My cousins had spent some time at Watamu Bay, with a project rescuing turtles entangled in local fishing nets, and getting the local communities involved in their conservation.

Being up the road in Malindi, we popped by to catch up on their project.

being shown the new turtle tanks by Kahindi

This hawksbill turtle has a developmental problem, and isn't properly balanced so swims in circles.

He/she (difficult to tell at this age) has been with the project since it was a little, well, nipper.

Steve and Jane 'Turtle' (as locals call them) of Watamu Turtle Watch

The warm sea was full of bobbing seaweed and seed pods which I didn't recognise. These formed strange and fascinating mobile upside-down underwater forests, extending down from the surface.

Sadly it was also full of of plastic, bits of rope and other junk. I collected a huge pile in a few minutes.

young local boys catching little fish to keep as pets

 

Sadly we didn't have long before we had to return to our luxurious pools at Malindi.

The pool below was just delicious in the moonlight, soothing away the heat of the day.