palau aquarium: yet another venomous fish

It was overcast yesterday morning and rain was in the forecast. E. was having second thoughts about his dive day,  but off we went to the dive shop. I watched as the divers made their preparations and then left to go to the aquarium even before they pulled out for the day.

The aquarium wasn't open yet, so I sat and read a book I'd brought along. I had brought a tote with stuff, intending to fill the time by hanging out in the coffee shop of the aquarium, as the dive boat was going to be out until nearly 4.

Eventually, the aquarium opened (fee $8) no coffee shop-- gift shop only (canned drinks available)

so I went in. There were educational blocks of text posted on the walls and in little A frame signs, discussing the importance of the mangrove areas and the sea grass areas.

There were 2 little thatched shade areas, between exhibit areas, that looked out onto the water area where the dive boats and other small craft come and go. One with a small picnic table and one with 2 benches. The one with the picnic table was wet from the rain, as the covering was missing quite a bit of thatch, so I sat for awhile at the other one and looked at my book some more. 

A mom and a toddler came through about an hour later, local residents out running errands just stopping in for a quick visit... and they were the only visitors who came besides me the whole day.

I hadn't eaten breakfast, so I decided to go to back to the diveshop for lunch. They have a restaurant named the Barracuda. The girl at admissions told me I could return again after lunch. Except for a couple staff and the teenage children of the owners, I was the only one there. I was the only one having lunch. I had a grilled fish steak special for $10.

It came with salad and rice and was tasty. Downside was the iced tea... no free refills. So lunch ended up being $14 plus tip.

After lunch I went back to the aquarium to look at the other couple of exhibits there.   There was a shallow tank, divided by a wall with  a handful of fish on one side: a nurse shark sitting on the bottom, a turtle whose eyes seemed to be saying "get me out of here" and a large blue Napolean Wrasse, with his big turquoise blue lips- he seemed to like showing off and half the time the top of his fin was sticking up out of the water.

On the other side of that tank there were some smaller fish and some young giant clams. They had their shells open and the fleshy part between the shells was patterned in black and white. Whenever a fish came too close the muscles would give a slight spasm/ shudder and they would close a bit. (At the snorkel site called "clam city" I had seen clams that were my age (57, now- had my birthday last week) and the flesh between their shells is covered over with bright chartreuse green algae.

In a bare, smallish tank there were 5 of the stingless jellyfish from jellyfish lake. Seeing them made me glad I passed up that opportunity, they creep me out. (Jellyfish lake requires a separate $35- one day permit in addition to the tour charge.) Truly, it was enough to see these few specimens blobbing around in the water.

**In a very small tank there was a stone fish. Highly venomous. Lies on the sandy/rocky bottom and tries to blend in. Easy for it to do as it doesn't look anything like an animal.

Add it to my list-another animal to be concerned about.  The treatment, curiously, is hot water. For some reason hot water (which isn't readily available on the tour boats) neutralizes the toxin...   very curious about that... (treatment for stingray venom is the same)

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There were a couple more tanks, one large and a couple small, including one with a nautilus that was tightly closed in his shell, but that was basically it.  I did spend quite a bit of time at the aforementioned bench overlooking the sea... at least it wasn't the four beige walls of the motel room.  The rain never materialized, but it wasn't brightly sunny either. There were some small breezes and it was comfortable. I didn't take out my pens at all, and wasn't really in the mood to read either... and somehow the day passed. It was an okay day.. they can't all be amazing.

Before leaving, I had a peek in at the crocodile, whose enclosure/pen is in the parking lot area. He was a good size, much bigger than I'd been led to believe they had here when I researched them online. He was in a deep sleep, eyes tightly closed. His pen didn't have any vegetation in it (or water at the time I looked). I felt a bit sorry for him.