Poor Vanuatu was hit hard last weekend by Cyclone Pam. Lucky for us, the cyclone stayed a long way offshore (hundreds of kilometres in fact). We didn't even have much of a breeze, just some heavy showers of rain. The only real sign of 'Pam's' presence was the violent sea, especially on the North side of our island. Cascade Pier copped a hammering, with huge waves thumping in with such force, I did wonder if the towering metal crane could withstand its power. In my five years living here, I don't ever remember seeing such wild angry waves before. It was tumultuous to say the least!
Snorkelling in Emily this week, I saw evidence of damage from that punishing swell. To begin with the water was so cloudy it was impossible to navigate wearing a snorkel mask. Later in the week, after the sediment settled, I noticed sections of broken coral and tangled tufts of weedy (land) grass on the sea bed.
Mother Nature is impressively commanding, it's both sobering and humbling to witness her extremes in temperament. I'm sure our coral reef will heal in time, just like Vanuatu! But I wonder, must Mother Nature be so harsh? Perhaps she is trying to tell us something!
Some of us are listening.
No comments:
Post a Comment