Playful Sea Lions
But today the iridescent flat sea was ideal for exploration of our new world. We immediately launched the glass-bottomed kayaks on the yacht and paddled into shore. The sea lions followed us and could be seen frolicking underneath the kayaks.  They reminded me of playful, mischievous children the way they followed from a distance and ducked down below the water when we turned around to look at them.  They were an absolute delight to watch, and for me, the undoubted highlight of our four-day visit to the Pelsaert group in the south of the Abrolhos.

Pelsaert Island is a long sandy cay running down the eastern edge of a large lagoon full of reefs. A wide expanse of reef to the south absorbs the brunt of the enormous ocean swells that pound these isolated islands, and protects the lagoon. From our anchorage a few miles away, there was the constant roar of surf crashing, and the white boiling foam and spray could be easily seen. The Abrolhos rise up quickly from beyond the continental shelf and have caught many seafarers unawares. The outer reef is littered with shipwrecks; not surprisingly the English translation of the Dutch name Abrolhos is "keep your eyes open".

Something Smells Fishy
The sky above the island was dark with sea birds diving and calling and there was the distinct smell of guano in the air. Guano, which is the polite term for bird excreta, was mined here on a commercial scale until the 1940s. Noddies and terns nest, breed and fish throughout the islands. The white sandy beach on the lagoon side of Pelsaert contrasted starkly with the coral beach on the outer side. All manner of flotsam and jetson was washed ashore amongst the coral. Fishermen's floats and nets provided evidence of the large lobster industry operating from March to June each year.

As you approach the Abrolhos by sea, what are at first shadows on the horizon gradually evolve into scores of low islands dotted with fishermen's huts. The maze of jetties gives the impression of a floating village, rising from the sea like something from a Mad Max movie. But the jetties are all private property solely for use by the commercial fishermen, and visitors are advised to keep their distance.

Island Communities
Three handmade memorial crosses along the dunes on Morley Island form a striking tribute overlooking the turquoise sea. As with the hand-engraved plaque marking the death of an infant son at Pelsaert Island, they made me wonder about the people who come to these harsh, windswept islands for their livelihood. As in any community, births, deaths and marriages occur, but it is the reminders of death that stand out so vividly. It is apparent that life at the Abrolhos has never been easy.

Wildlife Provide the Entertainment
Marine and bird life abound in this "A" class nature reserve. Dolphins invariably escorted us out of the lagoons and sea lions welcomed us into the next one. The latter were either lying flat on the beach in the hot sun or cavorting in the shallows around our kayaks. Many times we tiptoed past them on the beach as they reluctantly opened one big brown curious eye, before flopping back in the sand, groggy and listless in the midday heat. Clouds of noddies and terns darkened the sky above many of the islands; others burrowed or nested in the low scrub. Oysters were shucked and eaten fresh from the rocks at Morley Island.