To Oyster Pond
Yesterday I headed to The Butterfly Farm (which I will post about separately), but my travels actually took me quite a bit beyond there to the town of Oyster Pond at the French/Dutch border. My route was down the airport road, past Cul de Sac and Orient Bay to The Butterfly Farm, then around the seaward side of the Étang aux Poissons and then around the coastline to Oyster Pond. On the way back, I returned along the coastline, then on the inside of Étang aux Poissons to French Quarter, where I took a bus back to Grand Case.
En route I saw many interesting things. Since the morning was cloudy, I was able to get a couple close shots of the local anole lizards, including one that shows the orange neck-flap, although it is not fully extended. I was also able to get my first decent shot of the large sulfur butterfly. In the marsh across from The Butterfly Farm I was lucky enough to witness the large white butterfly laying its yellow eggs. There was also an egret/heron type bird that was at least twice as big as the other ones I’ve seen around here.
After traversing the seaward side of the fish pond, I found a shallow bay where the mangroves extend to the ocean. Perhaps this is the best (or only) place to snorkel the mangroves in uncontaminated water. Not wanting to head back the way I came, I was forced to ford the inlet through chest-high water with my shoes and camera gear hoisted above my head. Perhaps not the smartest thing I have done with my camera, but at least I did have the presence of mind to test my route without my camera first.
The area past this bay was quite lovely, a scrub-land that reminded me a bit of the American southwest. Returning past the mangroves, I found a couple jellyfish that seemed to be trapped and an interesting duck.
