Back side of Cook's Motu, where the majority of nest excavations took place.
With only a week left at Palmerston, the beach side of the field work is nearing an end. We have only one motu left for nest excavations, the most prolific for nesting. The last 3 weeks have sailed by effortlessly and we have formed good relationships with our keen and very capable local research assistants, David, Alfred, Simon, Marion and Goldeen.
Over the last 10 days, Simon and Alfred’s brother, John, as well as Edward, who is the local policeman and David’s father, came to visit us quite regularly and expressed a real interest in our work. When all of us boys get together, we really have some fun!
Dr Mike White had a great idea to get all of us together for the last day at Cooks and to see how many excavations we can do. We arranged a day for 15 of us to go to Cooks (7 turtle team members and 8 from Palmerston). Our 8 local research assistants were happy to share what they have learnt. We cooked up a good lunch of potato salad and pasta salad and Edward and the boys offered to bring their boats to fit us all in.
The Turtle Team on Excavation Day:: Top Row from Left:: John Marsters, Alfred Marsters, Simon Marsters, little John Marsters, Goldeen Nikau, Edward Marsters, Dr. Mike White, Phil Bradshaw:: Bottom Row from Left:: Tina Weier, David Marsters, Jess Cramp, Kelly Robinson, Marion Marsters, Nerissa Bradshaw. Not pictured (because he's taking the photo!) Jason Green
At 8 in the morning we leave for Cooks motu which is a quick journey in their fast boats. Once on the beach we start to locate which nests we will excavate by identifying a depression on the surface of the nest. This depression occurs post hatching, or just as the hatchlings start to move within the nest.
Our local research assistants are straight away pointing out hatched nests, and showing their friends and family how the excavations are done. Locating the top eggs and measuring the depth down to them, gently removing all the hatched shells and any un-hatched eggs and then measuring down to the bottom of the egg chamber. Then the hatched shells are counted and the un-hatched eggs were opened to see why the eggs didn’t hatch.
Nerissa and John, measuring the depth of the nest and counting all hatched eggshells.
Tina, face deep and digging for egg shells.
The jokes were flowing, the spirits were high and everyone was working like troopers. Mike and I were struggling to keep up with the pace. We had to GPS the nests, take tape measures to the different teams and help identify any strange findings within the eggs. David, a local who had worked with us for weeks, started to assist Mike and I in running in between the teams. Everyone stepped up, scribing, GPSing and digging. It was all go, and in just 4 hours we achieved 47 excavations, a lot more than we could have hoped for!
David and Jess, hoping for hatchlings
Little John Marsters, asleep on the job. Just kidding, he's digging!
John Marsters helps a baby hatchling that was trapped by a root in a nest
Prince Philip, or Turtlock Holmes as we call him, digging away
We learnt from the local guys a bit more about how turtles relate to their lives. All jokes aside, turtles are respected here and only taken when food supplies are scarce. Sometimes supplies boats do not come to Palmerston for nine months or more, and at these times all the resources of the sea are utilised, which everyone can relate to. Turtles are killed quickly here when they are taken and every part of the turtle is utilised, nothing goes to waste. I related stories of how turtles are taken in Cape Verde and stripped of their flippers and innards whilst still alive. The stories were met with shock and revulsion.
When we finished excavations, we started walking back around the island to have lunch, Edward found a long stick and started knocking coconuts out of the trees. All day he had showed how the only tool you need for survival was a knife, and again in just a few minutes we were all drinking cool refreshing coconuts. Only someone who has spent his whole life with a knife in his hand could so skillfully open the nuts resting on his thigh.
Young Simon Marsters, working hard to get the group some drinking coconuts
The lunch went down a storm and sweet coconut bread made by Marion made an awesome desert. The backdrop of palm covered islands and turquoise water scattered with coral bommies made the lunch spot completely idyllic.
After lunch, we spent an hour in the water surveying the coral bommies, where we got our first recording of hawksbill turtle– a perfect finish to a fantastic survey day!
We raced the boats back to Home Island and a tired and very satisfied crew departed, but this was not to be the end of our day. The local boys were keen for a game of rugby, and the joking all week about how our old, slightly overweight turtle team were going to beat the young, highly athletic local guys made saying “no” impossible. At five in the afternoon the game of 3 on 3 touch rugby began, much to the amusement of not just the guys we were playing, but to all who watched. After they had scored the first couple of tries, we got our moment of glory, we scored, and it was all we needed to claim victory over the whole game!!
Fighting hard for a few points
We then got an extra player, young John, David’s brother who bolstered our flagging team and then Marion. The teams on both sides grew, I took a dive and damaged my shoulder and had to sit out. I got to watch as Goldeen, Marion and John, helped Jess and Jason cross the line a couple more times. It has to be said that we might not have won, but at least we scored and a lot of fun was had.
Phil, on the sidelines after rugby, but not safe from Tamatoa's tackle
With only a week to go, we start to feel that we are already missing Palmerston, but I think that the connections we have made here with all the residents will go with us for a long time.
