Beachcombing for Octopus

 

We finally figured out that instead of scrambling over rocks to the beach in high tide, you can actually walk the entire shore line at low tide. When the tide goes out it leaves a hard surface (sandstone & coral?) that looks like rows of waves. The rock surface is smooth on the top but curls under on the side facing shore where pools of water are left by the receding tide.  We wondered why there were so many locals walking along poking at the pools of water with a big stick.  Turns out they're hunting for octopus.
 

As the tide recedes, octopus get caught in the water on the shore side of the rock waves and burrow in.  The locals have long sticks with a big hook on the end and use these for digging in the pools until they find an octopus hiding in the rocks.  They then use the hook to retrieve it and bag it for making one of the many octopus dishes served here (soup, stew, grilled, calamari, etc).  As we no longer have a camera or a phone, this picture was retrieved from the internet and does not show the wave like rock formations. The picture above that we took when the tide was higher shows the beginnings of the formations, which go out a couple of hundred meters during low tide. Note the stick in this guy's right hand and the octopus in his left.

Anyway, we like to stroll along the shoreline mid-morning and watch the pelicans, the octopus hunters, the fishermen checking their nets after the morning's catch has been delivered, and the occasional whale jumping in the distance.  It's about two kilometers to the Malecon which is a wide sandy beach surrounded by restaurants and shops.  There we'll stop for a late breakfast or early lunch or a visit with people we've met at the various ex-pat functions before heading home for a swim and an afternoon nap.