Islands: they’re hard to get to. It’s why biologists find so much to study on islands, but it means they can also present major logistical hurdles… a blessing and a curse!
Things never go quite as planned on a field expedition. You have to roll with the punches and be ready to improvise. This trip has had a few unexpected hurdles (and, to be fair, unexpected opportunities), but one of our major unanticipated challenges has been getting to all of the small islands around Ibiza and Formentera. In the course of his research (starting in 2009), Nate developed a close relationship with the Natural Reserve office here in Formentera, and in past summers they have graciously provided him with a boat and driver whenever he has needed to collect data one of the many uninhabited islands near Formentera.
Javi (in the green jacket) skillfully navigates Formentera’s Natural Reserve boat toward Islas Negras, small islands between Ibiza and Formentera (Ibiza is in the background). Javi and Edu (in the red jacket) were a fun – and knowledgeable – team to spend a day on the water with!
Unfortunately, we arrived in Formentera to find that the situation had changed. Despite the Natural Reserve’s best efforts to help us, we’ve only gotten access to their boat for one day so far, and worse still, the boat is now out of commission for repairs, so we probably won’t get to use it again! But in the absence of our “Plan A,” we’ve improvised. We’ve swum to a few islands near the shore, towing our gear in a raft. We’ve used an inflatable kayak. And we’ve gotten help from the National Parks office in Ibiza as well – we’ve been out on their boat once already, and we’re looking forward to spending more time with them when we revisit Ibiza next week. In any case, we’ve learned that nothing is certain until we’re actually on the water, so we always make backup plans for photography here on Formentera… and we’re ready to hop on the boat at a moment’s notice when the opportunity presents itself!
We’ve only got nine more shooting days on the island! There’s still lots to do, of course (we’ll never get all of the images we want!), but we’re really happy with our progress so far, and we can’t wait to share the fruits of our labors with all of our Kickstarter backers and blog readers! More news soon, so stay tuned!
Boats aren’t just useful, they’re fun! Here Liz is enjoying the ride to the Bledes islands with the National Parks boat in Ibiza.
Nate and Amanda work together to inflate the “Explorer 200,” a small raft that we’ve used to float our gear to some nearby islands, as we swim alongside it.
Our field crew embarks for the Bledes Islands (with their all-black lizards!) on the Ibiza National Parks boat. Jorge, in the foreground, generously shared with us his considerable knowledge of the islands and their wildlife.
When islands are fairly close to the shore, kayaking is an option. Here, Liz paddles toward the island of Cala Salada with our photo gear safe and dry in the kayak, while we swim behind her.
Boats moored in the harbor at La Savina, the main port in Formentera. Thanks to the Natural Reserve office in Formentera, this is where we embarked for Islas Negras, with their orange-bellied green lizards.