Saona Island, in the south of the Dominican Republic, is a nature park with semihumid vegetation. It provides a perfect anchorage in front of coconut trees – if the anchor doesn’t drag in the stong trade winds (Passatwinde) on a rocky bottom covered only with a thin layer of sand.
White Herons in the Dominican Republic (Great Egret, Silberreiher) enjoy coastal areas including lagoons, wetlands, ocean, and beaches. Here they sit in mangrove trees of a small island in a lagoon near the main capital Santo Domingo (Boca Chica), undisturbed by jet skis and other extensic water sport activities.
Three cacti species, which can grow up to 10 m, dominate the arid landscape of the ABC islands. More information. Their fruits and flowers provide critical food resources for a variety of the islands’ bats, birds and reptile, like these whiptail lizards.
At the Tug Boat Beach, near a big jetty (Dock) and industrial garbage, the Coral Restoration Foundation Curacao maintains coral supporting trees. These trees hold coral fragments, providing them with perfect growing conditions. The Foundation helps rebuilding reefs by outplanting clusters of corals on structures all along the coast of Curacao. The corals will in time overgrow their structure and form a new, independent coral colony to house many types of fish and marine species.
In the North of Curacao, Watamula is a windblown wasteland of rough volcanic rocks. The Eye of Curaçao is an enormous round sinkhole through which you can see the ocean swirling around.
Further information: https://curacao.for91days.com/watamula-and-playa-gepi/
Repairs and Maintenance. There is always something to do on a sailing boat. Sun, saltwater and wind take their toll.
Spanish Water lagoon, the number one mangrove hurricane hole in the South of the Caribbean Sea, is perfectly protected from waves and has only one narrow entrance to the open ocean. Hurricanes as Dorian (in August 2019) tend to stay north of Curacao. Thus, more than 100 sailing boats hide there in the summertime. Many of them leave in November, at the end of the hurricane season, then sailing west to Columbia and Panama Channel on their way to the Pacific Ocean and Polynesia. Some of the boats, however, abandoned and sunk, stay in Spanish Lagoon forever…
Four friends that met in Spanish Water in August 2019: Maurizio (SY Brendan’s Isle), Christian (SY Gabian), Nick (SY Fleur) and Uwe (SY Orinoco).
Tugboat is a wonderful snorkel spot on Curacao, despite the fact that it in an industrial area, right next to a dock and a huge gas exploration ship. This location is famous for the Tugboat wreck and has a snorkling shop and a small café.
Kayaking in one of the largest protected mangrove swamps in the south of Bonaire and snorkelling through channels. We saw upside down Jellyfish (Quallen), attached to the bottom, and a lot of fish. Mangroves are breeding places for fish, that are well protected from predators (Verfolgern) here.
For many birds in Northern Curaao, it seems to be much easier do feed on sugar in Jaanchies Restaurant – even if there is a fierce competion – than to search for fruits in the dry wilderness.
