Friday 4th and we’ve been here for a week now. We’ve settled into the Caribbean way, chilling out and enjoying the weather down on the beach at Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort.

We had breakfast at La Plume again, then a quick change into beach attire before heading down to our usual spot. Sun-beds, towels and a well-stocked cooler were waiting for us when we arrived.

It was a chill out day all in all, although I did find out about some of the Caribbean critters that we share their natural habitat with. I’m going to give you a brief summary of what we have come across during our stay.

Sand fleas: Sand fleas are tiny little crustaceans that live in the sand, and are related to crabs and lobsters. They hop and jump, hence the name flea. They are not a flea and liked to bite JC’s feet, leaving little raised red bumps that itched a bit, but do go away on their own. They are not easy to see with the naked eye so the use of insect repellent is a good deterrent.

Ruddy Turnstone (bird): I have seen plenty of these birds on the beach. They gather on the sand and have a ritual of digging into the sand whilst making their own unique sound. This is to pick out insects from the sand for them to eat.

Atlantic ghost crab: We’ve seen a few of these cheeky critters which will pop out unexpectedly from a hole in the sand, before scurrying back inside, or heading for another spot to dig a hole. The ones we saw were roughly five inches across and sand coloured, so we’re often hard to see as they are well camouflaged against the white sands of Nassau. They can turn their eyes 360 degrees so can watch out for predators, such as shore birds, whilst going about their business. They live along the Atlantic coast from Massachusetts in the north, to the south of Brazil. They prey on turtle hatchlings, smaller crabs and insects.

Laughing gulls: These birds are medium in size and live in North and South America. They are obviously noticeable by their call which sounds like a mocking laugh. We have seen them gather in groups on the shoreline and will fight each other for the smallest morsel that one may find.

Shark egg: We have spotted a few of these washed up at the edge of the shoreline as the tide was going out. A fellow holidaymaker identified this for me and she was not bothered about them and threw them back in. Whether it meant that sharks were anywhere about is unknown. They had seawater in them and when I wobbled it a black liquid moved about. This discovery means that there is now even less likelihood of JC swimming in the sea.

Sea turtles: Swimming with these wonderful creatures was a bucket list moment for me. I don’t know which of the five species found in the Bahamas I actually encountered, but some are critically endangered. We were told by our snorkelling tour guide to not move quickly towards them or they just swim off. Remora fish use sea turtles as their host and feed off whatever the turtle has discarded.

Black brittle starfish: Something else I came across when snorkelling off Rose Island. The guide picked this out of the water and handed it to me to hold. They are very delicate and if they become distressed will shed part of their arm. It didn’t like me holding it so I just let it go.

Conch: Whether this shell was home to the sea creature known as a conch when I was holding it remains to be seen. Pronounced “conk”, the conch is a food that contributes to the culture, cuisine and economy of the Caribbean. It can be steamed, fried or stewed and is used in a Bahamian speciality, the conch salad. This national food of the Bahamas can also be used for conch fritters, conch stew and conch chowder.

Peacocks: These beautiful birds were on Rose Island when we went on our day trip. The Royal Peacocks are a protected species.

Pigs: The piggies of Rose Island are different varieties such as Saddleback, Durock, Creole, Guttenberg Micro Pot Belly and Land Racer. They are quite pampered piggies but well looked after with regular vet checks. They even wear sunscreen. Piggy profiles can be found here:

https://www.sandytoesbahamas.com/piggy-profiles/

Stingray: I saw a family of stingrays swimming past whilst waiting to catch the boat to Sandal’s private Discovery Island. Stingrays like to swim in shallow waters to enjoy the sunlight. I took a still from a video I shot but it’s hard to see what they actually look like with the distortion from the water.

Lizards: We came across a few lizards which bask in the sunshine and then run for cover as soon as they are approached. I don’t know any of the species of lizards but the ones I saw ranged from a few centimetres to approximately fifteen centimetres. Some had curled up tails and some just straight.

Hope you enjoyed!