Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco, Brasil

Dear Family,

Today (Friday) I came face to face, literally point blank, with a sea turtle in its own habitat. As I snorkeled at the Praia do Sueste, it was an awe-inspiring experience to look into her eyes as she tried to nibble on my mask. I didn't have a camera since I was in the water, but it was definitely a Kodak moment. I was humbled by her streamlined simplicity, not only in reference to her physical contour, but also the simplicity of her way of life. I don't mean to get all sea turtle zen here, but when one of the turtles guided me around the bay for five or ten minutes, I felt like I was being taught a life lesson by one of the world's greatest masters. While in the water, we also saw rays, a teeny-tiny octopus, a moree eel and tons of other amazing fish and crabs that I don't even know the names of in English, much less Portuguese. Another really cool thing happened today: Fernando de Noronha is home to Projeto Tamar which has one of Brazil's most important sea turtle breeding programs. Today, the biologists helped a nest of newly hatched sea turtles find their way to the ocean and we got some of the action on film.

Needless to say, we are having a great time in Fernando de Noronha. This archipelago is a national nature preserve, very well managed, and is probably one of the best kept secrets of Brazil. Most of the tourists here are not foreigners like us, but rather Brazilians taking a holiday from their bustling busy lives on the mainland. We arrived Thursday and will be here until Sunday afternoon. Wish me luck for the next episode of my adventure and here are some photos.

Love,
Daddy