We decided to head back to Haputo Beach, which is, once again, my favorite beach outing here on Guam. It ended up being quite a “nature” adventure. On the way down, besides seeing all the big spiders, FG saw this monitor lizard in the thick brush:
I know it’s not a great photo (it sort of looks like those loch nest monster photos) but there was no way I was getting too close. He was a BIG guy and looked hungry! The monitor lizards can get up to one meter and I know this guy was at least that long. Their numbers in Guam have declined a lot and it might be due to the poisonous frog.
A little further down the trail, we saw a Blue Tailed Skink which is part of the lizard family. Only the juveniles and females have the conspicuous blue tail. It was nice of her to pose for our camera. It’s hard to miss them:
Then when I went snokeling at Haputo, I found a blue starfish. I’ve seen them before but never get tired of looking at them. They are so odd looking. For anyone worried about the starfish’s welfare, I put him back exactly where I found him.
It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon ~ communing with nature.
Displaced Beachbums 
Heidi: A lot of the beaches on Guam are considered Nature Preserves and it’s illegal to fish, take any shells or artifacts. That’s my rule no matter where we go ~ I’m trying to teach FG to leave nature as it is. It’s OK to observe but not disturb. I felt bad even taking the starfish out of the water but I couldn’t resist ~ I find them so interesting.
I can only hope other people feel the same way.
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Love to see you in the photos! What do you do with the blue starfish? Do people keep them? Is that illegal?
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Patti – you are the last person on Earth whom I would worry about an animals welfare with! The boy LOVES your pics of the colorful starfish there.
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