Margie’s Beach
The tents were spread out along the sweeping sandy beach that looked out onto calm, turquoise water protected by a reef to the left which was home to WWII Japanese Zero airplane. A young 19 year old pilot safely landed it on the reef as opposed to crashing the plane Kamikaze style, as they were taught.
Our Wilderness Travel expedition staff had a nice tin roof shelter supported with Kelly green painted posts for cooking and storing our supplies. A few large picnic tables were scattered about the beach, and the bathrooms were built up on large cement bases. The Survivor Island contestants in Palau were living right compared to our first camp on Lee Marvin Beach in the Rock Islands near Nikko Bay.
Paddling the Milky Way
Torrential rains blew in right at departure time so we waited a little while before leaving on our paddle. Once the rain slowed to a drizzle, we loaded our kayaks and kayaked in “rougher” seas to a channel called the Milky Way. The bottom of the channel is a soft clay like substance that is used in beauty treatments. Jayden dove to the bottom multiple times and filled up a plastic pan with the mud so we could rub it on our bodies. Not everyone in our group were willing participants, but Bruce now has a wrinkle free shin, Sonja and Karen have smoother faces, and I should have a youthful front-side!
We just beat the tourist boats to the Milky Way. As we paddled out the back side of the channel and across the open water, one boat entered. I’m glad we had the place to ourselves. It was so tranquil. From the Milky Way we continued on to Einstein’s Gardens for a snorkel, but not before we stopped to check out a pitcher plant which eats insects by trapping its prey in a deep cavity filled with liquid.
Snorkeling Einstein’s Coral Garden and Newton’s Wall
We snorkeled Einstein’s Coral Garden and Newton’s Wall. The tide was high and the water a bit murky and cold in places where the marine lake water filtered into the bay through the pores of the limestone. It was not the best for picture taking, though we did see some amazing coral and even a turtle.
Another Paddle, Lunch, and Megapode Nest
After our snorkel, we paddled through the inner lagoons, between some Rock Islands and then rode some breakers into a small beach for lunch where we found an old megapode nest. It looks like a large pile of leaves. There was also a small lagoon at this resting spot, though we didn’t do much venturing. We sat on our kayaks under the protection of a tree and tried to stay out of the relentless rain!
After lunch, we kayacked back out across the waves for a brief minute before cutting between the Rock Islands into the protected coves, though we contended with the wind quite frequently today. We were supposed to snorkel the other side of the reef we were on this morning, Darwin’s Coral Wall, but without the sunlight, the group made an executive decision to keep paddling toward camp; of course, not without detouring through another tunnel into another marine lake.
This time we did the kayak limbo into Secret Lake. We paddled around, saw a few jellyfish…bigger than the ones in Disney Lake…dipped our hands in the water and determined it was way too cold to snorkel…and kayak limboed back out.
After a long paddle against the wind back to camp, we were thrilled to dry off and rest in the dining tent. Everyone in the group cleaned up except me. I figured the sun shower couldn’t be too warm, since the sun had eluded us today. And if the sun did come out, we would have a chance to go snorkeling again. I knew if I cleaned up like everyone else, I wouldn’t want to go.
Round Two: Snorkeling Einstein’s Gardens, Newton’s Wall and Darwin’s Coral Wall
Lucky for me, it cleared up, so Bax the boat captain took me and Jayden back to Einstein’s Gardens. This time we snorkeled Darwin’s Coral Wall and then Einstein’s Coral Garden and Newton’s Wall again. It was incredible!
I’ve noticed the fish are very shy in certain areas because they are hunted by spear fishermen as the Palauns live off the ocean. Having said that, other reefs are protected. Consequently, it is amazing to see the difference and how fast the fish swim away and hide. With just Jayden and I, it was much easier to see fish and get pictures.
We saw all sorts of creatures…sea cucumbers feeding on a sponge, razor coral feeding on each other, sea squirts which are nearly translucent, pincushion starfish, and brain coral of all colors. Some of the brain coral was colonizing so it was pushing a piece out. The piece falls off and starts growing a new colony.
The juvenile spadefish with a fluorescent orange stripe leading from its mouth to dorsal fin was breathtaking. As an adult these are a less interesting silver and black. The Clark’s Anemonefish guarded its home with gusto, always facing me ready to charge the camera if necessary.
The lettuce coral was enormous, probably 500 years old. The Pajama Cardinalfish, yellow in the front and red polka a dot in the back with a black vertical stripe down its center hid in the stag horn coral. Measuring a few inches, they seemed to be bigger than the others we had seen too!
The Pennant Bannerfish still alluded my camera…it is a challenge to snorkel and shoot. To really keep the blue shade of the water out of the shot, the fish have to be only a few feet from the camera. With only a 3x zoom, it is a whipping to snap a decent photo while contending with a current, choppy surface water, and darting fish. Adding to the challenge is the sun reflecting off the camera case. Forget seeing the fish the view finder…just point the camera toward its location and hope!
Hide and Seek with the Octopus
I took underwater photography while diving for granted. It’s so much easier while floating in a BC! Thank goodness digital. I couldn’t even count how many photos I deleted. The highlight of the snorkel may have been the octopus crawling across the coral. They don’t usually come out during the daytime. Thus it sucked itself underneath the ledge and changed from purple to white as camouflaged itself with the sandy bottom anytime we neared.
Each time we backed away, it poked its head out. Jayden would dive down for a photo and about half-way there, the octopus would tuck back under the ledge. I was entertained because I wasn’t the one diving down thirty feet for picture!
It was turning dusk, and Jayden suggested we swim back to the boat via the middle of the lagoon, not the edges because the crocs come out at night. That got my heart beating fast! The saying, “You only have to run faster than one hiker when you see a bear” was not going to work for me. As one of the slower swimmers on the planet. I’m certain any croc would pick me over Jayden for dinner.
Dinner at Survivors Island Camp
Obviously, I’m here to report we made it safely back to camp for another outstanding meal. Each meal includes a seafood, chicken, and a meat along with rice, a vegetable, and a dessert. Of course, we try everything. Despite all this exercise, I bet I’m gaining weight. I’ve been eating like a horse!
On the docket for tomorrow is Jellyfish Lake and Giant Clam Beach. I can’t wait…fingers crossed for no rain! ETB