Getting to and Enjoying Mosquito Island

Got an excellent workout in today, sea kayaking from Necker Island to Mosquito Island where we had the privilege of a biodiversity walk with two of the professors from Oxford.  It was a magnificent day - blue sky, sunshine, nice temps 26C.  Everyone had several choices how to get to Mosquito - power boat, sea kayaking, paddleboarding, or sailing.  Chris and I chose sea kayaking - we each had a kayak to ourselves, but kept together and had great fun!  Who knew a brilliant astrophysicist could also be so absolutely hilarious!

The biodiversity walk was led by Dr. Kathy Willis (left) and Dr. Charles Godfray (right) - they are showing us this enormous caterpillar which is going to turn into a moth about 1 1/2 the size of your hand.  Walking with Charles is like going on a walk with an encyclopia - incredible knowledge.  He jokes that he is really a 18th century naturalist.

That's Jack and Ludo in the background - they've been with us all week photographing and filming.  They are both Richard's nephews.  Super nice guys.  Their brother is the one that just married Kate Winslet.  Ludo did a documentary on the devastation of Madagascar that we saw one night, that he made for Richard.  Jack is the one who woke everyone up at the Great House when the lightning struck.  He was the only one who heard it.  If it hadn't been for him, there might have been a very tragic outcome.

 

After the biodiversity walk, we had a picnic lunch on the beach.

Charles is showing Richard the mating behaviors of some insects in this tree.  They are joined and one flies forward and one flies backward -the insects are in the picture, but unfortunately it looks like you can't see them. 

Here is the view from the beach from the picnic lunch.

Here is our Oxford academics and Richard.  From left to right is Dr Kathy Willis (biodiversity), Dr. Chris Lintott (cosmology),  Dr. Charles Godfrey (food farming/biology), Dr Sonia Trequeros (nanotechnology), and Dr. Ian Goldin (director of Oxford Martin School).  They are huge intellects and really nice people!