We also found lots of boats the other day, not sure if they were pirates or not. On a few occasions I took the campaigners out in a small inflatable, to have a chat with the fishermen and do some documenting. The first boat was hauling in their nets as we arrived and soon accelerated off at about 12 knots. It was difficult for me to know if they were running away or just clearing their engines after a trawl. It was also hard for the campaigners to hold a conversation with the crew, while I tried to pace the vessel safely. While driving and having several of this trawler's crew looking down at us, from their deck, I suddenly noticed that I was wearing sandals and the toe nails of my left foot were still painted green.

What must these people think, I wonder? Maybe that's why they were escaping at high speed? Anyway my nails were painted green by the 'sadistic squid', during the 'crossing the line ceremony'. I am not exactly sure where this ceremony originates, but I imagine it was long ago, by men who had spent too long at sea and who were feeling lonely, perhaps it was a chance for them to release some of their built up tensions and frustrations... hmm? Then we found another ship which was the mother ship for lots of small fishermen.

This ship takes 200 men with small canoes to a fishing area and stays for three months. While they catch fish, they all live on board the tiny vessel in terrible conditions and recieve $200 each at the end of three months! They have been forced to do this and head further south all the time, due to people over fishing in their traditional areas where they live. This is just one example of the results of pirate/over fishing. More and more ships followed, which our campaigners boarded, for documentation and to check out if they were legal or not.

A few nights ago was lovely, with most of the crew were standing on the bow of the Esperanza, all uttering oohs and arrhs of pleasure and excitement as the ship made its way through swarms of spawning fish and their luminous juices of love. Large amounts of bioluminescence were suddenly spurting in all directions as the bow of the ship pushed gently forward, gliding through the sea of sexy fish. Wow!

On the morning that we found the pirates, I was waking up with my coffee whenI was told by Sara that the ship ahead was a pirate vessel, and they had little baby turtles tied to the mast and the poor things were crying for their mothers. At that time in the morning I will believe anything and I was shocked and wondering how to rescue them. Well we arrived in the jet boat and put the officials on board who then arrested the vessel and as I type this now, we are escorting it back to Conakry. The crew of the pirate ship seemed not to be too bothered, I hope that the 'company' that owns the vessel will be punished and not the unfortunate (mainly Chinese) crew, they appear to be desperate people. We will see what happens tomorrow! Time for bed and some rest ready for tomorrow.

- Ed