Madagascar > Swimming with turtles

Even though I’m on a paradisiacal island, I get up early. Today I’m going snorkeling. At 6:30, I have a small breakfast at the hotel. Half an hour later, I walk to the beach to board a speedboat. The small boat, with a powerful engine, takes me in about twenty minutes to the tiny island of Nosy Tanikely. Nosy Tanikely is a national park and uninhabited. I land at the park’s small office, where I select a snorkel and fitting fins. Zoe has already reserved a table. On the beach, a twenty-centimeter-high mound of sand has been created with logs around it to sit on. Here, I put on my snorkeling gear. Meanwhile, Zoe points out that sea turtles have been spotted near the rocks. I follow a guide into the water to search for them. Directly beneath me, I see the stunning coral. Numerous colorful fish swim around—it’s a beautiful sight. The guide struggles to locate the sea turtles. I swim further along the coast, preparing myself for the possibility of not seeing any. Perhaps because of that, I am surprised when he suddenly points out a turtle among the coral. Beautiful. Immediately, he spots a second one. A third sea turtle surfaces just two meters away from me. The creature looks at me, then continues on its way. As I swim toward a fourth turtle, the previous one follows me, staying in my wake. Remarkable. The guide goes ashore, walking back over the rocks to the beach. I swim back. Along the way, I see several more turtles. I can’t be sure if they are new ones or the same as before, but the sight is fantastic. I return to the beach, having spent nearly two hours in the water. Onshore, I dry off again. Just before lunch, I go back into the water once more. The tide has come in, making the coral deeper. Again, I see several turtles, pulling at the coral in search of food, while other fish swim alongside to benefit from it. Unfortunately, there are now also jellyfish in the sea. I feel several small stings on my arms and legs. The jellyfish are transparent with a striking red eye, hanging together in clusters. It’s amusing to see a line of eyes swimming past.

Madagascar - The island of Nosy Tanikely is the base for the snorkeling trip

Because I also struggle with water in my mouthpiece during this second dive, I decide to get out of the water. Meanwhile, the crew has prepared an excellent lunch with salad, meat and fish skewers, a large fish, and of course far too much rice. For dessert, there is pineapple, mango, and banana. In the afternoon, I relax on the beach. I roll out my towel under a palm tree and lie back comfortably. Around three o’clock, the sky begins to cloud over. The wind picks up. As I board the boat to return to Nosy Be, I see that the sea is choppy. The route back is directly against the wind. Although the skipper tries to avoid the highest waves, the boat occasionally slams hard into the water. Spray flies over the boat. I’m sitting at the front and am quickly soaked, though luckily I still have my swimwear on. Back on the beach of Nosy Be, I end this enjoyable day with a beer at one of the terraces. Meanwhile, I watch the people on the beach and see the sun sink toward the horizon.

Madagascar - Children play in the water as the sun slowly sets