Swimming with turtles

Tatt av vinden
Bjørn Larsen
Mon 19 Jan 2009 12:38
We are still in the charming Grand Anse d'Arlet. Yesterday Bjørn and Gregor
went snorkeling along the reef to the south in the bay. Lots og small fish
and other things to see. Suddenly Gregor waved Bjørn closer, and there, 4
meters down swam a turtle. It was not so big, about 30 cm. It swam slowly.
It was not frightened by us, unless we tried to tuch it. Then it quickly
moved away half a meter to one side. We followed it and dived with it 150 m
along the reef.

We have seen a turtle several times here. From time to time they show their
head above the water, just 20 m to the south of the boat. Just saying
"hello" and then diving again. Later in the day, yesterday, Gregor decided
to persue it. At first he did not find it. But we thought we saw it closer
to the shore, and went into the dinghy. Gregor went into the sea again, and
after a while he reported two turtles, this time considerably bigger than
the first one. These two were, however not so happy for the company, and
Gregor soon lost them. But what an experience!

Yesterday evening we had dinner at one of the beach restaurants. Just as we
rose to go back to the boat, we fell into conversation with a familiy and a
local at the table close by. The family was French, but loved to speak a
little English. They told us that they had crossed the Atlantic twice this
year, and the husband had crossed the Atlantic 12 times all together! Next
year they planned to go to the Pacific. He had been out for several years, I
think he said more then twenty - off and on I suppose. He had also been to
Stavanger, Eva's hometown. But theat visit was by a tanker.

Today we plan to sail a little further north on Martinique, probably to Anse
Mitan.