Raine Island - Nature's Cradle on the Edge of the Coral Sea
Satellite Web Cast From Turtle Heaven and Hell
Journal Entry - 12 - 10 - 02 Tiger Day #1?
Finally I got to sleep in: For technical reasons I was asked to stay on the boat and not accompany the morning shoot team to the island. Just one problem, for some reason there were very few turtles which came ashore to nest last night so there was no early morning shoot on the island. A group ended up having a vigorous debate just outside my cabin at 7:30. Sleep once again evades me.
Because part of the basis for the documentary is placing five satellite tags on tiger sharks for long range tracking purposes, the decision was quickly made to try and attract some of the tiger sharks known to be in the area of the island. To do this we have to chum the water with fish carcasses brought along for just this purpose. The fish frames, as they are called, were dropped in to a tub and salt water was pumped over them allowing it to overflow into the ocean carrying the scent of the delectable tuna meal to the tropical sea's most voracious predator.....also the tropical sea's most wary predator. They are very suspicious and will spook very easily. With any shark chumming operation the idea is to get organized early, start chumming, 'cause you will be doing it a long time, and then wait and hope like crazy that the sharks are having a hungry day and are curious. Today was no different. In one hour we were ready. By 10:00 we were chumming and didn't stop until 4:30. In all, we enjoyed the company of probably five different sharks, none larger then five feet, none a tiger shark, all either gray reef or silver tips. We did shoot some interesting pole cam (a small camera mounted on the end of a pole which allows you place the camera in otherwise in accessable locations - crocodile and sharks mouths etc..- material, but more to test the equipment than anything else. Not the most successful tiger shark chumming event ever. From the humorous perspective: Tiger sharks one, Humans None. Gotta keep the sense of humor! Not the first time and probably not the last. We'll try again tomorrow.
We spent the late afternoon on the island. Richard was working on some of his magical cinematography while I took off up the beach with a couple of colleagues to see what we could find. I promptly lost them when I found an early nesting turtle and spent twenty minutes photographing her. Farther up the beach there were several hatchlings breaking out of a clutch lying just below the surface waiting for the temperature to drop. Only two of the hatchlings broke out and made a break for the water. I shot a few frames and the little guys marched their way across the sand. I watched the terns focus their efforts and finally swoop and take both hatchlings. Back at the clutch there were another four tiny snouts peeking out of the sand just waiting for the right conditions.
As darkness fell and we walked back around the North side of the island it was evident that there were more turtles coming ashore than last night. That means.... another five o'clock morning. Yahoo! Actually it is exciting because it is another chance to see another side of the island - I am going to the North side - in sweet light - the soft early morning and late afternoon light. The island actually seems to glow at these times. But boy, would it be easy to stay in bed.
Fingers crossed for a beautiful sunrise and lots of calm turtles!!! If so you 'll get to get to see it.
Don't forget you can email us questions at
raineexpedition@netcarrier.com
Built on an Apple G4 Titanium Powerbook courtesy of Apple Computers Inc., Connected to the world by Iridium Satellite LLC and Digital eyes courtesy of Nikon - the new D100 digital camera, Captured on LexarMedia digital film.
© 2002, Paul Sutherland Photography LLC. All images and text on this and every other page on this web site are protected by US and international copyright law. No unauthorized use of any kind whatsoever is permitted.
Photo Captions:
• Hatchling
• Turtle track
• Hatchling snouts
• Aston, the sound man