Susan Was 50 Trip Report Part 1

[Abacobrad]

We are still recovering from a solid 10 days of great friends, fabulous weather, and lots of Kaliks. I'll start this trip report from the end and try to piece together a rewind of Susan's birthday week. Bottom line a great time was had by all, Susan had a week long birthday party that culminated with a last day with Lincoln and Marcus. Absolutely no better way to end the week than with a picnic with Mr. Jones! The next day was the big send off from Miss Emilys with a song and goombays at the dock. Clifford can really belt it out can't he! What a fitting end to a festive week.

[BahamaAngie]

What nice pictures. Those stingrays just hanging out with you guys. (I now shudder when I see them after Crocodile Hunter...can't help it, it scares me).

[Patti Puzo]

Brad, that looked like so much fun, and looks like you had great weather too!

[Henz]

BahamaAng, you jsut never know, but, I would probably say they are more in trouble of too many drinks, being in the sun and possibly drowning than that stingray!

[JJ]

After a morning of fishing with Lincoln, he pulls into the little cove on the north end of Manjack and cleans the fresh catch on the boat, throwing the cleanings into the water. There are small sharks and stingrays that I am told know the sound of his boat engine and come to feast. Visitors feed the stingrays, holding a piece of fish in between their fingers or toes. We did not go out with Lincoln on our trip in June, but we did visit the cove (opposite end from Lincoln's beach) and had a couple of curious sharks come check us out.

Great pics Brad! It looks like you had perfect weather on your Lincoln day.

[BahamaAngie]

Well, it is a pretty spot but I hate to be a stick in the mud but I do get scared when I see things like that and yikes sharks! I did see the pictures with the sharks in water less than knee deep made quite an impression on this small brain! You are probably right Henz but as you get older, you get smarter or wiser whichever. When you are young, you are more gutsy. It kind of creeps up on one.

[JJ]

My kids ask "are there sharks here" and my reply is "well, this is the ocean and this is where sharks live, so there could be". The good thing about the Abacos is you can see if they are there. There was one baby shark swimming between our boat and the shore when we picnicked at Lincoln's cove when I was getting our lunch fixin's off the boat and everyone else was on shore. I just waited until i couldn't see him anymore, then came on in. When we snorkel, we send dad overboard first to do the requisite "shark check" before the girls will jump in!

We get a few shark incidents off New Smyrna and Daytona Beach. Two summers ago, I took my daughter and a group of friends over to New Smyrna and one of the girls was probably grazed by a shark (looked sort of like a rug burn on her tummy) according to the lifeguard when we had him check out her injury. In rough surf, the water in New Smyrna can be murky because the bottom sand gets stirred up -- I hear that most "attacks" are really just the shark checking out what it hears/smells but cannot see. So you are probably safer where not only you can see them, but they can see you.

[JJ]

Angie - My fear of sharks has actually lessened with age. I was a teenager in Ft. Walton Beach Florida when the movie Jaws came out (they actually filmed Jaws 2 there and we watched the crews pulling the fake shark around a fake island in Choctawhatchee Bay behind my parents house). That movie put a fear of sharks in a lot of previously oblivious folks. Now with age, I feel I can assess the risk more realistically.

[DaGoose]

I always love your trip reports, Brad, awesome photos!

Someday, I'd love to get up to GTC for one of Lincoln's trips. Manjack looks so beautiful. I have to admit I would be a bit freaked out about being so close to the stingrays. Are they just so used to people that there's no danger?

Thanks, can't wait for the next installment!

Tina

[Abacobrad]

We actually had several in our group totally freaked out by the scene in the water and within an hour and a few Kaliks or Goombays were in the water petting the Rays. Steve Irwin actually did the Rays a disservice by his (rather idiotic) attempt to hang onto one while swimming. Linc's Rays are a bit aggressive because they get hand fed so often that they are like dogs sniffing every visitor that comes into the water. They'll even nudge you and beg for scraps just like a dog too. Even with a pile of people in the water, the Rays are very adept at moving around and it was great to see everyone petting and feeding them. Linc has named the big one BERTHA- he had a Bertha 10 years ago that I swear came when he called her. A trip with Lincoln is probably one of the best experiences one can have in Abaco. You gotta do it Goose!

Brad

Originally Posted by DaGoose

I always love your trip reports, Brad, awesome photos!

Someday, I'd love to get up to GTC for one of Lincoln's trips. Manjack looks so beautiful. I have to admit I would be a bit freaked out about being so close to the stingrays. Are they just so used to people that there's no danger?

Thanks, can't wait for the next installment!

Tina

[SamFamAustin]

If you don't threaten them they won't threaten you. The most common ray injury is when in sandy turbid water you can't see them so you might step on one and by instinct they will flail the barb. Very painful in the heel.

And did I hear the banned "S" word? For shame! [Just kidding folks]

Anyway, they are very similar to dogs, where they circle first. Ever seen an aggressive dog arch its back, hairs on end? That's exactly the sign Mr. S makes when really mad, sans the hair of course. Feeding on table scraps isn't attacking, it's called eating! I mean you don't take a steak off the grill and whoop it up, beat it, and tear it to shreds before you eat it, right?

Well, I certainly hope not!
sammie

[JJ]

Shark shark shark shark shark.

I just love to say that and know my post is not going to be deleted, lol. You can say it, too, Sam.

[sail pending]

Brad,
My group pulled out of GTC on the day of Susan's big party @ The Rooster's Rest. It was definately the talk of the island on the week leading up to it. I'm sure yall had a great time and I'm sorry I missed it. Thanks for the picks!

[BahamaAngie]

Yeah, getting back to the original subject......looks like a real happy group, very very nice to see!

[toledopirate]

Next time we visit GTC we will definitely take a trip out with Lincoln.

[DaGoose]

Originally Posted by JJ

Shark shark shark shark shark.

I just love to say that and know my post is not going to be deleted, lol. You can say it, too, Sam.

JJ, too funny, but I'm not so sure who (or what) you're referring to

Brad, the Gooses will book a trip with Lincoln if we have to swim to GTC from Guana!

Tina

[SamFamAustin]

In the lingo of California la-la land they are called "charks," at least pronounced that way. Chark Chark Chark Chark. Of course, they also mispronounce my name and call be "Chammie." Very hip and Valley. They're always putting one over one ya like "No chit, der's charks out der Chammie?"

Personally, I'm more scared of the Orca, the killer whale, since they never give up and they like eat big seals on French toast for breakfast. Fishermen do NOT like them around and on the Atlantic side they can be common although moreso down by Brazil. Not sure what the Californians call them other than "Ooooohhh."

Love ya Tina; has Rick made it home yet with the Pink Scarf?
Chammie Cheagull

[Patti Puzo]

We can also "say" Dr. Ralph, Dr. Ralph, Dr. Ralph.... and Abaco Forum!
Thank goodness!
Not to beat on a dead subject, but I remember I got poo-pooed one time for mentioning the name of a specific cottage!

[Abacobrad]

I forgot to thank all the wonderful people of GTC for taking such good care of (us) and our guests. Thank you everyone- You Know Who You Are!

[Myra]

We were just with Lincoln today. We fished with Marcus and caught yellow tail. We had to reel in really really fast or we lost our fish to some huge and I mean hugs sharks. What a trip. BTW Lincoln makes a mean conch salad.

[culp]

Brad, the Gooses will book a trip with Lincoln if we have to swim to GTC from Guana!

Tina[/quote]


Teen Teen...that would be "Des Geese", wouldn't it?

[DaGoose]

Originally Posted by culp

Brad, the Gooses will book a trip with Lincoln if we have to swim to GTC from Guana!

Tina

Teen Teen...that would be "Des Geese", wouldn't it?[/quote]

I never could conjugate my verbs, oops that's a noun!

Hope the weather's good at the beach today...got the boogie boards ready

TT

[Patti Puzo]

Originally Posted by DaGoose

Teen Teen...that would be "Des Geese", wouldn't it?

I never could conjugate my verbs, oops that's a noun!

Hope the weather's good at the beach today...got the boogie boards ready

TT[/quote]
When would they offically make gaggle status?

[DaGoose]

Probably after a few Guana Grabbers!