Lost on an Island of Sea weed farmers…Elsie Gabriel.

Lost on an Island of Sea weed farmers….

Elsie Gabriel.

I have always been asked that question…If you were ever stranded on an island what would you do….. well watch women work on their sea weed farms, hear the thrill of kids betting on grasshopper fights in a tiny box full of holes, watch fishermen bring in loads of shiny silver fish, dive deep under the sea and live like a mermaid with all the colorful fish in the ocean and only surface to get drunk on fermented coconut water and fresh air!!!!

Hehe..yeah you have to see this Island to actually believe me…

Only 8 square kilometers and there are about 7,000 people living on the island year round. Nusa Lembongan is a beautiful island off the main coast of Bali.Indonesia.What can I say I had a hard time wanting to really come to civilization…..

I got off on an island called Jungut Batu during a Bali Hai cruise and didn’t want to come back…..

Jungut Batu villagers work as seaweed farmers for which they get hefty sums of money from the cosmetic industry. Seaweed is used for medicines, food stabilizer, cosmetic and gelatin for ice cream. The chunk of the  income for the population is derived from seaweed farming. The locals farm ‘Euchema Cottomi’ a specie of ocean algae, by tying the sprouting algae shoots to farming plots with rope and flat wood stakes embedded in the seabed. It takes one month to grow to a size able to be harvested and then three days to sundry. Normally during the harvest the new sprouts are returned to the bed to begin the new crop, and then new sprouts get collected from the seabed. The dried seaweed is kept in large storehouses until it is taken to the mainland and sold for export to America, Denmark, Japan and Holland. 

White stretches of sand as far as the eyes can see, very remote and filled with jungles. Community life comes alive when fishermen come home from the sea. But once on the beach again you can snorkel and dive all day long. I forgot my suntan lotion on that trip I remember and surfaced looking like the Queen of Spades!! So don’t forget your sunscreen and hat……everrrr………… when doing an island trip….

pics copyright@elsiegabriel

pics copyright@elsiegabriel....My travelfootprints......

I  had to be carried on all fours to get back on the cruise again to the main Bali shoreline!! Jus kidddin, I had my pockets full of sea weed and  feet full of sand……what more could I ask for than a mind full of memories of a lovely island filled with such innocent  children where I guess the digital world would take another couple of years to make them lost techno addicts…..

Really…..I can still hear those crickets chirping inside those bamboo boxes with tiny holes fighting their way to survival…and the eye balls of those little boys hanging out keeping a close watch as to who would win? I wonder what they bet on…more sea weed???

Pics copyright@elsiegabriel

Tickled Pink by tall waders! Flamingoes in Mumbai.

Tickled Pink by tall waders! 

Flamingoes in Mumbai. 

Elsie Gabriel

I was tickled pink watching these tall waders at the Airoli creek in Mumbai. It was a sight to behold. The Navi Mumbai Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world and their functions include flood control, aquifer recharge, nutrient absorption, and erosion control. A great variety of species depend on wetlands here and if you are a bird watcher and nature lover, there is no better place than here to view the  pink beauties called Flamingos. Of course you can find them else where also at the Sewri mudflats,Chilka lake and Rann of Kutch Gujarat and many other several wetlands spread across India too.But,You can only appreciate them once you lay eyes on them,  and know that it’s worth getting dirty and mucky on a good Sunday morning trying to see them first hand. 

Flamingos are a type of wading birds found in tropical and subtropical areas. Their distinctive pink plumage, characteristic tendency to stand on one leg, and highly social behavior make them a favorite among bird lovers.

Out here in the wild, flamingos form huge colonies along the lagoons, shorelines, and wetland areas. All flamingos are in the family Phoenicopteridae,but many are threatened due to habitat reduction. Most of these wetland zone here are essentially natural ecosystems stabilized over the years, and have retained their natural characteristics, hope the sites are let alone to exist for our children’s children to get a glimpse of these pink waders. pics copyright@elsiegabriel

Flamingos vary in size depending on the species, but are on average three to five feet tall with long spindly legs and necks, a short tail, and large muscular wings. The plumage of a flamingo ranges from pink to orange, with two distinctive black marks on the front of the wing. The webbed feet of the flamingo are ideal for gripping the muddy bottoms of lagoons and lakes, and the muscular wings allow flamingos to fly, as long as they get a running start. Flamingos have the longest legs and necks, relative to body size, of any bird. This enables them to stand in relatively deep water, where they can stir up mud at the bottom to obtain food. They are also able to reach deep into the water with their long necks to feed.

Flamingos live in large colonies that may contain tens of thousands of individual birds. As with other animals that live in colonies or herds, this provides protection from predators. The birds are vulnerable when feeding, but in such a large group, some individuals will be alert to any threats and will warn the flock of danger. Flamingos communicate by vocalizing and parents learn to recognize their chicks’ calls, allowing them to be located when a parent has been foraging for food.

Flamingos build raised nests out of mud, so that the egg will not be flooded if the water level rises. The female flamingo lays one large egg, which the pair takes turns incubating until it hatches. After approximately two weeks, the young flamingo starts to explore the world along with other flamingos in a gang called a creche. The creche may choose to stay at the same lagoon, or explore another territory somewhere else.
 Humans do pose a threat to flamingos by damaging their natural habitat in a variety of ways including development, increasing salinity of the water, letting garbage and sewage flow into the wetlands, building structures, or draining the water off for other purposes.

I guess someone had once said-Simplicity is the best beauty! 
Next time take a simple trail down the simple creek to see these simply magnificent pink waders!
 All photographs copyright@elsiegabriel.com

Caught with Wildebeests on a Volcanic crater! Elsie Gabriel

Caught with Wildebeests on a Volcanic crater!

Elsie Gabriel 

Here  right now, am standing on a Volcanic crater. I had always dreamed of visiting a volcanic site. Hush….I keep wondering when it will erupt, extinct or not, am super excited!!

Shut up Elsie, I tell myself this 50 000 hectares of vast circular geological feature is ancient even by geological standards as it is the crater of a long extinct volcano and the result of eruptions some 1,200 million years ago.

It will simply not erupt again for sure...................................................................................................... But this isn’t a simple volcanic crater, it is one of the largest volcanic complexes of its type in the world, the rare rock types and formations make it a one of its kind geological feature. A number of rare minerals occur here. This is the Pilanesberg Game Reserve am talking about, am standing on one of the world's most outstanding geological phenomena.                                                             All pics copyright@elsiegabriel.

So I have to keep pinching myself and reminding myself that I did agree to visit a volcanic site but I didn’t ever dream of a safari and game reserve inside the very same crater, tracking down Wildebeests.

The blue wildebeest also called the common wildebeest, white-bearded wildebeest or bridled gnu, is a large antelope.. This broad-shouldered antelope has a muscular, front-heavy appearance, with a distinctive robust mouth. Young blue wildebeest are born tawny brown, and begin to take on their adult colouration at the age of two months.  The rear coat and flanks are slightly lighter in hue than the ventral hide and under parts. Dark brown vertical stripes mark the area between the neck and the back of the ribcage.

Scattered throughout the Pilanesberg Game Reserve are various sites that originate from the Iron age and stone age they say. With unspoiled flora and fauna, the Pilanesberg Game Reserve offers a viable alternative to the other large game parks in the country. Buffalo, elephant, giraffe,deer,leopard, white rhino and lion also reside here.

Fascinating alkaline complex produced by volcanic eruptions some 1200 million years ago, filled with huge hills of shrub forestland Pilanesberg is one of the largest volcanic complexes of its kind in the world.

The area is fringed by three concentric ridges of hills, formations arise from the surrounding plains, rising and falling smoothly. Ancient, even by geological time scales, this extinct volcano is the most perfect example of an alkaline ring complex. Pilanesberg has survived ages of erosion. Over time, wind and water have carved a spectacular landscape and natural habitat for these wild animals.

The vegetation is filled with wide open grasslands, steep hill slopes, rocky outcrops, wooded valleys, shrub land and thickly wooded valleys. There are over 132 species of trees and at least 68 species of grasses.

The colourful hues, varied habitats, topography and panoramas are a delight. The Park covers an area of 55 000 hectare and ranks among the larger of the parks in South Africa. The beauty of Pilanesberg is reflected in a large central lake, the Mankwe Dam. 

 A major advantage of the Pilanesberg is that it is ‘Malaria Free’. Hushhhh…..

…….I can see more Wildebeests coming in herds, step back, watch them closely…..

While the species status is considered secure as a whole, there is concern for smaller herds in the southern Africa habitats which have already become marginalized.

Wonderful rare creatures living on a volcanic crater, imagine…….

 

All pictures copyright@elsiegabriel