The Island of Dragons, 3-25

The Fiuher King meets The Lizard King, no not Morrison
actually this is his first encounter and it was with a small iguanna

The main reason for coming to Allens was so Tin, the Fisher King could see the Iguanas.  The good news is they showed up to welcome us at the beach.  The bad news is that they didn't curl up and let him pet them. LOL.  He did manage to pet one on the second day if you call it that, too bad it was a day without the camera. 

"Oh, no, they say he's got to go 

Go go Godzilla 

Oh, no, there goes Tokyo 

Go go Godzilla "

bLUE oYSTER cULT

During our daily snorkel we only found two conch large enough to keep.  We will add those to our large conch from yesterday to make conch fritters and cracked conch.  I also walked the whole 75 feet across the island and snorkeled some on the other side.  Here I found Grouper at a coral statue and Snapper nearby waiting for the pole spear.  I will have to bring the spear on the next trip.

Our first conch fritters did not pass the test of the Fisher King.  He kept saying they taste undercooked but could not suggest what he wanted to improve them.  We had plans to fry snapper fingers for dinner and double use the vegetable oil, a $3 luxury on board.  Seems that our poor snapper was eaten by something else during the afternoon.  Last time we saw him he was alive and kicking on the fish stringer.  When time for dinner came he was completely gone, not even a head.  So it was trigger fish for dinner. 

 Ocean Triggerfish at the Allens Cay anchorage

We caught dinner while cleaning the conch

View from inside the island to the anchorage

Rock Hind just big enough for dinner, we have not had ice for days

Typical coral head at Allens Cay

Our third day we rowed around Allens Cay to the west side and went spear fishing.  We passed on a lion fish not wanting to deal with the poisonous spines until on the way back.   I didn't see the large grouper or snapper that I saw the previous trip.  We saw several yellow tails cruising around but were unable to get close enough with a pole spear.  Maybe I should bring out that Hawaiian sling.  I passed on a few small grouper while hoping to find one a little larger.  At about the time we were to turn around I settled on a Speckled Hind (grouper) which was just big enough for dinner.  Tin speared a lion fish right after turning around on the swim back.  When we got to the coral statue there he was, the big grouper.  As I dove down he swam off and hid inside one of the coral heads.  I was unable to get a shot and he wouldn't come out so he still lives on.

the School Room for Biology today, and he doesn't even know he is learning

W