Friday afternoon on Statia and it is time to "Take a Minute to Relax" at my desk. Yoeri's video series of underwater clips always helps me to calm down and focus on what there still is to do afterwards (link in bio). The to-do lists are nicely tugged into the folder on the floor. Some points are also in my calendar "Ein guter Plan" or the little notebook "Eine gute Idee". I love the business and products of @einguterplan - they work as my offline blog. There is a bit of creative chaos next to me on the floor. Other than that, I try to keep my workspace tidy. Let's face it, it is not a huge table to start off with. Usually, I have a cup (or bottle) of tea standing next to me. In the beginning, I was super enthusiastic about sitting outside on our beautiful veranda, writing while overlooking our land and the ocean. Unfortunately, even under the roof, it is way too bright most of the day. Reading and writing are sometimes still possible, but working on pictures is out of the question. Also, there are so many little visitors coming by to distract me. Therefore I created my little safe heaven upon our guest room floor. Welcome to my happy place! #devocean #devotion #eustatius #statia #blog #writing #filming #underwaterfilming #underwatervideo #videoseries #boomboomblog2022 #Whereiwork #Officeoftheday #caribbean #karibik #inselleben #islandlife #tauchen #duiken #diving #whaleshark #walhai #happyplace

***** German week - my apologies ***** Ich habe eine zeitlang nicht gebloggt, weil ich alles schwarz-weiß gesehen habe, weil ich mich in Details verloren habe und zugleich vor dem großen Ganzen erstarrt bin. Ich habe nicht mehr geschrieben, weil ich mit Ängsten besetzt war, weil mir Enttäuschungen getrieben von eigenen Erwartungen ins Ohr geflüstert haben, dass das sowieso nichts bringe, dass ich viel zu spät dran sei und sowieso niemanden interessiere, was ich zu sagen habe. Ich habe mich klein und unsichtbar gemacht, um nicht verletzt zu werden und erst später erkannt, dass ich mich durch diese Begrenzung selbst verletze. Danach habe ich mich nicht wohl gefühlt und aufgerieben in einem Job, der mir viel zu viel Energie geraubt hat. Ich habe mir vorgeworfen, wenn ich in der freien Zeit nicht auf Knopfdruck kreativ sein konnte. Letztlich war ich getrieben von dem Irrglauben, dass ich Ergebnisse vorweisen muss, dass erst die Anerkennung von anderen meinen Texten Wert gibt. Jetzt will ich einfach wieder den Prozess genießen, mich mit Leichtigkeit im Schreiben verlieren, um ganz woanders wieder aufzutauchen. Ich schmeiße meinen Perfektionismus über Bord und vertraue auf Entwicklung. Einfach dem Fluss hingeben und die Reise genießen, so wird das wieder mit dem Bloggen und mir. Auf dem Foto ist übrigens eine Seefeder zu sehen (Virgularia sp.), die ich 2020 auf Bali fotografiert habe. Genau an diese Zeit und die Schreibenergie von damals möchte ich jetzt anschließen. #boomboomblog2022 #bloggen #schreiben #schreibblockade #schreibangst #neuanfang #devocean #devotion #hingabe #blog

Our plans for the summer: Making the most out of our new home on St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands. The white house is a great start to beat the heat and, of course, there will be plenty of dips in the ocean - swimming, snorkelling and diving. Other than that it is going to be wild and free, new and adventurous, playful and busy while we are bringing Devocean Pictures to the next level. I have to admit it is a little scary too. After all, we dive into new roles and make ourselves as well as the process visible ... #homesweethome #beattheheat #littlehouseontheprairie #beginning #newbeginnings #Statia #Eustatius #caribbean #caribbeannetherlands #caribischnederland #Karibik #inselleben #islandlife #summer2022 #devotion #devocean #boomboomblog2022

***** German for a change ***** Ich blogge, weil ich schreiben liebe. Weil ich mich auf diese Weise nicht nur ausdrücken kann, sondern durch das Schreiben immer tiefere Schichten von und in mir freilege. Ich blogge auch, weil ich meinen Bildern eine weitere Dimension hinzufügen will. Weil ich Geschichten liebe und gerne Neues kennenlerne - über die Welt, über die Menschen, über alles, was uns umgibt. Ich blogge, weil Vieles davon bedroht ist und noch mehr mit uns untergehen wird, wenn wir alle einfach so weitermachen wie bisher. Weil ich denke, dass Wissen Macht ist und dabei Empathie, Toleranz und Kreativität wahre Wunder wirken könnten. Ich blogge, um nicht zu verzweifeln, doch auch weil ich Menschen die Natur und das Tauchen näher bringen möchte, weil ich die Welt, so wie ich die sehe, dokumentiere. Weil ich mich darüber weiterentwickle, austausche und vernetze. Ich blogge, um meine Welt zu verstehen und zu verändern. Weil ich mich und andere inspirieren will, damit wir über uns hinauswachsen. #boomboomblog2022

🐦 The island is pretty dry at the moment. When we moved into our little house on the prairie, I put a little bowl with water out for the birds. 🐝 Turns out also the insects are thirsty. Unfortunately, the red walls of the bowl were quite steep for the bees visiting us. After one of them drowned two days ago, I put out an alternative insect-friendly drinking lid. Seems like word went around quickly as it is getting busy, particularly in the mornings. 💚 I love this photo opportunity! And I would love to tell you more about the bees - as we do with so many other animals. However, I have no idea. 🧐 Swarm intelligence on! Our dear friends on St. Eustatius and the wider Caribbean area, does somebody of you know which bee we are watering here? @Jan-Joost and @celbeesstatia #bees #bee #macro #supermacro #devotion #devocean #naturephotography #insects #Statia #Eustatius #swarmintelligence #livingtogether #caribbean #dutchcaribbean #caribbeannetherlands #nederland #drinking #isandlife #inselleben #saveourbees #greenplanet #naturelover #insecta #naturestories #Karibik #caribischnederland

My upcycling vision and notice board is ready for #boomboomblog2022 by @sympatexter Judith came up with a very interesting topic for soul searching as well as writing. For me, these two are linked anyway. You can read all about it in German on Sunday, 29th of May 2022. Even though I still publish on our English blog "Dive, travel, connect & protect" I feel quite stuck with my creative writing. Lots of our late postings were based on Yoeri's YouTube series "Take a Minute to Relax". I love them (clips and stories) as I always learn a lot about the underwater world. However, my last German post on "Blog: Abgetaucht" was in July 2021. Somehow it feels like a lifetime away. 2020 I had a real run. I'd like to jump back into that playful, cheerful and positive mood and just write like I don't care. I am looking forward to the inspiration and motivation created by such a challenge. Let's go with the flow! #visionboard #blog #writing #creativewriting #yourstory #gowiththeflow #devotion #devocean #unstuckyourself #Inspiration #motivation #challenge #soulsearching

🐢 World Endangered Species Day 🧐 Not a very happy affair as species are listed as endangered when they are likely to become extinct in the near future. This can be due to the loss of habitat in general or the loss of too many individuals to keep up a healthy gene pool. 👉 The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) records the global conservation status of many species in the so-called Red List of Threatened Species. Another abbreviating playing a crucial role in trying to manage the decline of biodiversity is CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention). CITES is a multilateral treaty to protect such endangered plants and animals. 🏝 For Statia, Hawksbill, Green and Leatherback Sea Turtles are listed under Appendix I of this treaty. Commercial trade in wild-caught specimens of these species, about 1,200, is illegal (permitted only in exceptional licensed circumstances). 📸 Let's only take pictures or ban them on posters to raise awareness about their status. Most importantly, we work towards protecting whole habitats as this will profit not only the one species listed as endangered, but the ecosystem as a whole. After all, we don't have the data to determine correctly if "a population has declined between 50 and 70 percent. This decline is measured over 10 years or three generations of the species, whichever is longer" in order for them to qualify as being endangered. 🐙 One thing is for sure: Yoeri counts as his own species! And encountering turtles - no matter if while diving, snorkelling or swimming around Statia - is a very special experience as they might just come to check you out. 💙 Learn more about "Statia's sea turtles 1: Species, sex & individuals" on our blog "Dive, travel, connect & protect" (link in bio). 🙏 Special thanks to Andy for taking this picture many moons ago. #statia #worldendangeredspeciesday #endangered #endangeredspecies #statia #eustatius #devocean #devotion #turtle #hawksbill #seaturtle #diving #marinepark #yoeribulk #cites #iucn #blog #conservationstatus #caribbean #caribbeannetherlands #dutchcaribbean #tauchen #scuba

Moon meditation! What I recently learnt: Every lunar eclipse is called a blood moon and every full moon has its own name. 🌕 As this month it was the flower moon, I did evening meditations out in the garden right next to my favourite flower. 😊 So proud I grew this one successfully from a cut off branch. I also reproduced other plants and gave them a new home in our big garden. 🌪 All this and more I wanted to share with you in my first proper IG story ever. After hours (so it felt) with uploading 8 pictures, adding stickers and text describing my gardening and upcycling project, it had all disappeared ... 🌈 Luckily, meditating helps me to accept what happens, to stay calm and breathe. 🌞 At least, I practiced using the business suite and its tools. I shall give it another try tomorrow. For now, I go out into the garden to feel the sunshine. #fullmoon #meditation #flower #flowermoon #devocean #devotion #Statia #Eustatius #caribbean #nightsky #gardening #breathing #shithappens

Chilling in the sun! Happy Sunday 🌄 🌱 When watering our vegetable garden yesterday we disturbed a Red-bellied Racer (Alsophis rufiventris) sunbathing. Unfortunately, we didn't have a camera ready. The one on the picture we spotted up on the path to Mazinga the highest point of the volcano Quill on St. Eustatius. 🐍 This harmless snake species can be found only on Statia and Saba these days, after the Indian Mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) was introduced on St. Kitts and Nevis over 150 years ago. Meant to kill the poisonous snakes on plantations as it is immune to them, the mongoose didn't stop there. The carnivorous mammal reproduced happily wiping out all snakes on the islands. 📣 A good reminder to not mess with the balance within ecosystems by introducing alien species. 🌳 On Statia and Saba, the racer plays a key role in regulating small reptile and amphibian populations. Even though threatened by other invasive species like black rats (Rattus rattus) and cats (Felis catus) the population was considered stable. Therefore, the @International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) downgraded the status of the species from "endangered" to "vulnerable" in 2016. 🌬 But then Irma and Maria, two category 5 hurricanes, hit both islands in 2017 causing a lot of damage to the ecosystems. Loss of habitat, reduced number of prey, and direct mortality of racers raised concerns. 📉 Hannah Madden from the Caribbean Netherlands Science Institute (CNSI) and Lara Mielke from Saba Conservation Foundation joined forces to conduct a survey using line transects in different vegetation types. Density estimates for Statia (2019) are lower than Saba (2021), although both are in decline according to the researchers. Unfortunately, there is not enough data from before the hurricanes for modelling the trend in detail. They published an article on the website of the @dcnanature too. Just go to dcnanature.org/red-bellied-racer to read the details. 😍 In any case, we call ourselves lucky to have one in the garden. 🤞 for pictures! #racer #snake #quill #stanapa #dcna #cnsi #Eustatius #Statia #naturenews #caribbean #redbellied #devocean #devotion #Saba #iucn #vulnerable #enda

Unless you are invited! 😆 Or you bring some food along! 😋 Throwback Thursday: Amed, Bali, Indonesia spring 2020 The island is in a soft lockdown. Under the cover of darkness, we venture out for a dive. At first, the coconut octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) grabbed his shells - there are not always coconut husks available - to seek shelter. As soon as he noticed that my focus light was attracting tiny worms and other plankton he let down his guard though. Making use of my presence, he caught as much as he could while the water was rushing by. The strong and changing currents occurring day and night in the bay of Amed, Bali, often made it a little tricky to photograph. Octopus, cuttlefish and squid are in a class of their own in multiple ways. Classified as cephalopods they lack a backbone in their soft bodies but show remarkable intelligence for invertebrates. These savvy softies arouse a great deal of interest in divers and scientists alike. Read more about these wonderful creatures and their magical transformations in "Savvy softies: Octopus, cuttlefish and squid" on our website (link in bio: Photography → Underwater photography). #amed #Bali #indonesia #coconutoctopus #octopus #softies #devocean #devotion #warmregards #postcard #greetings #postkarten #diving #tauchen #duiken #plongee #bucear #menyelam #scuba #macro #nightdiving #Amphioctopusmarginatus #Amphioctopus #islandlife #inselleben #lockdown #2020 #throwbackthursday #tbt #cephalopod

To new beginnings: This one comes with a hammock from where we can see Statia's volcano The Quill and the ocean! 😍 Pure bliss and gratitude 💃This little white house on the prairie we make our home now. And we even have a bed for guests! 🙏 Manifestation at its best! This house and garden offers all we envisioned over the last months - and more. 🚗 First time in my life, I own a car. Okay, we own a car together. In any case, our Lola even has a garage now! 🌱 Off to find spots for all the plants and herbs of my moveable garden now. 🏵 Celebrate your weekend and create the life YOU want to live! #newbeginnings #manifestation #plants #garden #home #homesweethome #statia #sinteustatius #steustatius #Eustatius #caribbean #caribbeannetherlands #dutchcaribbean #celebrate #createyourlife #celebrateyourlife #volcano #quill #hammock #oceanview #seaview #weekendvibes #envision #gratitude #bliss #lifeworthliving #devotion #devocean #islandlife #inselleben

Every end is a new beginning! 🍀 Thank you so much, Josiane and Steve, for inviting us in your house, 🙏 for offering the opportunity to settle on Statia 🏝 and for giving us time to search for our own little place. 🌈 Enjoy your wonderful home and we wish you many, many spectacular sunsets to come! 🌅 #Statia #sinteustatius #Eustatius #steustatius #caribbeannetherlands #caribischnederland #dutchcaribbean #caribbean #Netherlands #islandlife #inselleben #Karibik #sunset #palm #palmtree #palme #sonnenuntergang #devotion #devocean #saba #home #homeawayfromhome #thankyou #thankful #friends #everyendisanewbeginning #newbeginning #end #endofday #eveningsky

This relaxing Minute features a colourful character, and its relationship with anemones, as well as certain coral species, and even some sea cucumbers: Harlequin Crab (Lissocarcinus laevis). In it, we see a Harlequin crab caught with its hand in the cookie jar, as it tries to get to some food before the anemone can eat it. As we look closely at this little scoundrel, we can see that the last hind legs are larger and flatter than the other ones. This is because they belong to the Portunidae family, also known as swimming crabs. With these flattened hind legs, these creatures are capable of swimming through the water column, when the need arises. However, like most swimming crabs, Lissocarcinus laevis prefers to keep its feet firmly on the seafloor, or on its host for that matter. But it’s nice to have options. This small, yet ornate species of swimming crab has a very smooth, reddish, light brown carapace with large white to yellow spots and markings which are often interconnected. So smooth in fact, that their genus name actually means „smooth crab“. Its claws are banded with white and brown/red bands. The females can be slightly larger than the males and can grow to a width of about 3,5cm, with a body that is wider than it is long. As with most crustaceans, after the eggs are fertilised by the male, they’re carried under the body of the female, who will protect and oxygenate them, until it’s time to release them. Once they hatch, the larvae go through a pelagic phase of several weeks, before settling down and growing into their adult form. All about the symbiotic relationship underneath this clip on our YouTube channel or in the blog posting in "Dive, travel, connect & protect" (links in bio). #crab #harlequin #swimmingcrab #harlequincrab #Lissocarcinuslaevis #indonesia #Bali #amed #blog #youtube #videoseries #devotion #devocean #symbiosis #anemone #diving #underwatervideo #underwater #uwvideo #uwclip #TakeaMinute #symbioticrelationship #macro #panasoniclumix #ghs5 #nauticam #archon #marinefacts #marineinfo #foodfight

Barracuda 27th of January 2015. This picture and information are helping to build up a bigger and less invasive database of Statia's sea turtles. Photo ID allows identifying and tracking individual turtles without ever touching them. And every diver and snorkeler with a camera can help to collect data. Just don‘t touch or harass them! Identifying individual animals allows @stenapastatia to gather information about their moving patterns and preferences. Such data is helping scientists and conservationists to better understand the life cycle and behaviour of the animal in question. The scales on the side of the face of any turtle are as individual as a fingerprint. As shown in the pictures, it is important to capture the side profile. Ideally even both sides of the turtle‘s face are photographed, but it will also work fine with just one. The more pictures we all send, the better the algorithm gets. Share your photos: seaturtle@statiapark.org  Whenever possible add the time, date and dive site the picture was taken. If you don‘t have that (exact) data anymore, don‘t worry. Every entry helps. If you are filming, just take a screenshot of the side profile. Make sure you credit your picture before handing it in as STENAPA doesn‘t have the capacity to keep track of the source of all photographs. The bigger the database, the more precisely STENAPA can follow Statia‘s sea turtles around the island and maybe even the whole Caribbean if databases are linked with other islands in the future. Thank you for your interest and participation! More information on how to identify different species as well as the sex of a turtle in our latest blog entry: "Statia's sea turtles 1: Species, sex & individuals" (link to "Dive, travel, connect & protect" in bio). #turtle #seaturtle #marineturtle #photoid #photoidentification #uwphotography #uwpic #underwaterphoto #statia #eustatius #steustatius #sinteustatius #caribbeannetherlands #caribbean #stenapa #caribischnederland #Nederland #islandlife #inselleben #devotion #devocean #oceanlovers #naturelovers #dutchcaribbean #marinepark #animallover #dive #travel #protect #connect

We present one of the many Caribbean hermit crabs  (Coenobita clypeatus), also known as the soldier crab, West Atlantic crab, tree crab, or purple pincher that can be found all over Statia, even inside the crater of the Quill. Adults burrow and hide under the roots of large trees. When they are out and about and people pass by, they usually retreat into their shells which often results in the crab rolling downhill. So if you hear "rolling stones" on St. Eustatius, take a second look. Like other terrestrial crabs, they can breathe air thanks to modified gills. Their shells help to keep the humidity necessary for the gas exchange to function properly. In this picture is the shell mostly used by the hermits on Statia: Cittarium pica, the West Indian top shell or magpie shell, is a large edible sea snail. Hermits can use their larger (usually left) claw to cover the aperture of the shell for protection against predators. Caribbean hermit crabs feed on animals and plant remains, overripe fruit, and faeces of other animals. Females release fertilized eggs into the ocean. The spawning happens on certain nights, usually around August. We shall keep an eye out for this event and are looking forward to meeting many more Coenobita clypeatus while walking, hiking and even trail running this wonderful Caribbean island. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Subphylum: Crustacea Class: Malacostraca Order: Decapoda Infraorder: Anomura Family: Coenobitidae Genus: Coenobita Species: C. clypeatus #crab #hermit #hermitcrab #caribbean #caribbeanhermitcrab #soldiercrab #shell #eyes #statia #steustatius #eustatius #sinteustatius #dutchcaribbean #caribbeannetherlands #devotion #devocean #quill #leaves #nature #decapoda #crustacea #hiking #walking #trailrunning #experiencenature #lovenature #naturefacts #treecrab #travel2022 #animallover