Islands in the Sun

Sunscreen and sunglasses. Sand and sandals. Coconuts and crabs. Ahh the beach. The beautiful Philippine island Palawan played host to my recent relaxing vacation.

Coconut trees dominate the coastline of Palawan.

A local man helps guide a boat towards land to retrieve fresh fish to cook for me and my friends later.

A different boat guide uses a pole to launch our boat toward another island, Isla Arena.

Isla Arena, a tiny island off the coast of Palawan, features a sanctuary which works to protect endangered sea turtles. Near the island is a beautiful coral reef I got to snorkel in.

We got to examine a number of ocean creatures near Isla Arena, including starfish, horseshoe crabs, and puffer fish.

Sena holds a feisty horseshoe crab by the tail. Horseshoe crabs are an ancient species having variants existing as long as 450 million years ago. And their blood is blue. Cool.

Tiny Isla Arena sits in the tranquil sea.

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2 Responses to Islands in the Sun

  1. Wendy Doscher-Smith says:

    Hi there,
    I was looking for horseshoe crab photos and came across yours. I just wanted to point out that the little girl handling the horseshoe crab SHOULD NOT be handling the crab by his or her tail because the tails are very delicate and the crabs need them to navigate and thus survive. I realize you were probably just documenting the moment. However, I figured I’d let you know in case you come across a person grabbing or touching a horseshoe crab tail again. The proper way to handle the crabs is by gently picking them up by their sides, and, if they are “beached” to return them to the water.
    Thank you!
    Wendy

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