We decided something totally different on Christmas day would be good, so, we booked the trip to Santa Carolina, or paradise island.
We were staying in Vilankulos at the beach lodge, and after breakfast overlooking the sea we wandered down to the beach where we met Francisco, who was our captain for the day. We waded a short distance out into the shallow bay to reach our boat. It was a white rib, thankfully with a sail cloth cover for some shade. As it was the height of summer within the tropics, it was sure to be hot and sunny, even though it was the rainy season. We stowed our bags in the lockers that were hidden around the small boat and very quickly we were on our way.
Paradise island is the furthest of any of the Bazaruto archipelago islands to reach from Vilankulos and the only one we had never stepped foot on. It was a good hour or more on the speed boat at full tilt heading towards the island. Having been sea sick on another trip recently I was a little worried, but the crossing was calm and I felt fine. The island itself was low on the horizon and so we were close before it started to appear in front of us. The island was still a good way away when Francesco stopped the engine.
“Dolphins” he said.
We looked and one loan fin broke the water followed by the top of the dolphin. He took a breath through his blow hole, and dived down. We waited. We didn’t need to wait long. Soon there was another and another and before long there were dolphins all around us. Groups of 5 or 6 in front, another couple behind. Francesco told us these were long nose dolphins, but later I’ve found they are known as hump back dolphins. A little further on we stopped for a group of bottle nosed dolphins. It was really clear from the shape of their fins and the colour of their skin that these were a different type of dolphin. This second group had several mother and babies together. They swam and came up for air together.
It was a short ride to the island. The boat had a very shallow keel so we were able to head into a shallow bay in front of the abandoned hotel.
“Turtle” said Francesco and pointed to a dark shape in the water. We had similar experiences where dark patches in the water had been attributed to sharks and Dugongs. Both in believable places, but never appearing as more than a dark shadow in the water a good distance away. But, this was different. The turtles limbs were just about distinct. Then when we looked we found another and another. In the end we saw seven or eight, all quite big and some really close up so we could see them really clearly in the shallow water from the boat. We saw them gracefully swimming along and popping their head above the water for air.
Francesco took the boat along the bay, around a corner and to the other end of the beach where the sand ended and turned into scrub. We landed in the shallow bay and had the chance to explore the island a little while Francesco and the crew setup our shelter and started to prepare lunch.
We walked back along the beach the way we had come in the hot December sunshine. Steep cloud banks could be seen building up over the mainland, but over the island there was a cloudless sky. It wasn’t long before the girls insisted it was time to swim, so took off their t-shirts and headed into the warm clear turquoise water. Zoe and I followed closely behind. It’s amazing how much the girls swimming has improved in Mozambique and soon they were happily swimming in the ocean. There are worse ways to spend Christmas day.
It wasn’t long before we were out in the boat again. This time Zoe had a buoyancy aid on, was dropped in the water with a wake board. Zoe got to go first having been proclaimed the expert having water skied at least twice at the age of twelve. After a couple of aborted attempts and being dragged quite fast under the water Zoe got up and managed to have a long go at boarding behind the boat. I was next and just about managed to get up a couple of times and then drop straight back in. Harriett got really close, getting up then dropping back in a few times. Then it was Imogen’s turn. She was a little nervous as she got the board onto her feet and took the rope. But she was willing to give it a go. Francesco moved the boat forwards and Imogen gracefully got up shot off sideways a little and then was boarding happily behind the boat for a good ten seconds or more before dropping into the water. As the boat came back round Imogen was lying in the water beaming, very pleased with herself. There was perhaps a little beginner’s luck in there as she struggled to repeat the feat on the next couple of goes.
We got the wake board (and Imogen) back on board, pulled in the rope and headed to the reef for snorkeling. On the national parks map of the archipelago the entire island is marked as a reef. We had headed to a bay further round from where we had just arrived. As I looked into the well protect bay I could see the water looked much darker than elsewhere we had been. So instead of the usual sand floor this are had lots of rock and coral underneath. This was the first time I had been to a good snorkeling site with a decent prescription diving mask (last time I wedged a pair of old glasses inside the mask). The wildlife under the water did not disappoint. The colours and life under the sea there was astounding. As soon as you got into the water there were fish around you. Bright blue fish, tiny fish, angel fish, fish with long black stripes, fish that were black, luminescent blue and green colour. There was a riot of life. Small fish hiding in huge anemones. Larger fish roaming through the coral. Harriett pointed out a clam to me. At first glance it didn’t seem of much interest. Just a shell wedged in the rock, fixed in place. But then it started to move. And, while the clam shell itself is firmly glued to the rocks the creature inside can move around really quite quickly, changing shape, which was quite a shock to both Harriett and I. Looking around I found quite a few of the clams dotted around. There was a range if habitats under the water, with large amounts of coral, rocky areas and then a few other weird and wonderful underwater “things” making their own little area of life. In some places the reef was quite shallow, and getting more so as the tide was going out, so you had to be careful swimming over the reef not to damage the reef, or yourself on it.
It was then a short boat ride back to our shelter where barbecued fish and squid was waiting for us. Popular with Zoe and I, but not so much with the kids who ate the rice, bread and sauce. We had a little time left so we all headed back into the water. We were slightly worried as there were loads of grey very large slug looking things all over the place which we were a little worried about in case they stung when stood on. But a bit of research back at the hotel seems to find that they are relatively harmless sea cucumbers. The boat was anchored by a tiny rocky island. Once Zoe and the kids went back to shore I got my snorkel and mask to explore it. I found the rock making up the island was undercut all around and there were large amounts of fish hiding under the rock. Up at the corner of the island was a shoal of realty quite large fish (well large compared to the reef fish we’d been watching). As well as the shoals of larger fish I saw a few small bright blue and green rays.
But, after exploring for a while it was time to head back to the boat and to the hotel. While we had been on the island the wind had been building and the sea had been getting more choppy. This made for a more interesting ride back that it had been there. Imogen who is usually petrified of speed boats and choppy water was now sat at the front of the boat having clearly got over both. Paradise is certainly a place well worth visiting.
Recent Comments