San Salvador, Bahamas
2008

by
Mary Chesnut and Don Chesnut ©2008

Frank Ettensohn, professor of a University of Kentucky class, suffered a sports injury to his knee four days before his class was to leave for field work in the Bahamas. He called me and asked if I would lead the class. I was able to get airline tickets to Ft. Lauderdale, FL for my daughter and me, but we had to leave from the Cincinnati International Airport in northern Kentucky. A winter storm warning was announced for the region and we had to spend the night before the early morning flight in a hotel near the airport.  That was a good decision because snow covered the region during the early morning. The plane was de-iced while we were on it which delayed us an hour. The plane did take off before the airport was closed. We eventually made it to Ft. Lauderdale and stayed at an airport hotel there. The next day (Saturday) we flew on a charter plane to San Salvador Island. We were met by the Director, Dr. Thomas Rothfus, of the Gerace Research Centre (their web site) who took us to the research station. The following are pictures of the trip taken by Mary and me. Or you may just want to view the photographs in the thumbnail directory (no maps or descriptions).

Getting There

• Mary and Don at airport hotel (Friday)
• students on Piper Navaho, Twin Air flight to San Salvador, Bahamas (Saturday)
• cockpit
• takeoff
• cloudy view
• rain clouds that we left behind in Florida
• excited Mary
• wing and port engine cowling
• hazy view of San Salvador Island, a little closer but still hazy, view over port engine, Bonefish Bay, approach to airport
• first ride on Meat Wagon, Mary and gorilla, back of Meat Wagon, the group (minus Mary)
• local fellow playing guitar, we saw him all over the island

San Salvador Island, overview

• northern part of island, from Google Earth
• central part, from Google Earth
• southern part, from Google Earth
• Graham's Harbour and Gerace Research Center, from Google Earth
• close-up of research center, from Google Earth

Grahams Harbour and North Point, Saturday: learning to use the snorkel and mask, 8 March 2008

• small brittle star, very active, on our walk along the shore to North Point
• two species of sea urchin (echinoid) in tidal pool
• shallow water
• rocky shore where we went in

Party at the park, Saturday night

• walking to the park
• seesaws
• Mary at pier, Mary and Don
• conch fritters
• dancing, more dancing

Going to local church, Sunday morning, 9 March 2008

• breakfast
• our students ready for church
• Meat Wagon with church goers, church goers waving

Bonefish Bay, Sunday afternoon

We joined a group from Youngstown, OH for this field trip

• Haitian boat, mast, Mary and boat
• view of bay

Gerace Research Center, Sunday evening

• baby goat, goat drinking condensed milk
• puppies, Anne with puppies
• Don opened three coconuts over the week, taking out the meat, closer view

Pigeon Creek tidal channel, Monday morning, 10 March 2008

• Pigeon Creek area, from Google Earth
• old ramp into tidal channel
• Queen conch (Strombus gigas) from tidal channel, another view
• Don snorkeling at ramp with West Indian Turban shells, another view,
• difficult life at ramp
• Sergeant Major fish through water at ramp

Pigeon Creek sandflat, tidal delta and beach, Monday morning

We snorkeled to and walked on the delta and delta slope. There was a lot of Thallasia grass and Goniolition.

• the beach south of the delta, much seaweed, another view
• tidal delta in far background
• our beach site, another view, yet another view, still another
• view from beach, dark is Thallasia grass flats, light aquamarine is sand flat, another direction

Southern shore of Sandy Hook

• choppy water and sea cliffs, another view from the shore
• students on cliff
• view from cliff
• view to west
• wave splash
• Ann at water's edge, another view
• sharp rocks
• sitting on the cliff
• Mary on rocks, Mary and wave
• Eric at edge, Eric and wave
• view toward truck

Storr's Lake, Monday afternoon

We waded into Storr's Lake at three places to examine the bacterial/algal stromatolites and thrombolites. We broke open a stromatolite to examine the layers, the mucous and the smell produced by the various types of bacteria and algae. No photographs were taken by Mary or me. Mucus is our friend.

Monday evening at research center

• Oleander? on campus
• cocoanut tree
• sunset across Graham's Harbour
1. Eric waiting for sunset
2. Jessica, closer view
3. four at water's edge
4. Mary
5. view over water, another view, yet another view, fuzzy view of research center
6. choppy water at Rice Bay
7. Sarah in red light
• table with samples, evening class at our lab, Mary's sea urchin (echinoid), another view
• Mary's sea urchin top, sea urchin bottom
• Mary's sand dollar
• students enjoying class
• esteemed instructor, finger in ear

Lighthouse, Tuesday morning, 11 March 2008

• lighthouse area, from Google Earth
• lighthouse and lighthouse-keepers' houses, another view, closer view of lighthouse
• grounds-keeper clearing weeds and gardening
• spiral staircase in lighthouse, another view, yet another view, looking down staircase
• looking out window, view from window
• looking at light, glass Fresnel lens and light mantle (see Fresnel lens at Wikipedia)
• on the parapet, walking on parapet, view of inland lakes, another view, view to north, taking picture, view of lake and ocean
• upper level parapet
• going down, another view
• remnant of subaerial crust on limestone, foot of lighthouse

Lighthouse cave, Tuesday morning

• entrance to cave, descending ladder, bottom of ladder, looking up from bottom, closer view

Little Lake near Cockburn Town, Tuesday afternoon

• Cockburn Town area, from Google Earth
• pier at Little Lake, end of pier, looking into water
• shell beach, high abundance, very low diversity (two bivalves, one gastropod species), another view, closer view

Cockburn Town Pleistocene fossil reef, Tuesday afternoon

• lunch at old pier, Cockburn Town, picnic
• walk along fossil reef
• crab on limestone, another view, yet another view
• fossil coral head, fossil stick coral in pothole, another coral head
• fossil Diplora coral head, Montastrea coral head
• Mary at contact between Cockburn Town Member (fossil reef) and overlying Dixon Hill Member (ancient beach), Grotto Beach Formation
• fossil reef limestone, closer view
• cross section through coral head
• view of old pier

Fernandez Bay, Tuesday afternoon

No pictures

Monuments for Columbus' landing, Wednesday morning, 12 March 2008

• tile marker, closer view of plaque, another view, wider view
• bronze plaque
• white cross, another view, bronze plaque, another view
• Sarah at monument shelter

Grotto Beach, Wednesday morning

• southwestern part of island, from Google Earth
• view of beach, another view
• Grotto Beach limestone cliffs
• picnic shelter at beach, lunch at shelter, another view
• Mary at shelter, another view,
• Mary on beach, students on beach, another view

Watling Castle (Storr's Castle), 1600's, Wednesday afternoon

• castle ruins
• low walls
• wall of main building, another view, inside building, limestone blocks in wall, Mary in corner, Mary at door
• Ann and chimney of kitchen building, view of chimney, next to chimney
• view of main building from servants' quarters
• limestone blocks in wall
• main building
• view of steep road from truck

French Bay, Wednesday afternoon

No pictures. We entered water at old Government Pier. Water was turbid and there was nothing but Thallasia grass.

• ride to research center on meatwagon, Ann and Eric, Eric resting

Dim Bay (Ghost Goat Bay), Thursday morning, 13 March 2008

• scrubland behind beach (no goats)
• many goats

Graham's Harbour, ramp at front of research center, Thursday morning

• Southern stingray
• Large starfish

North Point, Thursday afternoon

• North Point and Rice Bay, from Google Earth
• path at top of North Point
• view of Graham's Harbour from North Point
• small island northwest of Cut Cay
• walking back from dive

Rice Bay, beach in front of High School, Thursday afternoon

Underwater views

• looking down at algae and corals
• lots of soft corals
• Blue parrotfish, another Blue Parrotfish
• Blue Tang
• Diplora brain coral
• Thallasia grass in gully
• school of Blue Tangs
• variety of soft corals
• Mary diving
• rock with algae and soft coral
• school of sardine-sized fish, school of anchovy-sized fish
• Dad snorkeling
• lots of soft coral
• soft coral and Blue-headed Wrasse
• Blue Parrotfish
• variety of blue fish
• Rainbow Parrotfish and coral
• coral and soft coral
• Millepora fire coral
• Acropora palmata coral
• Mary near surface, Mary at surface

Puppies at Research Center, Thursday evening

• black and white puppy
• feeding the puppies
• puppy in hand
• puppy scratching
• Mary holding puppy
• Dad's stinky shoes
• Mary and Dad

Boat trip to Green Cay to see iguanas, Friday morning, 14 March 2008

• Ann piloting boat, another view, yet another view
• Mary and Jessica at bow of boat, another view
• island ahead, closer view
• iguana on conch midden, Cyclura rileyi rileyi
• walking into island
• iguana on rock, another view, iguana and shadow, iguana and plant
• sign about nesting birds, another view
• sign about iguanas
• very sharp rocks with rhizocretions (fossil roots or root concretions)
• large gully in limestone
• abundant rhizocretions on other side of gully, one large rhizocretion and cross beds, closer view of rhizocretions
• view of sea from gully, Burt and boat near gully
• iguana with throat pouch, one with throat pouch
• iguana with spiny frill, closer view
• Eric trying to feed iguana, closer view with bit of sponge
• iguana with dorsal sail, another view
• large iguana, another
• iguana walking away
• iguana with wrinkled neck, another view, yet another view
• very rough and sharp limestone surface of island
• iguana on rock
• iguana poop
• iguana looking at us, closer view
• Mary on island, Mary and iguana
• rugged coast of island
• Sarah and Mary

Boat trip to the bird islands, Friday morning

• Mary at helm, another view with Burt at throttle, another view, closer view
• first island, Great Blue Herons
• second island with Frigate Birds and Booby birds, nesting birds at a distance, another view, both types nesting together, another view
• Boobies and Frigates
• Boobies near water's edge, Boobies and chicks, close-up of Booby
• closer view of Frigates
• chicks in white
• birds taking off, Frigate taking off, more taking off, yet another
• Frigates flying, Frigate bird flying, another view, another Frigate, several Frigates, Frigates from a distance, birds overhead

Cockburn Town primary school, Friday afternoon

• covered assembly area, walking to assembly
• high jump, principal in blue, closer view, girl at high jump, another view, taking their turns, high jumper, another attempt, yet another attempt, another jumper
• foot race
• row of girls, another view
• taking turns taking pictures, one of the girls, Dad, Annie, Annie and Sarah, Irene, another view, young girl with glasses
• Mary and two little girls, Mary, Annie, Annie and girl with pigtails, Mary and girl with glasses

Leaving San Salvador Island, Saturday morning

• flying over Cat Cay, tidal channel and delta at point
• customs at Ft. Lauderdale, Sarah and pack
• someone helping Sarah with pack