Week 1:2009

Week 1 and then some!
Greetings with apologies for the long time to the first blog. We were modestly delayed in getting started by some modest confusion at the FRRO (Foreign regional registration office). They were unsure about whether the students needed to register or not. After three days of back and forth it was finally settled on YES. Registration completed, we were off to the islands—the Andaman and Nicobar’s—but only after a brief stop at the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, Reptile Park. It is more commonly known as croc bank. We did a few activities there including small reptile handling , pen cleaning, beach cleanup, and a lecture on amphibian and reptile conservation in India.
One of the highlights of the afternoon was a croc training session with Soham—a computer scientist turned animal trainer. The video clips below will show you the amazing results he has gotten in three short months. By treating the crocs as intelligent social animals instead of vicious predators, he was able to train them to do many of the same things a dog can be trained to do. Perhaps even more interesting is the some of the crocs learned by watching the other croc to come do the same trick to get a reward. Check out the videos links below.
After an unrewarding beach walk (mostly sand and needles) and a two hour nap, we boarded our kingfisher flight for Port Blair Andamans. 4:30 AM Departure 7:00 AM arrival. After an hour clearing immigration, we were met by the fine guys at Barefoot Travels (port Blair). They dropped out luggage off at their office in Aberdeen Bazaar. Part of the luggage included Cait and Liz who had had enough and opted for a nap. The rest of us wandered Aberdeen Bazaar in search of breakfast, sandals, decongestants, and fruit for the ferry trip (scheduled for 2 PM). We found breakfast at Guggans—a local Bengali place that did a good job with south Indian dosas and made a reasonable cheese omelet. (Dosa are fermented rice flour and water steamed and then fried like a very thin crepe.
Nourished and energized, we headed down to the waterfront and the Rajiv Gandhi Aquatic Sport Complex. A little bit of serendipity came our way we happened across the fish cold storage being open. Were greeted by foot long sardines, 4 foot tuna, and massive groupers. The picture below attest to the magnificence of these fish. Fish of such size have become extremely rare in mainland India as fishing pressure has begun “fishing down the food chain to younger, smaller and different species”. The sardines in these pictures are kept as bait fish for long line fishing. In mainland India such fish would be a saleable catch in the market. The course will introduce this concept in greater detail and the time goes on.
A couple of coconuts later we walked to the water for a dip and then back to the lighthouse residency for lunch. I’ll let the images below do the talking.
We caught the fast ferry to Havelock Island at 2 oclock. We landed and the Havelock Harbor Jetty and after a rapid run to the end, we were in the Barefoot jeeps and whisked off to the Café Del Mar to settle into our “Chicken huts”. While seemingly primitive, they are absolutely perfect for being someplace the last place you want to be is home. The view wasn’t bad either. Even though we were mere hundred feet from and incredibly beautiful beach, formalities awaited and we spent the next bit of time doing paper work and getting ready for diving with the amazing instructors—Gayatri the Tamil Film Star, Jelena the Serbian Assassin, Helena who finished off Franklin, Lenny “body art” , French Ann, and Sean who is Norwegian. We almost had Dennis who is Jelena’s sweety, but a bout of high fever cancelled his participation. Our host Samith Sanny, author of the World is a Spittoon and husband of Gayatri (http://www.geocities.com/gayathrijayaram/photos.html) an actress cum dive instructor gave us a brief welcome.

We then feasted on a great dinner prepared by Tamil Selvam and his crew before an early bedtime. An early bedtime in paradise is a must since dives start at 7 am after a 5:45 AM wakeup call.
I’ll finish with a few photos and let the students themselves follow up with their tales of finding Nemo, Dori, Scar and Ursula…….

Getting Salty,

Well we have had a bit of a saline theme for the last week. Cleaning out the pit of salt water crocodile. Sweating buckets while teaching school children about small reptiles, chasing snakes with the Irulas, riding dungies with the Karen, and learning al about reefs with Dr. Rohan Arthur. It was a pretty wild ride, but I’ll try to do it a little justice in the next two posts.

Of crocs and wizards.

We began our week at the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust—Croc Bank. http://www.madrascrocodilebank.org/ A park and repository very reptile species from around the globe. We met Payal—the education director for the trust. She had been in textiles prior to coming to the croc bank, but her love of reptiles and nature drew her away from the fascinating world of fabric. We then met Sajan who would be our guide for the rest of the time at Croc Bank. Sajan was nature lover with a post graduate certificate in telecom. After a little tour of the park and watching a four of the India’s most dangerous snakes get milked for venom, we headed off for some real work. Cleaning the pit of the largest salt water crocodile in captivity—Jaws—II. So just how much can an 1200 pound crocodile crap in a week? I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

While the picture might look a little “too close” to such a large beast, it is rather safe albeit mucky task. After a couple hours of passing the muck buckets, it was time to clean up and work a little in environmental education.

Sajan, our now fearless leader, lead half hour training on environmental interpretation with small reptiles. The crowds gathered and the gang of four spent the next hour and a half surrounded by Indian and Foreign Tourists all intrigued by both the small reptile and the vellakaris (white women) doing the show. It was really fun.

Once the shows were over it was time to feed the crocs (in this case the muggars or marsh crocodiles). While quite a bit smaller than the salt water crocodiles, they presented a very efficient beef eating collective. There is something mesmerizing about 500+ crocodiles jostling for feeding position.

Then it was time for our first ocean exposure on the Croc Bank Beach. Being seasonally semidiurnal and having a few beach erosion issues has the beach and essentially two sand cliffs. This dissuaded the gang of four from entering the water there…four about 2 minutes. Then it was body surfing and other salt water frolicking.

Back to bed with a host of creepy crawlers, slugs that turn into leaves, enough egrets that the pooping sounded like rain. We were scheduled for an early morning excursion of snake catching with the Irula Tribals.

Early hope of Krates and Cobras gave way to repeated rat snake captures. While not as exciting, it was a lot more fun as rat snakes are quite docile and easily handled—as the pictures will attest.

We left our snake catching to go for a visit to the irula tribal womens welfare society. Where Devi showed us the wonderful herbal nurseries run by the Irula Women. We had leaves that were sweet and leaves that would make your taste buds unable to taste sweets. Pretty interesting and a nice source of income for the women there.

Again time for a little clean up followed by a healthy dose of insect repellent (apparently 30 crocodile pits provide a reasonable breeding ground for mosquitoes). Then off to the tourist temple beach town of Mahabalipuram and the famous Moonrakers restaurant. If you thought the hundreds of crocs could go through beef you should have watched out group devour a large plate of fried calamari, three plates of French fries, the mixed fish platter, etc. Moonrakers cooks are quite talented.

Back to Croc Bank for Sleep and a very early flight to the Andaman Islands where we would find – Nemo’s father –I mean mother….more to come.

Welcome to India

Hi All,

Well we all got here, French dating systems and all. After two days of adjusting to the timezones, the students are all out surveying the kalivelli wetland complex. (I will add links and pictures later). We are in Pondicherry area for one more day and then off to the madras crocodile bank and then to the Havelock Island in the Andaman Islands on the fourth.

We will have internet connectivity for one more day and then not again for 8-9 days. We will try to call as we are able every other day or so. Once we return, then the students will post pictures, videos, thoughts etc about once a week. So check back to see where we are and what we are doing.

Have a very happy new year.

Neil

This blog will move to glimpse.org some time, but for now