Dominica December 2016 (1 Viewer)

Dec 21 This day ended our week long visit to Puerto Rico,
(http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=346566). Yet another Caribbean island was still on our holiday agenda, the seldom visited country of Dominica.
Sad stories from travelers booking with LIAT are easily found on the internet so we boarded a flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico, at 1:30 that afternoon with some trepidation. We hoped for the minimum: safe passage with luggage intact. Leaving an hour late, the plane made the short flight to Antigua intact before losing another 30 minutes on that runway, arriving in Dominica at 6pm, just after dark. Viewing the spectacle of the numerous tropical islands through the plane window made me forget online reports of the Dominica airport not having runway lights. Later, we were told that was true before Tropical Storm Erica hit the island in August of 2015. The airport was rebuilt, adding the necessary lights to make our 6 pm landing possible.
As imagined in this size airport, we quickly moved through baggage, immigrations, customs and walked a very short distance to an adjacent building where the rental car agencies were housed. Back in the US, we bought a cell phone plan that would allow us to call Valley Rental on our cell phones to work out the details of the week to come. Once in Dominica though, we opted to rent a phone from them. Filling out paperwork, paying for temporary driver’s licenses and earning how to use the new phone kept us at the agency until 7:30. We drove off with the LIAT experience behind us but it was too early to feel relieved. Obviously, it was dark. Very dark because it was also raining. We jogged around a bit of airport construction, connecting with the narrow road to Calibishie, with Liz and I both chanting “Stay left, stay left”! But not too far left. The good folks at Valley Rentals had warned us of the tire-eating, concrete drainage system used in many areas of the island. At times, the margin for error on these narrow roads was very small. This site might further explain the island’s driving conditions: http:www.dominicaliving.com/life-driving.htm.
Nevertheless, we survived LIAT and the 25 minute drive, relieved and almost cheering when we saw the sign for Caribbean Blue, our Airbnb stay for the night. We met our host, showered, ate granola bars for supper and slept well to sound of the light surf in nearby Hodges Bay.

Dec 22 One of my favorite moments in life are the mornings I wake with the anticipation of birding in an unfamiliar setting. Outside, I was immediately on to several Antillean-crested Hummingbirds, then a Yellow Warbler, Bananaquits (what would the neotropics be with out them?) and one Lesser Antillean Bullfinch. Hard-to-miss Frigatebirds cruised over the water where we’d planned to snorkel any remaining travel stresses away. Steady northeast winds, the same that had brought much rain to Puerto Rico in early December, had been stirring up the surf to a dirty swill and plans of floating for fishes had to be put aside.
A leg stretching, one mile walk to Calibishie for groceries and cell phone minutes was a nicer introduction than last night’s drive. First order of business was breakfast at the Coral Reef, on water’s edge, Ringed Kingfisher and Brown Pelican flapping by while eggs, beans and toast went down. The walk produced more Grassquits, Bullfinches and the only two Scaly-breasted Munias of the trip. Also seen were a pair of Broad-winged Hawks calling and circling, Tropical Mockingbirds, Gray Kingbirds and more Bananaquits.
Back at our lodging, we met and talked at length with the owners, Brian and Debbie. We found them to be an engaging couple and wished we were staying longer. We drove off in light rain but with the benefit of daylight to better see the “deadly” French drains whenever they appeared. Our adventure in driving played out over the next 90 minutes, with only one wrong turn at a fork in one of the steep mountain towns. I’d be fibbing if I knew which one though I do distinctly remember the smiles on the faces of a group of surprised and amused locals as we passed them once, then saw them again after we realized our mistake. They helped with directions and our adventure on the North Link road continued. At the time, we were not aware that this road is listed on dangerousroads.org. We chose it for being the road less traveled. Except for the occasional oncoming traffic (honking when approaching one of the many sharp curves is considered a necessary survival tool), we actually enjoyed the tropic splendor of the drive and would not chosen “dangerous” as an appropriate descriptive term.
It crossed our minds to stop for some possible birding as well as a respite from the ups, downs and twists. The road, however, offered no real shoulder to pull off to and our minds were wired to finish the drive at a place we expected to offer true relaxation. The “perilous”, non-stop journey took us west from St. Andrew Parish into St. John Parish. Dominica is divided up into 10 sections, all named after saints.

Our destination that afternoon was Savanne Paile, roughly translated as “hay field”, no doubt a leftover name from years past as forested land was mostly what we encountered. There, on the lower floor of a two story, stuccoed house lived Birdforum’s own Niels Larsen and his wife, Lene. We had met and birded together in Costa Rica and now, 6 years later, accepted their generous offer to house us for a couple of nights. First sign of their hospitality was an excellent lunch while we gawked at their stunning view of the Caribbean.
Afterwards, Niels took us to nearby Cabrits National Park and Fort Shirley. Here we bought required National Park passes. Good for a week, the pass covered all the areas we planned to visit in the coming days. We three wandered past ruins, old cannons and just a few tropical birds. Having Niels on hand to identify the various calls and songs meant not much was left unidentified. Those sounds included our only Spectacled Thrush, Turdus nudigenis, a species expanding its range northward through the Lesser Antilles and arriving in recent years in Dominica. A good number of Scaly-breasted Thrashers vocalized unseen in the young, dense forest. We were to see them at Niels house and twice after, though they could not be considered common. I should include here that our phone app that worked in Puerto Rico did not cover many of the species in the Lesser Antilles. We had recorded from Xeno-canto just a few of the bird sounds that we thought necessary.
A short rain shower finished off the walk at Cabrits and we retired to the comfort of the Larsen’s wonderful porch. Between the Bullfinches coming to visit at arm’s length, the other passing yard birds, the view of the sea, the beer, the fum and the rood, we passed a very pleasant evening in conversation with Niels and Lene.

Dec 23 Steady rain that night had us sleep in a bit but by 6:45, breakfast was served (did I mention how much we were enjoying this place?) and birds were moving in the yard just off the porch. Morning decisions on where to go birding for the day were made with difficulty, owing to the fact that we were counting life birds with mouthfuls of toast and coffee. Two such birds, Lesser Antillean specialties, such as the Flycatcher and Saltator, made an appearance. The Saltator was one of only two we’d see on the island; the Flycatcher not much more numerous.
Niels was not feeling up to snuff so he declined to join us when we made the decision to head for the Syndicate (http://www.birdforum.net/opus/Syndicate#Access_and_Facilities) where the only two true endemics on Dominica were said to reside. The Imperial Parrot, truly a rare species, and the Red-necked Parrot were highest on our Dominica wish list. We were eager to explore the old plantation and the forests beyond for these special birds.
So it was that we reluctantly left our comfortable setting and drove few miles south past Cabrits, through Portsmouth, the second largest town on Dominica, and Picard, home of Ross University. Maneuvering our two door Toyota through town congestion was tense due to French drains and on street parking, I put myself in super-defensive mode and wormed our way through. Liz was happy with allowing me to drive. The E. O. LeBlanc Highway opened up after the university and became nearly enjoyable to be on, though the reminder to ”Stay Left” was never completely out of our thoughts. The very narrow Syndicate road, though not in the least bit crowded, was challenging when meeting oncoming traffic. Recent (and ongoing) rains, made any off road travel risky, even for our 4 wheel drive. Fortunately, we had no trouble going up, stopping first at a small shed where some activity and our own anticipation got us out of the car. While I was focusing on a pair of active Pearly-eyed Thrashers, a Brown Trembler flew into the open shed and landed on a sill and trembled! In 60 seconds, it was gone. That look was to be our clearest of this interesting species. No time to dwell on the bird that trembles however. A Red-legged Thrush hopped across the road and Lesser Antillean Swifts chittered overhead. Black-faced Grassquits munched on seeds at the edge of the grasses and one Purple-throated Carib was spotted perched in a small clearing. A Saltator was our last bird here at our stop by the shed. A short distance later, we stopped, hardly exiting the car, for a Lesser Antillean Flycatcher and a Caribbean Elaenia. Still another pause, staking out a long row of red flowers, we found another Carib and a pair of Antillean Crested Hummingbirds but the prize catches were an overhead Lesser Antillean Pewee and a skulking Plumbeous Warbler. Numerous Bullfinches and Bananaquits were a distracting presence though we did manage a Scaly-breasted Thrasher in the same spot. Our last pause in our upward climb was for a Rufous-throated Solitaire that flew into a short hedge by the road. This got us out to see two Red-necked Parrots calling and then flying over us. The tedious journey on the road to the Syndicate was paying big dividends even though it was now well after midday due to our late start and slow travel.

Brief showers had followed us as we climbed slowly up towards the Visitor Center that I’m guessing to be around 2150 feet or 650 meters. That continued as we reached the end of the road, parked with the hope that we might try a few feet of Segment 11 of the Waitukubuli National Trail (http://www.waitukubulitrail.com). This 115 mile (185km) trail covers the country from end to end, offering sights and challenges any serious hiker would appreciate. Merely a few yards into the trail and a serious downpour began. Rain gear was already on, cameras were quickly put away and a retreat to the Visitor Center was made in great haste.
A passenger van let out several soon-to-be drenched visitors, who headed off down the Syndicate nature trail. We felt it was a good time for a late lunch and to see how long the heavy rain would last. A very friendly Bullfinch joined us, either hopping on the tile floor or drying out on the handrail. This time, the rain continued as a discouraging torrent; the noise on the roof of the building and surrounding palm leaves cancelled out any chance of hearing bird sound. Packing in our bins and making the 100 foot dash for the car, we dove in, taking a good bit of Dominica’s water with us. (Spoiler alert: we were going to come back again the following day so leaving the area was not as drastic a choice as it might seem.)
The one small creek we need to cross had not swelled to flooded proportions as we’d feared. Possibly this was testimony to the ability of the rainforest to absorb these tropical rains. The drive was slow but steady and soon we were in the Portsmouth IGA food store, stocking up on water, crackers, peanut butter, fruit, etc. to span the forthcoming holidays. There was a surprisingly good selection there, though pricing in EC’s (2.76 to the US dollar) was sometimes a bit of a head scratching ordeal.
At the Larsen’s, we traded a trip report for a fresh pineapple snack. Lene gave us a tip on a snorkeling spot at nearby Bell Hall beach. Apparently, there was not enough water in our lives so off we went to spend a pleasant hour, face down, watching non-feathered wildlife in the patch reefs. Another evening of good conversation, good food and a new taste treat for me. Though I pleaded a lifelong distaste for beer, Niels got me to try Kubuli Shandy, a locally made, low alcohol, lager with added lime or lemon. Lucky for me, there was no money involved or I would have lost the bet that I would not enjoy it. Not available in the US; I’ll have to go back if I want another taste or see if I can make my own.

Dec 24 An exciting day was planned to revisit the Syndicate, this time with the highest rated guide on Dominica, Betrand Jno Batiste or Dr. Birdy as he is more commonly known. Meeting him in Portsmouth, we arrived early enough to watch two Carib Grackles work the streets for anything that would serve as breakfast. In our Rav 4, we made steady progress up the Syndicate road, not stopping until we reached a small parking area where we disembarked to use a little known shortcut to reach the Nature trail. The main goal was an overlook along the trail where we would wait for the very rare Imperial Parrot, the Sisserou, to make an appearance. Light wisps of fog drifted through the steep valley setting as we took turns scanning in every direction. Several Red-necked Parrots, locally called Jacos, crossed at treetop level. We chatted a bit, noted just a few other species, such as Lesser Antillean Flycatcher and Swifts, Rufous-throated Solitaire, Scaly-naped Pigeon and Gray Kingbird. Several times, in between rain showers, Betrand pointed out far off, single note sounds that he said were the Parrots communicating. They were never loud or close. He told us the story behind the spikes in the tree that leaned out over the valley below. These footholds led to a observation platform used by some very brave (or foolish) researchers many years ago. Two hours into our vigil, a guided group of French tourists and stayed for ten minutes, all of us enduring a steady downpour. We left, not long after, with other birds to find and afternoon travel to the south of the island still to go.
We drove to the Visitor Center as the rain eased off and Birdy immediately found Blue-headed Hummingbirds and Green-throated Caribs in the lantana patch adjacent to the parking lot. There was another place to try for the big Amazon, said Birdy, so we descended on the rain slick road, crossing the little creek where two men washed freshly dug root crops, yams and dasheens. While we waited for them to finish and move their truck, I was able to get photos of a perched Blue-headed Hummingbird. Further down, we stopped to listen for Parrot sounds. The Jacos were there in good numbers, even perching above our heads in small trees. A Plumbeous Warbler came close enough for a few diagnostic photos. Birdy pointed out a sitting Broad-winged Hawk but the rare Sisserou Parrot remained unseen. As the noon hour came and went, our time limits were reached; we needed to go. After dropping Birdy off in Portsmouth, we made a final visit to the Larsen’s, picking up our luggage and with great reluctance, we said goodbye to our consummate hosts and left for an afternoon drive to the capital city of Roseau.

Birds of the Syndicate and our snorkeling spot:

As I mentioned earlier, the coastal highway was in contrast to all other roads we had so far experienced on Dominica. Wide and paved with shoulders and lines, the road offered a near continuous view of the Caribbean or the lush mountains, often both. Spots of sunshine highlighted the colorful villages we passed through, though each required a high level of attention to go from one end to the other. One slight detour around a damaged bridge, likely taken out by Tropical Storm Erika in 2015.
Getting from central Roseau to our Airbnb destination in the small mountain town of Morne Prosper seemed difficult so we called ahead and met Tony (brother of our host) in the Botanical Gardens. Choosing a spot was easy; we used a landmark of the grounds, the crushed school bus. Done in by a hurricane in 1979, a large Baobab tree came down on the empty bus, becoming a Garden fixture with its own parking lot. While we waited, a Green Heron stalked insects in the short grass. Soon, Tony met and led us up into the hills to the worst stretches of public roads we’d been on yet. Narrow, potholed, steep hairpin turns with French drains waiting to gobble up an axle or two. Our apartment was long and narrow, like the land it was on but with all the comforts of home. Until we couldn’t get the hot water to work. There was a extensive yard to explore but we put that off once the rain began.

Dec 25 This day was reserved with Dive Dominica for morning snorkeling and afternoon whale watching. I won’t go into much detail except that during the course of the day we did see a few Brown Boobies, Magnificent Frigatebirds, Royal Terns, a Great Blue Heron and one Peregrine Falcon who was circling Scott’s Head, the extreme southern tip of Dominica. We missed any whales. Much time was spent boating up and down the coast trying to locate them. I kept a lookout for Tropicbirds with no success. It is worth mentioning that rainbows were an everyday occurrence during our time on this island; sun shining on passing rain showers made today no exception. Yard birds that evening were nothing new - Gray Kingbirds, Bullfinches and Bananaquits.

Dec 26 Appropriately, a day set aside to visit local waterfalls started with a waterfall coming off the roof. The latest and heaviest rain had started in the night and was still coming down as we glumly ate our breakfast. Luckily, it ended as we prepared to leave. We followed a tortuous hour long route through the mountains and villages, passing one luckless motorist who had been snared by the French drains. Parking for the hike to Middleham Falls was well graded with bathrooms and a picnic shelter. This trail was included as part of Segment Four of the Waitukubuli Trail which led, interestingly enough, from very near our lodging in Morne Prosper though approximately 8-9 km to the southeast.
We weren’t expecting birding to be a distraction from reaching the falls as much of the walk was deep, old growth forest, typically difficult to actually see its inhabitants. The shelter area, cleared for the road and various buildings, as well as a vacant house a short distance from the trailhead gave us some of our best birding. These areas were partially cleared and planted. Views were had of Brown Tremblers and Plumbeous Warblers, a Caribbean Elaenia and Scaly-breasted Thrasher. In the forest, I chased a Rufous-necked Solitaire up the trail, trying desperately to get a decent photo in the dim forest light. Even two Red-necked Parrots sailed by giving us a nice selection of Dominica bird life.
The hike itself was fairly well kept, though more than one slippery stream crossing was required and some awkward walking over tree roots. Several rain showers were not only endured but, by now, expected. Though flowering plants were scarce, large forest trees, palms of all sizes, giant assorted ferns and numerous small waterfalls made for fascinating travel. At 150 ft (46m), Middleham Falls was worth the effort, like a scene from a Tarzan movie. We left as a tour group noisily moved in.

The maps.me program, that Niels had suggested, was keeping us on track as we drove slowly through the mountain roads and small villages to the restaurant at Papillote Wilderness Retreat.
Service was slow despite the lack of customers but our table side Bullfinch was patient and we tried to be also. Our view from the table included a valley over which four Broad-winged Hawks called and soared. Numerous Bullfinches darted about in the shrubs outnumbering the single Bananaquit. When the meal arrived, I washed it down with my now favorite beer, a Kubuli Lime Shandy. The wait was well worth it, one of the best meals of our trip. Our curiosity got us into exploring the small and steep gardens surrounding the retreat’s hot tubs. There, we found yet another Plumbeous Warbler and several Caribs.
Our final destination for the day was Trafalgar Falls, twin falls really. The ten minute, graveled walk gave little time to build anticipation. A large boulder field below the falls prevented close approach. To my surprise, no birds were flying in the vicinity of either waterfalls. I’m not sure what I would be expecting to see, possibly hummingbirds taking a misty shower? We tried just a few minutes of birding at the edges of the parking lot. Bullfinches were again very common but we were able to find another Brown Trembler and a Plumbeous Warbler.
Our hosts, not used to guests who left early and came back late, made us a nice evening meal of local vegetables and cheese. Included was dasheen, also known as taro, a common root crop in many parts of the world. Tomorrow was to be our last full day with a cross island drive to be made. We packed while it rained again but when that stopped, I went out for a short while with a flashlight to look for night creatures of any sort. Except for the infrequent Lesser Antillean aka Cape Verde Barn Owl, there were no birds normally active at night on Dominica. Frogs and anoles had to do.

Dec 27 We had made no previous plans to solidify the day’s activities. Thus, morning came before we made our decision not to let that Imperial Parrot get the best of us. Though traveling back to the Syndicate added 30 percent to the day’s travels, we chose to retrace our route back up the coast road. Part of that plan also included a stop for some coastal birding that we had missed on the way south. So, we found ourselves passing through Roseau and the Botanical Gardens to pay our respects to the crushed school bus, snap a photo of Carib Grackles (we often seem to miss recording the more common species), then off to the north we went.
Short of the halfway point on our drive, just past the Taureau cliffs, where Tropicbirds are said to reside in season, we pulled over next to a gated, gravel lot and walked out towards the Caribbean. Looking to our right, we could see the Layou river mouth with several tidewater pools. These pools held a number of Snowy and Great Egrets, several Spotted Sandpipers and Royal Terns. A Magnificent Frigatebird kept watch over 18 Brown Pelicans in case they were to offer to share a fish meal. One Brown Booby zoomed by, low over the bright blue water. A pleasant day of perfect weather this far, without rain, though clouds covered much of the sky. As we left, Liz photographed a resting Antillean Crested Hummingbird for a good memory to bring back.

From the Layou River mouth:

Soon, we were turning onto the familiar entrance to the Syndicate, forging straight up, no stopping until we were at the Nature Trail overlook. By 10:30, our feet were planted, scope set (for the first time!) and our anticipation high. By 12:30, 3 Red-necked Parrots, 9 Lesser Antillean Swifts and 2 Broad-winged Hawks later, we knew we’d been skunked by the Great Sisserou, the phantom parrot. With a cross island drive ahead of us and another LIAT flight in the morning, the party, as they say, was over. We admired the large forest trees with their smooth and fluted trunks on our slow walk out of the forest. The worst of our disappointment was gone in minutes. No way to stay glum in that kind of beauty.
A hard rain caught up with us before the trail ended but stopped for us to briefly bird the Visitor Center. Our total “take” here was a Green-throated Carib, an Antillean Crested Hummer, one Red-necked Parrot, a Caribbean Elaenia and the last Rufous-throated Solitaire. We also couldn’t resist one stop on Syndicate road, at the orange grove where Birdy had stopped us for a long shot at the big Amazon. I won’t say that slim chance wasn’t in the back of our mind but for our short stop we did see more hummingbirds, including the Blue-headed, plenty of Lesser Antillean Bullfinches and Bananaquits, and Red-necked Parrots, whose numbers would say that they are doing very well.
Our travel up to Portsmouth and across the island went well. The roads were narrow and winding and the French drains menacing but driving tension seemed less of a factor. We were looking forward to returning the Rav 4 that afternoon. That didn’t go perfectly however, as the holidays gave Valley some credit card difficulties that were patiently straightened out to the satisfaction of all. Valley supplied us with a free shuttle and we were driven by an aspiring race car driver a very short (thankfully!) distance to Casa Phillpe in Marigot. Our hillside stay had a nice view of the Atlantic, a full kitchen and a congenial host who happened to also be an air traffic controller at the Douglas-Charles airport. While Phillipe and a friend worked on getting the shower to produce hot water, we prepared our bags for travel.

Dec 28 In the morning, we watched Zenaida Doves, Bananaquits, Bullfinches and Antillean Crested Hummingbirds from the patio as the day brightened. Over the misty ocean, we could see a pair of Frigatebirds, unmistakeable in shape even at a distance. Jason, the same driver, who happened to be Phillipe’s neighbor (it’s a small town), had us at the airport within a breath or two. After getting our ticket, we were able to spend some time with our bins outside the terminal watching the Kachibona River and adjacent forest. A nice mix of Dominica birds - Cattle and Great Egrets, a Solitary Sandpiper, one Green Heron, Gray Kingbirds, a Zenaida Dove, Bananaquits and Bullfinches - to finish up our island visit, including a lost Antillean Bullfinch inside the terminal waiting area. I was stopped by any further birding from inside the
waiting area when I was told to put the bins away. Dominica coffee was being sold in the small gift shop; I was tempted to buy a 32 ounce package of Sisserou coffee until I noticed it was priced at $25 per pound.
Naturally, the expected happened. Our plane was an hour late and heavy rain fell while waiting to board. None of that would stop us from returning. Small as this country is, the beautiful forests and coast and the people of Dominica would be worth a second visit.

EBird lists:

Caribbean Blue, Calibishie:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33144616
Calibishie Road:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33145331
Cabrits:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33153352
Savanne Paille:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33183258
Syndicate Road:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33172392
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33172472
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33172506
Portsmouth:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33183004
Syndicate:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33183042
Roseau Botanical Gardens:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33183078
Coastal Highway:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33183195
Scott’s Head:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33196365
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33196367
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33196620
Morne Prosper, Bluemoon Studio:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33216728
Middleham Falls trail:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33216944
Papillote:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33217042
Trafalgar Falls:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33216711
Layou River mouth:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33233842
Syndicate:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33233883
Syndicate Road:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33233905
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33233905
Marigot, Casa Phillipe:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33258255
Melville Hall Airport:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S33258257

Thanks for the report.
Very detailed and useful for anyone visiting this beautiful island.
Its a real Carribean gem!

You are very welcome, pratincol. Driving was a little tense but we enjoyed all other aspects of the country. Too bad for its people that it is such a poor country and likely to remain that way. Good news for the Dominica environment. I imagine the island will be much the same for years to come, barring damaging hurricanes.

S

Hamhed said:

You are very welcome, pratincol. Driving was a little tense but we enjoyed all other aspects of the country. Too bad for its people that it is such a poor country and likely to remain that way. Good news for the Dominica environment. I imagine the island will be much the same for years to come, barring damaging hurricanes.

S

Click to expand...

I understand it's the lack of attractive beaches and the small airport [with no international flights] which have saved it from mass tourism.

We didn't visit many beaches but it is true that they aren't world class level. In the attached photo, you can see the small rocks at the shoreline which occur in patches and make walking less enjoyable if not downright difficult. The dramatic terrain of Dominica is not inviting to either industry or large scale agricuture.
One industry we did see from the whaling boat was a coastal pumice mine.

S