Swimming Pigs (and video!)

" . . . when pigs fly!"  How 'bout when pigs swim?!

Yes, it's true.  Pigs swim.  At least, island pigs swim!  

I've posted about this before as part of an evening boat excursion, but it's just too fun a topic not to revisit.  Besides, the pigs really warrant their own post!

So, the scoop . . .

 

On a nearby (uninhabited) island, a handful of large, wild pigs are the dominant residents.  Some twenty years ago, a couple of the local guys brought in two pigs and placed them on that island to breed and provide table fodder for the occasional pig roast that our local community loves to do.  (Over the years, there have been funny stories about pigs slipping overboard while the guys tried to transport them by small dinghy and other such adventures.)

The pigs have slowly gained fame or notoriety (depending on whether you've been entertained or terrorized) as a tourist attraction.  The pigs have learned that when boats approach their shoreline, these boats often bring slop and food treats.  So, the pigs now swim out to meet the boats!

All too often, visitors decide it'd be fun to get out to swim with the pigs, or pet the pigs onshore.  While this can certainly be entertaining and make for good vacation photos, it's really not the best idea.  These are still wild animals!  And in their excited quest for food, the pigs get quite aggressive.  I've seen pigs practically climb aboard smaller dinghies.  And I've seen pigs chase people onshore.  Unfortunately, the local medical clinic is all too familiar with treating various pig bites, some of a serious nature.

That said, they're still fun to go observe at a safe distance!

ESPECIALLY because I hear there's a new litter of piglets!

So, yesterday, Beau and I took a boat ride over to see the pigs.  Unfortunately, the piglets were nowhere in sight.  They were napping or otherwise tucked safely back in the bush.  Given the aggressive nature of the pigs, presumably even more so as mommas protecting babies, I did not go ashore to root the piglets out of their hiding spot to pose for pictures!

Nonetheless, the big pigs are always a treat.  See for yourselves . . .

No other boats around, so the pigs were still onshore as we approached.

Here they come to greet us!

Yup, pigs swim.

As many times as I've seen this phenomenon, I still chuckle.

Realizing no food was being thrown from the boat (sorry, pigs), the pigs start to turn away from the boat.

Checking us out one last time.

Ambling back ashore.

Digging nests in the cool damp sand.  You can see that's a nursing mother pig.

Although I failed to deliver piglets to you this time, I have an extra treat.  To complete this virtual experience, you must hear the snorting sounds of the pigs and see their pig-paddling legs in action!  So, here is a video clip.  (I apologize for the wind noise - it was a squally afternoon.)

 

Looks to me like the pigs enjoy their own Better Life!!  What do you think?

Snorkeling in the Aquarium (with Video!)

Over the weekend, Beau and I took advantage of the beautiful summer day and headed out for a day of play on the water.  We enjoyed a long boat ride up the chain of islands, exploring along the way and cooling off in the sea.

(For a bird's eye view of the chain of islands, and the spectacular shades of blue and aqua that we were cruising through in our boat, check out this older post with lots of aerial photos.)

During our exploration, one spot was rife with sea turtles, sharks and other sea creatures, so we got into the water to check it out more closely.  Unfortunately for all of you, I don't have any pictures from this spot.  I was too busy avoiding (successfully) getting stung by the schools of thimbles that were pervading the water!  These tiny jellyfish-like critters, in the shape of a sewing thimble, come out in the summer.  Sometimes they sting, sometimes they don't.  They stay mostly on the surface, so I was either swimming hard to stay down without a weight belt (I'm a floater!) or relaxing back in the boat - especially as the sharks became more curious.

But never fear, I trotted out the trusty camera at our next stop in the middle of a national park area of the sea.  Among other things, the "park" designation means that a no-fishing, no-taking policy applies to everything in its area.  As a result, fish and other sea creatures are plentiful.  It serves as a wonderful breeding ground and makes for fabulous snorkeling.

These pictures are from the part of the park locally known as the "Aquarium."  The Aquarium boasts tons of fish and coral in our pristine water of the Exumas.  (And no thimbles that day!)

Almost always, the first fish to greet us in the Aquarium are little Sergeant Majors. 

Sergeant Majors and some tails of Yellowtail Snapper.

As soon as we jumped in the water, these little guys swarmed around us in a frantic cloud of brightly striped color.  They are about 4-5 inches long and, obviously, are not afraid to swim up and blow kisses at the camera.

Sergeant Major kisses.

On the floor of the Aquarium - about 20-30 feet deep - and along the sides are plentiful coral, sea fans, sea grass and other wildlife.

A beautiful underwater world.  See where the sunlight filters down?

Another school of Sergeant Majors (and Yellowtail Snapper).

Another commonly seen (and hunted) fish in our area is the Grouper.  This one in the Aquarium was particularly friendly.  He must've known that he was safe from becoming our dinner in the protected park!

Grouper in the middle.

Another grouper in a different area, along with Triggerfish, Sergeant Majors and Yellowtail Snapper.

As a seasoned free-diver, my beau can hold his breath and swim effortlessly in deep waters for seemingly forever.  Without his spear and the thrill of the hunt in this protected park area, it was pure playtime for him.

Checking out something on the sea floor.

Looking under the rock, probably staring down a lobster or two.

Upside down again.

Now so far into a hole that you just see his blue flippers!

Our friends, Americans who are longtime residents of the Bahamas, enjoyed the exploration, too.

Queen of the Sergeant Majors.

Fish Whisperer?

Now, for my favorite part . . . a video treat!  This brief underwater video clip features my beau and a kajillion Sergeant Marjors swimming around him.  The video has a sped-up feel to it, but it is not edited or altered.  The fish are swimming at their actual pace.  However, it IS a faster pace than their usual - they are in a frenzy over the cracker that Beau brought with him and just crumbled into the water.  You may notice Mr. Grouper swimming through at a more leisurely pace.  The video is mostly silent except for the crackling sound of all the little fish - that is actually what it sounds like under there!

What a wonderful day!  I definitely enjoyed a Better Life kind of weekend, and I hope you did, too!

Return from Regatta & Sailing Video

Hellooooooo, Better Lifers!  I've missed you!  

Regatta was wonderful, and I'll fill you in soon.  Weather was pretty tricky - the same front that saturated Florida also doused the Bahamas.  Thankfully, Mother Nature granted enough of a respite that the boats were able to race, but then she kicked in again and delayed our return by several days.  Upon my return, I was greeted with a flooded downstairs in my own home.  Thankfully, my visiting mother had stanched the tide.  I helped with the cleanup and enjoyed the remaining days of her visit.  

It's also been hectic around here as passions run high for the Bahamian national election which takes place today.  Campaigning has been at a fevered pitch.  In this instance, I'm glad that I CAN'T vote and am able to remain peacefully neutral!  

Now, I'm wading through 600+ photographs to cull them down to share the Regatta experience with you.  Meanwhile, here's a video treat . . .

Never seen a Bahamian sloop sail?  Never been to a national regatta?  Never bounced along in the chase boat in the heart of the action?  This will give you a taste of it all!

I remain silent on the video, hoping you could hear the men calling out to one another on the boat.  But, the camera didn't pick that up - voices must have been carried away by the strong winds, which you DO hear.  This was taken during a practice sail on the last day (Saturday, April 28) of the series race.  It was choppy, windy and cloudy, so the typically-turquoise water of the harbor looks dark, too.

The chase boat follows along in case the sailboat needs anything.  (E.g., switch sail size, add or remove lead ballast, etc.)  Once the race starts, the chase boat can't pass anything back and forth, but we stay nearby to follow the action and be available in case anything happens.

What you'll see is a classic Bahamian sloop, all wooden hand-construction, 28 feet on deck, with a 60 foot mast and large boom, the largest A-Class type.  The sailors are all Bahamian, except for the maximum of four foreigners.  The man at the stern (back) is working the main sail and talking to the man just in front of him, the skipper who controls the tiller and captains the boat.  The man standing at the bow (front) is the bowman, the eyes of the boat who calls back to the Captain what he sees so they can strategize.  The other men have various roles, too.  Most apparent in the video are the men shifting their weight on the pry - the long board sticking off the side of the boat - to serve as human ballast and make adjustments as the race proceeds.

You may notice that only men are on this boat.  While that is still the dominant gender in Bahamian sailing, women crew sometimes, too.  Our local C-Class boat even boasts a champion female skipper.

My favorite part of this clip is that it shows you how the sailboats tack, or make a turn.  Here, the boat is on a starboard tack - the wind is coming from the right (starboard) side.  When the captain gives the command, the crew slacks the sail, slides the pry to the next side, swings the boom over, catches the wind in the sail again and the men scramble out on the pry to balance out on the boat.  This is a pretty calm tack.  Sometimes it can be a fierce scramble, especially during a race if another boat is right there.  Exciting stuff!

Have a wonderful day, and I'll share more with you soon.

Angel with Coconut (Video)

Dear Readers, I thought you might enjoy a little snippet of my Island Dog in action.  Angel looooooooves to chase and chew coconuts.  These particular clips were not actually filmed in the islands; you'll see Angel and me in a Florida backyard when we visited family recently.  The first video clip (17 seconds) is a little better quality, but the second one (27 seconds) amuses me because you can really hear how Angel squeaks and squeals in her excitement while chewing.  My vocal little dog.  Enjoy!