Gonubarara Island and Cruising
We had anchored during the night close to our final destination and by daybreak, as the sun tried valiantly to make an appearance, we motored to the island of Gonubarara. The sky looked threatening with heavy gray clouds and rain appeared imminent, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of our guests as they set out in Zodiacs. Many went ashore to visit our last island and its charming welcoming population of approximately fifty-seven people. The members of this clan, known as the Gewala, have been occupying this small island for as long as they can remember. It consists of two sisters, the elder being the matriarch, and their spouses and children.
Snorkeling one last time from the beach or snorkel platform was another option. This island is known for its manta ray “washing station”. And what is a manta ray washing station? you ask; well, out in the water in front of the settlement there is a sandy flat area that becomes very popular with the manta rays especially during the months of November and December. It appears that the manta ray brushes or “washes” its body against the sand floor, possibly dislodging parasites or removing dead skin. We were told that they had been seen here recently and were hoping for an encounter. The manta belongs to the group of fishes whose skeletons are composed of cartilage rather than bone. It can be found in all waters of the tropics and feeds on plankton found in the water column.
Two groups of scuba divers also prepared to enter the water not far from the snorkeling area. The word was soon out that a manta had been spotted from the beach and we back-rolled from our Zodiac and descended into the depths, hoping to catch a glimpse. We joined with our buddies and several keen eyes and fanned out, swimming across the surfaces of the numerous and colorful plate corals below us. Alas, some members of our diving group were more fortunate than others and had the exclusive pleasure of witnessing the quick fly-by of two massive mantas. One manta was described by our Undersea Specialist as being the size of a truck!
As our morning drew to a close, we said our final farewells and the rain that had been holding back now poured from the gray skies, washing, cleansing and providing new life.
We had anchored during the night close to our final destination and by daybreak, as the sun tried valiantly to make an appearance, we motored to the island of Gonubarara. The sky looked threatening with heavy gray clouds and rain appeared imminent, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of our guests as they set out in Zodiacs. Many went ashore to visit our last island and its charming welcoming population of approximately fifty-seven people. The members of this clan, known as the Gewala, have been occupying this small island for as long as they can remember. It consists of two sisters, the elder being the matriarch, and their spouses and children.
Snorkeling one last time from the beach or snorkel platform was another option. This island is known for its manta ray “washing station”. And what is a manta ray washing station? you ask; well, out in the water in front of the settlement there is a sandy flat area that becomes very popular with the manta rays especially during the months of November and December. It appears that the manta ray brushes or “washes” its body against the sand floor, possibly dislodging parasites or removing dead skin. We were told that they had been seen here recently and were hoping for an encounter. The manta belongs to the group of fishes whose skeletons are composed of cartilage rather than bone. It can be found in all waters of the tropics and feeds on plankton found in the water column.
Two groups of scuba divers also prepared to enter the water not far from the snorkeling area. The word was soon out that a manta had been spotted from the beach and we back-rolled from our Zodiac and descended into the depths, hoping to catch a glimpse. We joined with our buddies and several keen eyes and fanned out, swimming across the surfaces of the numerous and colorful plate corals below us. Alas, some members of our diving group were more fortunate than others and had the exclusive pleasure of witnessing the quick fly-by of two massive mantas. One manta was described by our Undersea Specialist as being the size of a truck!
As our morning drew to a close, we said our final farewells and the rain that had been holding back now poured from the gray skies, washing, cleansing and providing new life.
