Today the Caledonian Star anchored close to the shore of the seldom visited Venezuelan island of Isla Blanquilla, and after breakfast we headed ashore for nature hikes and snorkeling in the turquoise warm waters of the southern Caribbean. Those taking the nature hikes had some great glimpses of Ruby Topaz Hummingbirds, a pair of Crested Caracaras, and on return to the beach, a pair of island endemic parrots - the Yellow-shouldered Amazon. The hikers were all quite warm and quickly jumped in the refreshing waters and began snorkeling. We could then return to the ship for lunch, or we could stay ashore and enjoy a picnic lunch on the beach and another quick dip. A great day in the warm waters of this idyllic tropical getaway.

Late in the afternoon we sailed through the group of islands known as Los Hermanos (the Brothers), and kept watch for a number of new seabird species, and it was here we came upon a feeding frenzy of Laughing Gulls, Brown Boobies and Magnificent Frigatebirds. We watched the birds feasting on schools of small fish that were breaking the surface of the water, it was quite a spectacle. After some time we dispatched the undersea specialists in a Zodiac to get some underwater footage with the "splash cam" to see if we could get a better idea of what was driving the small fish to the surface. We got some incredible footage of the schools of anchovies huddling together in big "balls" trying to evade the predatory Jacks that were feeding on them from below. The anchovies were being forced to the surface by the Jacks and were then also being attacked from above by the birds. It was carnage from below and above, and our new underwater equipment and operators allowed us to capture all of the action. It was an amazing way to end the day.