December 14, 2006
Snorkelling in the Baie de Citrons
Our return from the island was rather hurried, as the captain had received reports of incoming bad weather. The water was indeed very choppy, and I quickly gave up hope of sleeping in the bedrooms at the front of the catamaran, after being bounced around like I was on a trampoline! Instead I took a double dose of dramamine and lay out on the cabin floor. Mercifully the captain had us dock in the north of the mainland, saving us another day of boat travel. Around the port at Koumac, I observed 4 Purple Swamphens and a Sacred Kingfisher in the pond next to the port, while Common Waxbills foraged on the lawns. The captain drove us down to the south of the island in a hair-raising three hours - too fast to ID many birds save for a few Whistling Kites, a lone Swamp Harrier and a White-faced Heron in mangroves near Noumea.
After cleaning the experimental equipment (and ourselves!), we spent the late afternoon in the Baie de Citrons. I had a disposable waterproof camera, and as usual, less than half the shots came out usable, but nonetheless we saw some great stuff. One of the emblematic species of New Caledonia is this sea snake, known locally as the tricot rayé (stripy jumper). A little easier on the ear than the English name (Yellow-lipped Sea Krait)!
Apparently it's extremely venomous, but pretty docile. Another blue-black species of sea snake was present in good numbers, but I don't know what it is.
Another highlight was this ray (a Blue-spotted Stingray, I believe) that zipped out from underneath me in the shallows.
Bennett's Butterflyfish eating coral.
This coral glowed lilac in the sunlight.
A shoal of stripy fish.
