Open Water

Finished my open water dive course today, just sat the exam.

Diving course!

Hola,
I've moved - from a small island (Utila) to a tiny island (Jewel cay).
I'm doing a diving course (open water, Padi - if I make it...) and did my first dive today. Not in a pool but in the sea....it's too windy to practice in shallow waters.
Such a weird feeling!!!!
I'm the only one on the course, pity my poor (and apparently very good) instructor.
And though i guess I did everything wrong I'm a bit proud of myself course I didn't panic, though we practiced stuff like flooding your mask, being out of air...
Well, I' m a bit afraid I will never be able to remember all the stuff you need but I'm very happy that I could remain calm under water today, in spite of the waves and everything.
See how it goes...

bat rush hour

us, walking (or stumbling) through the mangroves - the habitat of the Iguanas this project is about. Moskitos also think it´s a great place to live!

Just when the rain starts - at least once a day now - there´s an invasion of flying termites

this is how Utila deals with the growing waste problem:
Well, who am I to judge? How much Carbon dioxide dit it take to get me here?

Some more pictures of "our" nectarivorous bats at the station

Day off

Today the four of us hiked to Pumpkin Hill (74 m, highest elevation on Utila), tried to find some freshwater caves along the beach (and didn´t) and managed to get a glimpse of the bat caves!

View from Pumpkin hill over the north (mainly uninhabited) side of the island

Entrance to the bat caves - it´s a bit of a climb!

Inside- it's pretty big but hard to fotograph (and squeeze into)

Saccopteryx bilineata, I´m pretty sure

hiking along the "beach" over the old coral reef, trying to find some freshwater caves

the long way home - this is Utilas main road, by the way.

P.s.: There´s a baby gecko running over the keyboard right now, a bit larger than a key :)

First pics

Here they are, the first impressions from Utila, Honduras.
Maybe you get an impression of what I´m up to at the moment.

I like this tree and its bark

My Hibiscus cuttings. Done voluntarily. And they are thriving. Believe it or not. (I can´t either)

Bat at our hummingbirdfeeder - my guess: Glossophaga soricina ?

and the hummingbirds like the feeder too:

Juvenile Green Iguana (Iguana iguana) at Pumkin hill beach
Cnemidoporus lemniscatus at Pumpkin hill beach

Ctenosaura bakeri (Spiny tailed Iguana) hatchling on my hand
Terry, the stations dog, at the public beach in Utila town
Me, cutting hibiscus flowers and preparing Iguana Food

And the not so nice sides of this carribean island, still got to take a picture of the trash which is everywhere and spoils everything :

I´ve seen lots of dogs like this in Thailand and Greece, luckily here are only a few in that state, most are fine . And they are everywhere.
Private signs wherever you go...and dogs chasing after you if you chosse to ignore them

Greetings from Utila

Hello from Utila, arrived at the Iguana station yesterday and am just about to settle in...guess I´m getting a bit (too ?) old fo this :).