SAM posts pre Firefly

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Cruising around the bay…..with Raggy Charters

Continuing with our whale watching trip from last week, the map from google earth will give you a better idea of where we went. In the next few days we'll continue to show you the highlights.Along the way, the skipper, Lloyd, (facing the camera, in red and white jacket) fountain of much knowledge about the marine life of the bay, stopped to explain about the penguins we had just seen. He mentioned that they mate for life, and do not…

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11/08/2008
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grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

5 days now, and we are unable to upload pictures to blogger. Every time we try, we get the following messageNetwork Error (tcp_error) A communication error occurred: "" The Web Server may be down, too busy, or experiencing other problems preventing it from responding to requests. You may wish to try again at a later time. For assistance, contact your network support team.On the forum there is a short note from a Google Employee saying there is a problem and…

3 Comments
07/08/2008
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St Croix Island #3 – Guano

These lonely looking houses on the leeward side of the island were built for guano collectors. This was apparently not a very succesful venture, as the collection of guano was made difficult by the terrain. The smell of the place would have put any normal person off, before they started.

3 Comments
05/08/2008
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St Croix Island #2 – Penguins

St Croix Island rises out of the sea like a large rock and looks like a very inhospitable place, but it boasts the largest colony of African penguins in Southern Africa.Wherever you look on the island there are groups of penguins. They are increasingly coming under pressure, as the fishing trawlers have depleted the area of fish. Recent sudies have shown that they travel up to 155 kms to find food. That is a long swim by any standard.

3 Comments
04/08/2008
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Still on a high

There is a man in Port Elizabeth who is both passionate and very knowledgable about marine life in Algoa Bay. His name is Lloyd Edwards, and he owns an operation called Raggy Charters. Lloyd is involved in all sorts of marine conservation, education and research projects, and in order to fund these, he has written a stunning book called Scenes from Algoa Bay, full of photos he has collected over his years of boating in the bay. In addition, he…

7 Comments
02/08/2008
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Baakens Valley #3 – Third Avenue dip

The Third Avenue dip is convenient short cut from Newton Park to Mangold Park, Lorraine or Walmer. However, the dip is prone to occassional flooding and many a motorist who has misjudged the depth and force of the water, or been too lazy to take the long route has been swept away.

3 Comments
31/07/2008
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Baakens River #2 – Guinea Fowl Trail

The Guinea Fowl Trail starts at Sunridge Park and ends at Settlers Park. Most people who do the walk start at the Third Avenue dip at Newton Park.If you do the walk wear a pair of good shoes and take some water with you, because it can get very hot in the Valley. These days it is advisable to go in a crowd as there have been muggings in the Valley. I was delighted to see that the Baakens Valley…

4 Comments
30/07/2008
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Cora Terrace – from the other end

We previously showed a view of Cora Terrace looking down from the Cuyler Stree end. This one is looking up from Bird Street. This is a wonderful example of owners taking pride in their homes and in upgrading of the area.

4 Comments
27/07/2008