Blue Hole – Kent guided Cousteau and Calypso there when he did his documentary. 400+ feet deep, stalactites and stalagmites at 115± feet. Once were limestone caves above sea level.

12:00 P.M. Anchor beside Blue Hole. Allison will stay with folks who want to snorkel coral heads close to boat, I will take those who want to go around coral peninsula out over hole and back to boat.

Swimming down the peninsula, we see now familiar fish and coral plus Rock Beauty – rounding tip and heading toward hole reminds me of NASA shots from space. Coral sand down below is getting further away. Even though we are finning, I don’t have a sense of motion. It’s as though we are stationary and the moon is sliding by beneath. I begin to sense as much as I see the immense blueness at the top of my face mask. The angle of the sand sharpens dramatically and I see countless “sand falls” cascading downward into the blue nothingness that now fills the upper half of my dive mask. We don’t seem to move but the blueness covers my entire mask – and we are suspended over blue – NOTHING! There is nothing to see – just blue. IT IS AWESOME!!! (It’s been 4 years, I had forgotten the sensation).

It would be (and is) easy to get disoriented here. There is no frame of reference, no sand, no coral heads, no fish, only that awesome, empty, beautiful blueness. I feel like a euphasid, waiting for the giant humpback to come hurtling up from the blue infinity. I turn slightly and see my small sub-group swimming a bit behind me on my right and left flanks. I look into their face masks – and see eyes as big as saucers!!! We are collectively swimming through an experience that must be experienced first hand to be understood. It’s a kind of water time and space warp. The Elders and I are on the Enterprise, in deep space, with no horizon. Reluctantly, I turn group and start for Blackbird.

Snorkel S. Soldier. …I work down to the west toward boat channel and see the biggest Barracuda I personally have ever seen. This guy is at least 5¢ long, and thick. This boy is BIG. Dark color (charcoal) with little sparkly highlights on skin. I was not aware of him till I looked up from coral head and saw him about 8¢ away, staring at me with that baleful menacing look the Barracuda has perfected. I freeze, look around for hole in coral face to duck into. He is just sitting there, with his pectorals gently moving, stationary, and I swear I can see powerful muscles contracting and relaxing along his flanks. I’ve never seen a Barracuda this color nor one of this bulk before. He s l o w l y turns and fins away with 2 small silver sides following his every move – one on each side of his dorsum and one tracking him on his left flank. From the back, he sways to and fro, slowly and powerfully, like El Gato [Fudge the cat] cruising down the hallway at Inverness. He disappears behind a large coral head and I swim like crazy to get around the same coral head to get another glimpse of this magnificent fish. He goes counter-clockwise and I go clockwise, rushing for that last glimpse – I come around the coral just as he does – and guess what, we are nose to nose again. We both stop finning and begin a gliding stop towards one another, except I’m back pedaling with my arm and he is not. I have a direct view, through my face mask, at those unblinking cold eyes and am kind of transfixed by his jaws. He keeps opening and closing his jaws and when they are open, all I see are gleaming teeth.

I KNOW I’m in no danger, I know he has no reason to attack me, but I’ve seen smaller ones move – and it’s silver lightning …a “missile with teeth”. I’ve been with sharks twice his size, but this guy is scary. He makes his decision,

s l o w l y turns and swims away into the blue gloom. My heart decides to start beating again, for some reason my mask is fogged at the edges and my lungs decide – remember – that they are supposed to breathe. I swim east toward my bobbing group and the now distant boat – but in spite of myself, I keep stopping to check my flanks and my rear – for a streaking beautiful, silver missile – speeding out of the gloom, who on this day pretty much managed to scare the shit out of me (not literally)!

I get almost back to the cabaña for the evening program but run into the three Honduran “kids” (one is actually 39 years old) who I’ve kept supplied with razor blades, cigarettes, lighters, candy bars, gum etc. etc. while I’ve been here. They are anxious to talk. I usually enjoy practicing my very rusty spanish, but right now I feel physically terrible and I explain in my weird spanish that I’ve got to set out the chairs and get ready for the evening program. What they really want, it turns out, is to discuss a “few things” I might be able to purchase and bring to Blackbird when I return in August. “Like what?” says Al. The first one says two things I don’t understand but finally realize that one of two is Ghetto Blaster! – …I try to be a nice guy to everyone – but I’m not a fool.

1:00 P.M. Swim around “peninsula” of live coral and go out over Blue Hole. Amazing, awesome, what more can be said. It’s over 400¢ deep – I dive straight down as far as my lungs will allow and do head over fin somersaults on the way up – I race my bubbles to the shimmering top, there is no bottom. It’s wonderful.

12:00 P.M. Blue Hole – strong cross current… I (soon joined by Mrs. D[—]) dive straight down into the blue nothingness. Soon, other members of our group venture out to where we are diving. The water is so clear. It’s like we’re all suspended in clear blueness. Little bubbles stream off of swimmers as they fin to the surface.

Only connection with the real world above are shaft of light beams that penetrate downward through the blue.

Too soon it is time to leave. Will I see and swim in this place again? – who knows. I’m last to leave. I know I can catch swimmers. I do one last vertical dive with head over heels at bottom and slow rolling spin on way up – Just for fun – just because – why not!

…Great news – Roberto Haro is to be our guide, same as last year – and have known for about 10/11 years. Big hand shake, pats on shoulder & hug.

Then comes astounding bad news. “Someone” – Carlos, Wittmers?? have booked young couple aboard with us to fill boat – Birgit was told years ago that this would never happen – but it has. We had had meetings at hotel – decided on rooms – figured out how to make room most accessible to F[—], had changed room mates [to make everybody happy]. All this goes out the door. On the way to the boat, on the bus – my mind is racing, putting new combinations together. I know that J[—] will freak out if we put her with anyone. I can’t move in with F[—] or B[—] – finally solution hits me. I give up my room to “new couple,” store my bags in F[—]’s upper bunk – and sleep in lounge. I know the price – no privacy – early risers – late talkers etc. – but can see no other solution – checked out crews quarters – but they are tiny and cramped – and know how I would feel if big boy moved in upon my small personal space.

…I sleep on forward port couch by dining table. Very comfortable. Lights are still on & “chatting” will continue – find I can’t read or write – close eyes whenever I hear steps coming my way.

9:30 P.M. After talk and review I realize I have a problem. “Chatters” are not sleepy & tired, folks are sitting in the corner where I slept last night. I have nowhere to go. Put on heavy raingear top and go to “sundeck” above. Pretty cold – but alone.

10:15 P.M. Move back in, put down life jacket for pillow, lay down on couch opposite to “chatter” side, pull blanket over legs and quickly drift. Gonna be a rough sea night. Wind blowing outside and we are moving straight into it at midnight.

12:00-6:00 A.M. Pitching sea, first really rough water of trip. Tip Top II is game, plows right ahead. Folks don’t do as well. Hear people walking by my couch at night (lights are kept on in lounge). I have weird dreams, including Dave Baver…

7:00 P.M. Dinner – Evening meeting – then head almost due west into strong rolling swell, toward Floreana (Charles)…I bring in life jacket, bring up blanket & get set for evening. M[—]…is first to “not feel well” – so he lays down on couch, exactly where I was planning to sleep. Stake out new spot, put away log and stretch out. I’m the only one on boat without bed and can ill afford to lose all available couch space.

5:00 A.M. Couldn’t sleep from 1:00 A.M. till about 4:00 A.M. Worried about F[—]’s connection in L.A.

9:00 P.M. I’m getting sleepy – people are in my “bedroom” – Where can I go?

7:00 P.M. Ashley does a nice job with Dolphin talk. We use white hatch cover for screen, sit up on deck in warm tropic air. …Afterward we put down mats and check out constellations, a satellite, and talk about our respective cats. Fudge was a big hit even though he wasn’t there. Truth be told, I guess I actually miss the big black shit.

…ugly white caps to horizon, huge thunder boomers with lightning, many boats pulling in and tying up. Looks like we’re not going anywhere for awhile.

I do the intuitive thing and go for the plants and birds. I take group to the now defunct Jack Tar Hotel.

Five years ago this was a working hotel with 500 rooms, three stories tall and stretching down the beach in “compounds” for about a mile. The main compound where the office which featured spiral staircases, marble tile floors, dining rooms, dance floors and various gaming rooms for people to have fun, eat (gamble?) and spend money. When we dock today there is a marina with fueling dock, three bathhouses, a place to buy block ice and a small store.

During the operational days there were gardens and statues, the large swimming pool featured a large fountain and there were other fountains scattered about throughout the gardens – but this place was losing money. It must be difficult to find 2,000 customers per night at the very N.W. end of the Grand Bahamas. To compound the problem, they were having to compete with another hotel run by the Howard Hughes Corp. (we passed the weird mini-castle where the recluse lived – Howard Hughes – on the sail from Freeport to West End). Throw in two devastating hurricanes that ferociously slashed through the hotel, knocking over trees, ripping through the rooms and restaurants, filling the pool with mud and debris, a widow who was unwilling to spend any money on a losing proposition, and you have what you have – TOTAL DEVASTATION structurally, but an impressive botanic garden which is rapidly reclaiming the land laid bare by the hurricanes. Anyone with ± 10 million dollars can have it. Think I’ll pass.

There is an incredible amount of “stuff” all through the Ghost Hotel. Electrical wires hang down into rooms, insulation, heat and air conditioning conduits, mirrors, dance hall with half of a mural still clinging to wall featuring pink flamingos.

The locals have “liberated” anything of worth but we found a desk with sign-in with names dated 1989 – through [left blank]

6:30 A.M. Looks much better. Things not quite so hysterical. …as morning goes on, person on watch begins to see more Spotted & Bottlenose Dolphin. My own first personal experience underwater is a surprising one. Swimmers in the water with Spotted Dolphin follow them way to port and way beyond red ball safety zone. I am standing by at aft ready to go. Finally Felix, who has been getting increasingly nervous, tells me to go round them up. I’m swimming hard toward the two weakest swimmers when suddenly four Spotted Dolphin pass within inches of my face mask (and me). I don’t stop and keep swimming toward “our gang” and the Dolphin swim with me! Water below surface turbulence is clear, sandy bottom with ripples reflects bright light. When we re-gather our swimmers and head for yellow safety line with red ball I finally have time to check things out.

Animals are wonderfully beautiful. Look like smaller version of Bottlenose – metallic sheen, young all one color, older one with spots of varying degrees. They dive down, skim bottom, do rolls, sudden turns and continue to buzz me in a totally friendly (not curious – how many times have the older ones participated in this grand and unbelievable encounter?) and unobtrusive manner. Then they are gone – to where? – they are gone – but not from my memory or consciousness.

Back on Poet after we have retrieved “our gang,” spirits have soared, everyone is talking at once and recounting how many they saw, what they saw and did, and what it meant to them individually.

I can’t help but reflect upon what it meant to me. I’m a lucky human being. I have wonderful friends, an excellent life, I’ve taught amazing people and have been taught by even more amazing Gurus. I’ve shared, loved and been touched and loved by people so wonderful that they ought to live on Planet Perfect (most of the time).

As if that were not enough I’ve gotten to share time and space with some memorable rock formations, plants in exotic places and have gotten to swim with, peek through and over aquatic fences at some of this planet’s water denizens.

If I’m lucky, there will be more encounters with the Atlantic Spotted Dolphin. (Stenella frontalis in the trade [drawing here of man’s smiling bearded face – Al?]) but I shall never forget the giving and the grace with which these folks took time off to share time with me, underwater, today. Thank you! [Another bird drawing here.]

No Triple A to call. …“Al, do you know anything about diesel engines? I’m a sailing racer in Venezuela.”

We start and I make my 1st major error of trip. I’m standing on down steps to saloon with head and shoulders and chest on splash guard, leaning down beside engine trying to get fuel filter cover off, when I feel something “let go” on the right side of my rib cage (Where else?). It was a definite ouchee!

3:00 P.M. Just when we all “felt” that we were done and we would be back at Lucaya by dark, the most amazing encounter of the trip happened. All age classes of Stenella come to the bow and sides. Everybody goes in because it seems that this will be their last chance.

We are in shallow (15-18¢) water south of West End. There are two landmark rocks between us and the beach. These dolphin are beyond belief, the older dark mottled ones circle the group – they seem very “attentive” (anthropomorphism?), the very young ones – with no spots – stay just beneath their mothers, the partly spotted ones come to us. They glide by – inches away – their eyes scoping things out. We play the Sargassan weed game, we spin, dive, dip, slow roll – and they keep coming back for more. It is way beyond a “wonderful experience.”

After two hours of drifting in toward the beach where the water becomes too shallow and dangerous for Poet, we pull swimmers back to deep water by hanging onto the sides of the dinghy – the Dolphin continue to stay with us regardless of what we do. In deeper water, as our group separates, each swimmer has Dolphin coming by at close range. As it begins to get late and we still have hours of sailing ahead to Lucaya, we break off. As we head south, the Dolphin bow ride, surf past us at high speed, run on both sides – finally they leave to go to ??? – where? – to deep water for night feeding?

Highlight of the day is when Peppy comes aboard. Black black and an infectious smile that will knock you on your butt.

Peppy: New cook, scuba certified in the 50’s, still has old twin back gear and tanks. I like him.

…He tells me the story of the laughing and then crying horse. It’s quite possible that I re-injured my ribs while doubled over with laughter.

…A black man with a beautiful London/Canadian accent – making a living on the sea, cooking, being a captain, running a SCUBA program – walking with that smooth, athletic, muscular, black walk – on one leg. A few years ago he was in a horrible auto accident and they took one leg away at the knee – but try to guess which is missing.

In midafternoon we tied to a buoy in open water, south of the banks and too far north to see Sandy. Felix on Calypso Poet had heard of this wreck but he didn’t know the co-ordinates. The hurricane delay stopped Claud from coming here on the last trip, so the “Sugar Boat Wreck” was a first for me.

I was the first in, took one look and immediately hollered for everyone who had a camera to bring it in. This is a real wreck, not the “usual” pile of wooden planks, concrete blocks. Sometime in the early 1900’s (1908?), a barge laden with sugar from Cuba ran aground here and broke into pieces. The thing was made of iron and huge. It is now in large chunks spread over the sea floor and the artificial reef has grown a beautiful garden of hard & soft coral, sponges, tunicates, hydroids etc. The huge anchors, winches, shackles, chains etc. are all there, scattered about bulkheads, hull, and large “stuff” everywhere.

The crystal clear 86-88ºF water is virtually a living aquarium. Huge schools of almost every kind of fish in my fish book flash from the bright light to the shadows. Ashley and I leave the main wreck and swimmers and swim to what must have been the bow. We actually have to pass through a curtain of Barracuda. They seem more bold/curious here. Perhaps people have been feeding them because they break off and swim right to us. At one point Ashley rolled onto her back and kicked furiously with her fins to keep one especially large and venturesome “Cuda” from invading her space. When we return to the main group, we find the kids pretty much in a “tight” ball watching the “Cudas” warily. I have a great time diving down to peer into nooks & crannies beneath overhangs, in tubes etc. looking for eels or a nurse shark – no luck – but what fun.

Up above, Claud & Terry are throwing peas and ground-up crackers into the water beside the boat, and looking at the hull underwater is like looking at an overly crowded, but very clear, tank at Scripps, Steinhart or the Monterey Aquarium. I see details of fish up close that I’ve never seen before – even at Belize & Honduras where the water was equally clear – but these fish are a mere few inches from my face mask. It turned out to be a totally wonderful way to spend most of the afternoon and a highlight of the trip – and maybe one of the highlights of the various places I have been fortunate enough to dive & snorkel over the years.

This has been an important summer for me. When Dave Baver died, when Gordon Chan died, when Dick Ryno, Tom Place, Bob Justice and others “hung it up,” I figured that if I got one or two years out of the old bod I would be O.K. I don’t feel that way now. I’m in. I can still do it. I plan to keep going till the dark shadow comes, in the water, in the night – or where-ever. I’m looking forward to the next 20 years with great enthusiasm & expectations. Go get ‘em Mongo – Let’s Go.

6:30 A.M. Nice quiet A.M. Anchored on leeward side of Sandy. Good night’s sleep – at last. …Older gentleman just came by in ± 25¢ sail boat. He shouted for compass bearings to North Banks (208°), made circle, came back by, shouted to know where deep water was (draws 5 1/2¢ like us), came back by again, said he had broken two things – but his message was lost in the wind. With one final wave and a shouted thank you, he headed west for deep water and will soon turn north – toward the banks – no power, just two sails.

I admire that man, he could play it safe and return to West End to “repair” & “wait for parts” – but instead he’s sailing north, alone it seems, standing there, hand on the tiller, rigged for cruising, eyes glued to his compass with the wind filling his double white pyramid of freedom above him. He is now a mere speck near the horizon, but he knows where he’s going and in which direction to get there – and he is sailing north – alone with his boat – sailing – and free.

[1] Margret Wittmer and her husband pulled up stakes in Germany in 1932 and moved to the Galápagos, so far removed from civilization they may as well have gone to the moon—and, she was pregnant at the time. She had her baby boy, Rolf, in a cave on Floreana Island. Her husband Heinz died in 1963—Mrs. Wittmer and her extended family of children and grandchildren still live on Floreana. Al visited her every time he went to the Galápagos.

[2] “Erb” was a nickname given by the “Plant Life of Marin” group to one of their members named Herb—a little botanical wordplay that stuck.

[3] In 1971, Jacques Cousteau and his Calypso gang were the first to explore the Blue Hole of Lighthouse Reef—a mystifying, perfectly round hole in the coral reef, a thousand feet in diameter. His divers went down 125 feet and found huge cathedral-like caves with stalactites as big as forty feet long and six feet in diameter. (This means that the hole was once above water, since stalactites can only form in the air.) The manned mini-subs found the bottom of the hole at a depth of four hundred feet.

[4] At the time, Al wrote, “Rio Tahuayo, Wednesday, 15 June 1988. …Awake in the dark. Actually, the roosters in the nearby village first began to crow at 2:10 A.M.!!! – They didn’t stop. Once, when I awakened, I was having a dream that I had a large rooster pinned down and was pulling his feathers out.”

Traveling with Al: Excerpts from the journals Al wrote in as he traveled around the world. To read more entries click on link at left side of this page.