That time we got caught
We got caught.
So we're going about our business, serving breakfast when we start hearing all the this crazy creole shouting
We look out to the water and see a load of locals snorkelling around our boat. at first we're thinking they're crazy and maybe looking for something
Then we understand what they're shouting about, they're looking for fish! and right under our boat is the jackpot!
thousands of small perch/mackerel like-fish are hiding in the shadow of our catamaran.
With all this going on we didn't even notice the fishing boats surrounding us and throwing there nets over, and in a. matter of minutes they've caught US in their net!
We're on a mooring ball and James and I are now wondering how are we going to get the boat out of here???!?!
Our guests are loving this new and exciting addition to their vacation and soon enough they're gearing up in their snorkelling stuff to jump in and have a look at what these fishermen are after.
After about half an hour we've managed to help the fisherman move the net from around our mooring ball to the back of our boat and now we get to have some fun! we jump in and check out the net, see thousands of these fish and even a few big ones that get speared by the quick and nimble fishermen swimming around with us!
Once back on the boat I notice the guests have spotted an Eagle ray in the net and they let the fishermen know. That's not what they want, so when the ray comes to the surface by the boat of the men, they start trying to grab the ray and get it away- however the ray is having NONE of it! and flaps it's huge wings to get away.
Don't worry though guys, Mr. Ray got out eventually, and is happy swimming around Salt Whistle bay as we speak!
we saw about twenty guys hauling these nets from their various boats as well as half a dozen in the water free diving for bigger fish and moving the weights around the sea floor to bring the catch closer.
Finally we had to get the guests ashore, and into the dinghy they went, we watched as the fishermen moved their enormous catch and instead of releasing it into their far too small boat, they released it into a 'catch pond' nearer the beach (this is a huge netted pond that the fish can swim in and stay alive whilst the fishermen wait for a boat from Trinidad to arrive and buy their fish for bait. (found this out from the local, Joe, who delivered our Ice and coconuts!)
so this was a pretty interesting way to start a day on charter, the guests loved it! and it was a very educational moment as we got to see how 'old school' fishing is still done today in very small and remote bays all around the Caribbean.
Joe also told us that catch meant he didn't have to work for the rest of the week (or the twenty other guys who helped bring the catch in!)
