Life of a Chicken

I often think about how simple and care-free the life of an animal, or this chicken, must be.  Not one of those sad chickens destined for a slaughter house, but one that lives a free life, with nothing but a few stray dogs to worry about.  Down in the Bahamas, there are hundreds of chickens wandering about, just like this one.  When I was taking this picture, I had a pretty funny thought.  This bird is basically living the way that most people dream about living.  And I don't mean most people want to be a chicken.  What I'm trying to say is she has a full family, a great, safe place to live, plenty of food to eat, and no financial issues (haha).  Who doesn't want that?

Bonefish

Sadly, this is the only picture I was able to take of my prey during the whole spring break week.  Well, technically not prey, because I don't fish for bonefish for food.  I fish for them because it almost seems like a hunt, where I would be the predator, and they, the prey.

Fishing for bonefish can sometimes be the most terrible hobby in the world.  As I did, you can go for a week or longer without getting the chance to feel one of these powerful fish peeling line off your reel with ease.  It takes lots and lots of patience.  Here's an example.  One day me and my dad were out on the flats, walking through just about knee deep water.  A perfect depth for bonefish.  The tide had lined up with a break in the wind, and we weren't about to miss a chance to fish.  The only problem was the multiple clouds clogging up the blue sky.  When we fish, we wear polarized sunglasses, which help fisherman to see through into the water, making it easier to spot fish.  Constant sunlight is necessary for this to work, which we didn't have.  So, during the few bouts of sunlight that we did have, I spotted a fish. It was about 50 feet away, slowly making its way towards us; a perfect set up.  All we had to do was stand still and wait.  And then, the lights went out.  A cloud roller over the sun, and all visibility was lost. As we waited for the cloud to move on, I tried to think about where the fish would end up.  And then the lights turn on, the fish is 5 feet in front of me, and I see a blast of sand underwater as he spots us and darts away.  Time to do it all over again.        

Cuban Emerald Hummingbird

The above shot is of a Cuban Emerald Hummingbird, a type of hummingbird native to Cuba and the Bahamas.  Whenever I see a hummingbird at home in Massachusetts, I never have my camera with me, so I've just been waiting for a chance.  My first day down in the Bahamas was one of the best days, weather wise, of the whole week.  I was so excited to see dozens of these tiny birds flitting around from flower to flower, barely staying still for long enough to get a photograph.  This particular one would roost up on a branch above a group of flowers, and wait.  Whenever another hummingbird would come by and try to feed, he would swoop down and chase them off with a lot of angry chattering.  Surprisingly enough, despite their size, these little guys can produce quite a racket.

Every summer, back in Massachusetts, I notice more and more hummingbirds coming to feed at the flowers around my house.  I'm hoping that this year will be the best year yet.
   

Interesting Starfish

While wading the flats down in Green Turtle Cay, there's something interesting to see.  Even if you get a day when the fish aren't around, you won't be disappointed.  On the first day of my trip, among the many other colorful starfish laying in the crystal clear water, I found the one in the second picture, with six huge legs.  This got me thinking about my trip down here a few years ago, when my dad found a starfish that only had four legs, with no signs that it had ever lost one.  This means that had been born with only four legs.  When he asked locals in town about it, they told him that a four legged starfish is rare and considered very good luck.  A few days later, while I was walking through the flat looking for fish, I looked down and saw one sitting right next to my foot.  Unfortunately, it didn't seem to bring me any luck, because that day I didn't catch any fish.     

Silver Lining

Silver Lining-Will Benson

Silver Lining is going to be a part of the Fly Fishing Film Tour, one of the biggest fly fishing organizations that travels around the country each year.  The tour consists of hundreds of fly-fisherman made videos, with each one simply telling a story.

Silver Lining, by Will Benson, is one of many amazing films that focuses on the massive migration of Tarpon through the Florida Keys.  What makes this film different from the rest, is that it has a darker, gloomier message inside.  Tourism plays a huge role in the Florida Keys, and cruise ships play a huge role in tourism.  Every day there are massive ships coming in and out of the islands.  With cruises getting more popular and ships starting to get bigger, problems start to arise.

This video talks about the impact that "mega cruise ships" could start to have on the environment surrounding the Florida Keys.        

Green Turtle Cay

At the end of next week, I'll be getting on a plane.  Flying to one of my most favorite places on earth (so far).  Green Turtle Cay is a 3 mile long, half a mile wide island in the Bahamas, off of Abaco.  My family travels here just about every year.  We were mesmerized the first time we arrived; a combination of the feeling of getting away from it all, unimaginably generous locals, and beautiful surroundings.

This year, instead of spending every minute of every day out on the flats fishing, I'm going to devote some time to photography.  Since I haven't been able to make it down to Green Turtle in about two years, I'm itching to get started.  The amount of amazing wildlife that makes this place their home is incredible.  So, even though I have no pictures for show right now, expect many in the weeks to come.