In the early morning light our officers were able to bring the Caledonian Star into the shallow area of Isla las Aves. It was an early, before breakfast start, and with the Zodiacs we navigated into a lagoon surrounded with coral reef and mangrove islands. Here in the Caribbean you find three types of mangroves…red, black, white. Also, these mangrove islands are an important breeding site for the Red-footed Booby, which is a very strange bird since it occurs in two color morphs. One is brown with white tail and the other is white with partly black wings. Some other sea birds also occur in different color morphs but no one has really been able to give any logical explanation to this phenomenon.

As we sailed into the lagoon we already we could smell the guano in the distance, which was the "smell" of money between 1850 -1900. Along the west coast of South America you find some desert-like islands where the guano was harvested and mostly exported to Europe to be used as fertilizer. This was a very important trade between South America and Europe around the Cape Horn.

As we entered the lagoon the trees were covered with boobies and nests and everyone was able to get a close look. The frigatebirds were patrolling and eagerly waiting for any booby arriving back with food for its chick and with incredible grace these frigatebirds harass other seabirds and force them to disgorge whatever they have caught with great effort.

Hidden in the root system we also found green-backed herons and among the greenery mangrove warblers were singing. On the way back to the ship, some joyful spinner dolphins came up and played with the Zodiacs. It is always a highlight to see these dolphins bow ride.

During breakfast, the Caledonian Star repositioned and the rest of the time up until lunch was dedicated to snorkeling and beach combing. The waters here house a nice diversity of corals and fish. Near the beach we also found large numbers of nesting brown boobies. The local fisherman had used the island for harvesting queen conchs for their meat and several large piles of shells were heaped on the shore.

After a busy morning and a good lunch it was time for siesta, as the Caledonian Star continued eastward along the coast of Venezuela. There was time for sunbathing, swimming in the pool or for the more energetic, use of the terrific gym or attending the lecture in the afternoon. As usual, the evening started with a recap, and the galley crew spent a lot of effort to set up a Caribbean barbecue on the pool deck. What a day to remember!