Thursday, February 19, 2015

SA 24 - Getting to Port Elizabeth




Where  there's  OCEAN  . .  you  find  Seafood  "Everything"  . .     
Upstairs  . .  at   Moby Dick's  . .  we  overlook  the  Beach  . .  at   JEFFREY'S  BAY





. .  and  admire  the  Talent  . .  that  patted  together  this  . .  Safari  Sand  Sculpture  . .





PORT   ELIZABETH     ( on  the  Sunshine  Coast )  
. .  has  one  of  the  best  Museums  in the  country 
B A Y W O R L D   . .   is  a   "combination"    Museum  .  Oceanarium  .  Snake Park
 




First  we   learn  here  that  there  are   MANY    SALT  PANS    in   Africa 
. .   We  saw  the  Continent's  LARGEST  in  NAMIBIA  
Flamingoes   SALT  "REQUIREMENT"  for  'BREEDING'   is  SATISFIED   there
. .  We  had  seen  pictures  of  salty  earth  in  ETHIOPIA 
. .  We   did  not  know    SOUTH  AFRICA    also  has   Salt  Pans  . .





➤   Some  things   can't  survive  'without'  . .   SALT      
➤   Some  things   can't  live  'with'   it.    
So   it's  presence  here  determines  . .  WHICH  forms  of  life  will  flourish 
. .   in  this  part  of  the  globe.





For  all  you  Cruise  Ship  enthusiasts  . .  consider  being  taken  to  Shore  by  . .  Landing Basket !






Imagine  yourself  . .  'swinging' . .  from  SHIP  . .  to  MAIL  BOAT . .  to  TUG . .  to  LAND 
. .  the  way  Passengers  did  it  in  . .  Port  Elizabeth






It  must  be  Field Trip Day  . .  so  we'll  be  interested  to  see 
. .  which  topics  capture  young  attention.






Many  schools  have  Uniforms  . .  The  Red  Shirt  group  is  fascinated  by  . . 






. .  this  long  bright  green   SNAKE  . .  The  snake  seems  equally  curious  about  the  kids !






We  learn   CROCODILES   bury  their  eggs  in  the  Sand 
. .  84 - 90  days  later  the  Young  'call  out'  and  the  Parent  'digs'  them  free 
. .  Unbroken  Eggs  are  cracked  gently  in  the  Mother's  Mouth 
. .  Hatchlings  are  carried  in  a  Pouch  created  by  depressing  the  parent's  TONGUE.






Both  parents  protect  the  young  for  2 - 3  Months . . . THEN  "Release  them  into  the  Water"






OCTOPUS  . .   DON"T   have  a  Boney  Skeleton  . .  and   DON'T   LIVE  very  long  . .






. .   but  they  are  good . .  Problem  Solvers !






We  have  not  yet  seen  a  huge   TURTLE   . .  near  any  beach    
 ( 5   of  the  World's   7  . .   Marine  Species  . .  live   HERE )






Until  recently  . .  the  AFRICAN   PENGUIN   was  called  . . 
Jackass  Penguin "  because  they  sound  like  donkeys  'braying'.    
They're  also  called  "Owls  of  the  Sea"  because  they  hunt  by  SIGHT  
. .  their  EYES  can  focus  both  in  and  out  of  water 
. .  and  their  Vision  is  good  in  very  low  light.    
➤      They  can  stay  under  Water  . .  for  as  long  as  . .  18  Minutes !    
Penguins  are  not  newcomers  on  earth  . . 
➤     They've  been  around  for   60  . .  Million  . .  Years 
They  can't  fly  . .  Their   Wings   have   'adapted to   'flipper - use'






This  is  a  big  2 - Level place  . .  with  giant  dinosaurs  . .  and  huge  fish 
. .  and  enough  to  keep  everyone  fascinated  for  several  hours 
. .  but  it's  time  to  get  into  the  bleachers  . .






Recovered  from  serious  Great  White  Shark  attack . . .  
"Lucky"  the  SEAL 
. .  Performs   Cartwheels   and   Kisses 
. .  Lifts  his  own  Body  Weight     .    Walks  on  his  Front  Flippers 
. .  Raises  his  entire  body  out  of  the  water  to  do  Ball Tricks 
Whispers  in  the  Trainers  Ear     .     Applauds  his  own  Tricks






. .  and  goes  to  the  Bleachers  . .  to  Bark  out  a  message  to  the  kids  . .  before  Waving "Good - by"






Drizzle  has  turned  to  Rain   . .   Kids  are  happily  soaked   . .   Snake  Show  has  to  be  cancelled






We  will  turn  around  here  at   Port  Elizabeth   
. .  and  Retrace  our  Route  . .  until  turning  North  . .  into  Karoo  Country.

Rusty  and  Wrinkles  hope  you've  enjoyed  peeking  in  on  their  Garden  Route  adventures  
along  Africa's  southernmost  coastal  belly.    
There's  more  to  come.      Having  you  along  . .  is  a  'company'  treat !


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1 comment:

  1. I'll have to have Steph check out this animal info blog - she is feeling very fortunate to get to choose between 4 Vet schools she was accepted to - WSU,OSU, Colorado State or UC David.... she's leaning toward UC Davis as it opens up the most opportunities for her. I was amazed to see your zip line photos earlier! Way to go! :)

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