Day 164, Camping is not something I’ve ever been a fan of. Sleeping in a tent is uncomfortable, it’s hot, sticky, and you’re constantly aware of all the bugs creeping in. Of course all these things are heightened in the heat of an African summer. So why is that I’ve come back from a weekend camping trip, bruised, battered but with a massive grin on my face?
The Mabibi setting certainly helped, the campsite is set along a bay in a virtually untouched part of the coast. The warm waters are hospitable at any time of the day and perfect for “parking off” when the sun is beating down. The rock pools at the point allow for a break from the waves and is a goldmine for snorkelling. Unfortunately for me the rock surface can be quite slippery and in my pursuit of wonderfully patterned fish that I know none of the names for, I managed to maim myself repeatedly
As glorious as the daytime was it was at night the real treats awaited us. With bright moonlight we set off along the beach more in hope than in expectation of the catching the tail end of turtle laying season. It was bright enough that we did not need to use our lights to spy a rock slowly edging up the beach. Of course it was a massive leatherback turtle on its way up to lay her hundred or so eggs.
As we approached the turtle, keeping a healthy distance a truck pulled up with a film crew and a conservation team. They proceeded to follow her very closely and to our dismay we were told to keep our distance. As she huffed and puffed trying to dig a nest she seemed to get perturbed either by the presence of the crew or the hardness of the sand. With conditions not right she did not lay and proceeded back into the sea. The conservationsists managed to take a few measurements, with a length of 175cm she probably weighed in excessive of 400kg.
As enthused as we were, the following day we chanced our luck again. Despite the odds we stumbled across another leatherback, this time just having finished laying. Without the pomposity of the conservationists, and happy in the knowledge that the laying had been a success we were uninhibited. I even took the opportunity to brush some sand off the waxy shell of the massive creature. Taking pictures we stood and watched as she slowly waded back into the sea, disappearing into the waves.
As long as there are beautiful rock pools, unspoilt beaches and moonlit nights with giant turtles laying eggs, camping may actually be tolerable.
I know that t-shirt!
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