CAROLYN, BECKY AND DARLENE VISIT US IN MARTINIQUE!!!

        Ricky and I were thrilled to have his mother, Carolyn W, and both sisters, Becky W and Darlene M, meet us in beautiful French Martinique. Becky was brave enough to spend one night on the boat, but, due to seasickness, the girls elected to sleep in the resort and spend their days with us. The weather was unseasonably cool, overcast and rainy, hence the umbrellas. 

        Even though Ricky and I have visited Martinique several times, we've never taken a guided island tour. Here are some highlights of our special week together.  

Sugarcane and bananas are planted all over the countryside

Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Balata c1920's

Jardin de Balata - Botanical Garden

        The historical port of St. Pierre lies at the foot of Mount Pelee, looming in the background of this photo. Mount Pelee is an active volcano that last erupted in May 1902, wiping out the entire town's population of 30,000 people. St. Pierre was known at that time as the Paris of the Caribbean, the social and cultural center of Martinique, surrounded by plantations producing products for export such as rum, sugar, coffee, and cocoa. 

        The volcano  began rumbling and sending ash and boiling volcanic mud in early April. Why, then, did the townspeople not flee? Evacuation posed a problem with primitive roads and very few ferries, plus many believed the prediction of a local science teacher who concluded there was no real danger. 

        Only two men survived in the town center, a cobbler and a murderer in a stone cell. Twelve ships in the bay were destroyed as well.

Drawing of Le Theatre of St Pierre, remodeled in the neoclassical design shown.

The theatre sat 800, with shows ranging from Classical to Vaudeville and Opera

Darlene performs for the crowd

     We toured the ruins of Dubuc Plantation, a progressive sugar and coffee plantation that recorded 850 acres planted in sugar and 250 acres planted in coffee in 1725. Over time, a sugar factory and distillery were built, along with a coffee mill, drying areas and warehouses.

Sugarcane press

     Josephine, renowned wife and crowned empress to Napoleon Bonaparte, was born on the island of Martinique in 1763. Her father was a French naval officer who owned a sugar plantation there. A hurricane wrecked the plantation in 1766, leaving the family without the money to rebuild.
At 16 years old, she accompanied her father to France, where she married and had two children. The marriage did not last.
She met the young general, Napoleon, in 1795. He fell madly in love with her, writing passionate love letters, and they married the next year. She was 32, he was 26.

Reconstructed kitchen and museum

Tour guide

Ruins of sugar factory

Lunch at Havana Cafe in Anse Mitan

Shopping!!!

Relaxing on Always Sunday

We anchored in the quaint town of Anse de Arlet

Fun bay to swim and snorkel in!

Awesome view of the Atlantic from the resort

TURTLES, OCTOPUS, SEAHORSES AND FROGFISH!!!

           Everyone loves turtles!!! We see them pretty often while diving in Bonaire, and, because there are so many divers in the water, I think Bonaire turtles are more tolerant of our human obsession to take their photos. They keep right on eating while we swim closer and closer, taking pictures and video to our heart's content.

          The STCB (Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire) hosts a free turtle talk a couple of times each month at Yellow Submarine Dive Center, It's very informative, complete with slides and local statistics about the turtles that live and nest on Bonaire. Basically, there are two turtles that are commonly seen in Bonaire, the Hawksbill and the Green Turtle. Green turtles have a round face, while Hawksbills have a pointed beak-like mouth.

          Turtles normally start breeding between 15-25 years of age and can live up to 80 years. Young turtles have to surface pretty often, while larger turtles can stay underwater for hours. As males mature, they develop a visible tail and claws. 
       Females return to the same area where they hatched to breed and lay their own eggs, which is pretty amazing! They breed for 3-4 months and lay multiple nests each season, with about 100 - 150 eggs per nest. Once their eggs are laid, their job is done. About 60 days later, aided by the light of the moon, the nest erupts as little turtles emerge and instinctively crawl to the safety of the ocean. 
   

Some turtles travel 4000 - 5000 miles to lay their eggs 

       Octopus are the most intelligent known invertebrates, and can change color and the texture of their skin to match their surroundings in the blink of an eye, often blending so perfectly that we swim right over them. I like to look for a pile of empty shells left right outside their den, a sure sign that an octopus lives there. 

Hiding in the sponges

Jetting away - photo taken in The Saints

Long armed Octopus hiding in the grass in Martinique

     

           Truly a rare find! We found three seahorses in Bonaire with help from Brita at Dive Friends Bonaire. Did you know that the female lays her eggs in the male's front pouch, so he's the one who is pregnant and who gives birth???

       VISIT NATIONALGEOGRAPHIS.COM  

WATCH: SEAHORSE GIVES BIRTH TO 2000 BABIES

           Another miraculous find while diving in The Saints!!! Ricky and I have logged 200 dives and this is the very first frog fish we have ever found, even though we've searched diligently. Notice the fishing lure on the top of the frog's head that he uses to catch his prey.