- Updates from the Islands -

- - Curaçao - -

• From: Marcus DeMaaijer <demaaijer at yahoo.com>
• Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2006 04:03:36 -0700 (PDT)

• From: Marcus DeMaaijer <demaaijer at yahoo.com>
• Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2006 05:45:02 -0700 (PDT)

• From: help at curacaowildlife.com
• Date: 19 Sep 2006 09:47:31 -0000

At 05.07 AM a distant runbleing noise from the east woke us up.  The thunder 
has been growing louder minute by minute and the ligtning storm is still 
offshore but is expected to come onshore within the next 90 minutes. The 
infrared satellite, however, shows nothing particular near us. Current wind 
direction is NorthWest (southwest direction is normal). Current windspeed is 5 
to 7 mph.

.
..
...
....
Karl.

• From: help at curacaowildlife.com
• Date: 5 Sep 2006 16:30:51 -0000

Current conditions in Curacao:

• From: help at curacaowildlife.com
• Date: 26 Aug 2006 16:09:51 -0000

New orleans has still not been able to fortify its levies yet,

we hope that this storm track is not dead-on accurate...

http://icons.wunderground.com/data/images/at200605_5day.gif


.
..
...
....
Karl.

• From: wendy at curacaowildlife.com
• Date: 26 Aug 2006 15:03:38 -0000

• From: help at curacaowildlife.com
• Date: 26 Aug 2006 12:53:58 -0000

Tip: save this conic map of the caribbean and use adobe photoshop to add a 
layer of longitude and lattitude measurements and/or a sat.image with 50 
percent opacity to track the weather systems, and see where excactly our 
friends are located.

http://www.curacaowildlife.com/images/map/caribbean.jpg


.
..
...
....
Karl.

• From: help at curacaowildlife.com
• Date: 26 Aug 2006 11:10:08 -0000

ps: right now it is 7 am, not 11am as the header shows, so subtract 4 hours 
from the time you see to get curacao local time.

• From: help at curacaowildlife.com
• Date: 26 Aug 2006 11:05:47 -0000

Yesterday afternoon it was earie: no wind, hot, humid and sticky. Standing in 
the shadows the perspiration was pouring from your skin. Last night there was 
no wind, and so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Around midnight a strong 
shower that lasted just a minute to 90 seconds. The predicted 1 to 2 inches of 
rainfall did not occur. At most we probably got one twentyfifth (0.04) of an 
inch in total (=1 millimeter). This experience was similar to when hurricane 
Ivan's eye passed by due north of Curacao.

Current conditions: heavy overcast sky, no wind and cool temperature of 24 
degrees celsius.

The clouds are expected to leave in a few hours. A few rains showers will be 
nice, but it does not look like any rain is going to come pouring down anytime 
soon. (sorry annie)

• From: help at curacaowildlife.com
• Date: 25 Aug 2006 18:09:56 -0000

Current conditions in Curacao:

Wind is often shifting and heading from southeast to northwest, instead of 
normal east to west direction. Windspeed approx 5-10 Km/hr. Blue skies with 
here and there a grey cloud. Similar blue skies in Bonaire: 
http://www.bonairewebcams.com/BeachCamNorth.php


Chances for beach erosion and riptides are currently minimal, but the 
probability is expected to increase 10 hours from now...we'll see. Windguru at 
http://www.windguru.cz/int/index.php?sc=9466 predicts crazy wind starting early 
saturday morning which means don't leave your 5 meter sails at home!! 

• From: pressrelease at curacaowildlife.com
• Date: 25 Aug 2006 13:56:19 -0000

As "five" keeps heading towards Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, this is a must read 
for pet and farm animal owners:

PRESS RELEASE - CURACAO WILDLIFE
August 25, 2006
Contact: pressrelease at curacaowildlife.com

Preparation tips for planning to keep animals safe during a storm.

BEFORE THE STORM

It may be difficult or impossible to care for your animals during a storm, so 
please use the tips below to plan ahead.

1. Know where to go: You should not leave animals at home, especially if you 
live in an evacuation area. Even if they survive the storm, they may flee a 
damaged home and be lost in the chaos. Ask friends, relatives or others outside 
the evacuation area whether they could shelter your animals in the event of an 
evacuation of the area you and your animals reside in. Ask your veterinarian, 
the animal shelter (Dierenbescherming), L.V.V. for suggestions on boarding your 
pet animal and farm animal in the event of a tropical storm and/or a hurricane. 

2. Vaccinate your animals: If you haven't already done so, get those shots now. 
Healthy pets have a greater chance of surviving the stresses of a storm. 
Infectious diseases can become a big threat after a disaster. 

3. If your animal suffers from anxiety, or if it is afraid of loud noises 
associated with lightning, consider asking the vet for some tranquilizers (not 
for you, for the animals).

4. Get your animal an ID tag: If a pet becomes lost or escapes during the 
confusion of an evacuation, proper identification will increase the chances of 
a safe return home. ID tags can be bought at Pet Care near Zuikertuintje and 
other pet shops. Consider having your animal tattooed or "microchipped." Take 
clear, color photos (frontal, left and right sides) of your pet, and store 
these with your pet's license, medical records and ownership papers in a 
waterproof carrier to take with you.

5. Get an animal or pet carrier: You will need an animal or pet carrier or cage 
for each dog, cat, rabbit, lizard, bird or small animal. Make sure it is large 
enough for each animal to stand up and turn around comfortably inside. If you 
have to, you can house more than one animal per carrier, but don't mix 
different animal species together. (Dog and cat together is generally a bad 
idea)

6. Assemble your animal disaster kit: It should include:
6.1. medications and medical records stored in a waterproof container; 
6.2. a leash and a properly fitted collar or harness for each animal; 
6.3. food and water dishes/containers that can not be tipped over and a 14-day 
supply of food and water in non-breakable containers; 
6.4. a manual can opener (in case there is no electricity); 
6.5. grooming supplies such as animal shampoo, towels, and brush;
6.6. your animal's blankets and special comfort items, like their favorite toy; 
6.7. cleanser and disinfectant to handle animal wastes including newspapers or 
cat litter, a poop scoop, paper towels and plastic bags.
6.8. antibacterial soap to wash your hands after handling animal wastes
6.9. tweezers for removing thorns, ticks or anything else caught in your pet's 
mouth or skin; 
6.10. scissors; tape, gauze pads and a roll of gauze to clean, cover and 
cushion injuries; 
6.11. iodine prep solution, an antiseptic solution for cleansing wounds or 
burns; 
6.12. alcohol pads to clean scissors, tweezers and hands; 
6.13. antibiotic ointment; 
6.14. styptic powder to stop bleeding; 
6.15. a blanket or towels for warmth;
6.16. blindfolds for birds of prey and large animals to keep them calm.

If you must leave animals behind in case of an evacuation, follow these tips:
7.1. post a highly visible sign (either on a window or a door) letting rescue 
workers know the breed and amount of animals which remain and send an email 
with the aforementioned information to help at curacaowildlife.com and a sms to 
6683500;
7.2. leave plenty of food and water in an adequate container that cannot be 
tipped over;
7.3. place extra food in waterproof storage containers close to the animals so 
rescue workers may feed them daily;
7.4. do not tie the animals or leave them confined in an area that may be 
easily destroyed by strong sustained winds and/or wind gusts;
7.5. remove overhanging limbs of trees which may break and fall on animals 
and/or their cage/shelter;
7.6. turn off power in or near the cage/shelter of the animals;
7.7. farm animals and large pets must be moved to higher ground in the event of 
heavy rain and/or storm surge if you live near the sea;
7.8. Remove debris and other material that may be a danger to animals in case 
of strong sustained winds and/or wind gusts.


AFTER THE STORM

Be careful about letting your pet outdoors. Landmarks and familiar scents might 
be gone, and your pet might get lost. It might also be attacked by animals let 
loose by the storm. Don't let it consume contaminated food or water. Watch out 
for electrical wiring that may be on the ground and can cause electrocution. 
Call Aqualectra and 911 if you find live and exposed electrical wire on your 
property. If your animal is lost or injured call or send an SMS message to the 
Curacao Wildlife hotline at 6683500 and send pictures of your lost animal to 
help at curacaowildlife.com or call the local animal shelter(dierenbeschermimg). 
If you should find a lost animal, please notify the local animal 
shelter(dierenbeschermimg) and Curacao Wildlife as soon as possible and be 
prepared to give a full description of the animal (color, breed, sex) and its 
location. Remember that sick and/or injured animals can become unpredictable 
from the stress of injury, and should be handled by a professional wh
 o is familiar with proper handling techniques.

• From: "Marcus de Maaijer" <Marcus at dolphin-academy.com>
• Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2006 12:31:58 -0400

Warmest regards,

Marcus DeMaaijer

• From: "Marcus de Maaijer" <Marcus at dolphin-academy.com>
• Date: Wed, 9 Aug 2006 14:14:11 -0400

• From: marcus at curacaowildlife.com
• Date: 27 Jul 2006 23:23:01 -0000

On Thursday July 27th, 9-12mm rain showers at approx 5am. Rest of the day overcast sky and no rain as the tropical wave passed Curacao off shore due north moving west. Waves were up to 0.5 meter along southern coastline with max 7 Km/hr wind. Current conditions at 7:22 PM: overcast sky and cool temperature of 24 degrees Celsius, with almost no wind.

Regards,

Marcus DeMaaijer

• From: "Marcus de Maaijer" <Marcus at dolphin-academy.com>
• Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2006 11:42:12 -0400

• From: "Marcus de Maaijer" <Marcus at dolphin-academy.com>
• Date: Wed, 12 Jul 2006 10:06:01 -0400

• From: Marcus DeMaaijer <demaaijer at yahoo.com>
• Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2006 20:18:34 -0700 (PDT)

• From: "Marcus de Maaijer" <Marcus at dolphin-academy.com>
• Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2006 15:11:34 -0400

• From: marcus at curacaowildlife.com
• Date: 5 Jul 2006 13:26:13 -0000

Between 2 am and 7 am this morning scattered light to moderate showers were experienced of short duration under 5 minutes.

Current conditions:
Even though GOES-12 Satellite shows no presence of bad weather over Curacao. However, there exists partially overcast sky with 17 km/hr wind inland and 25 km/hr at southern coastline with no fixed direction and occasional windgusts up to 65km/hr. Scattered light showers of very short duration (under 5 minutes) from center to western part of the island. From center to eastern part of Curacao no rain and high humidity due to morning showers. Above normal rough sea with up to 15 ft waves continues near the western tip and the northern coastline.

NOTE:
Strong windgusts have in past week have caused nests being blown out of trees, as a result 17 orphaned birds have been delivered in care of Curacao Wildlife via the local animal protection organization (Dierenberscherming), staff of local hotels, and local citizens. Eight birds were returned to nest, others entered the rescue & rehab program and will re-enter the wild habitats in 2 to 4 months, depending on intelligence level of bird species's ability to aquire wildlife survival skills during their rehab and training program.

Images:
http://www.curacaowildlife.com/images/orphans/avians/20060703-chuchubi.jpg

http://www.curacaowildlife.com/images/orphans/avians/20060703-alablanka.jpg

http://www.curacaowildlife.com/images/orphans/avians/20060703-trupiaal.jpg

Sincerely,

Marcus DeMaaijer
Curacao Wildlife

• From: "Marcus de Maaijer" <Marcus at dolphin-academy.com>
• Date: Tue, 4 Jul 2006 13:21:40 -0400

• From: marcus at curacaowildlife.com
• Date: 4 Jul 2006 03:38:34 -0000

• From: "Marcus de Maaijer" <Marcus at dolphin-academy.com>
• Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2006 16:55:38 -0400

• From: "Webmaster" <Webmaster at dolphin-academy.com>
• Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2006 15:43:20 -0400

• From: Marcus DeMaaijer <demaaijer at yahoo.com>
• Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2006 07:31:51 -0700 (PDT)

• From: Marcus DeMaaijer <demaaijer at yahoo.com>
• Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2006 04:40:52 -0700 (PDT)

• From: Gert van Dijken <gert at vandijken.com>
• Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 23:58:03 -0400 (EDT)

The following I received from Marcus DeMaaijer, a new correspondent from
Curacao.

*
**
*** Gert van Dijken ( gert at vandijken.com )
**** Caribbean Hurricane Network - http://stormcarib.com/


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 14:24:33 -0700 (PDT)
From: Marcus DeMaaijer <demaaijer at yahoo.com>
To: Gert van Dijken <gert at vandijken.com>


Exact data with links to local references, such as government, local news
media and storm watch agencies, will be posted when the data needs to be
posted in regards to my direct area of reporting: ABC islands Aruba,
Bonaire, and Curacao. I reside on the latter, which is in the middle of
this 3-island chain. Three years in a row we were lucky. The hurricanes
passed us by as the very last moment thanks to the Andes Mountain Ridge in
Venezuela/Colombia which causes most storm systems to bounce off and head
up due north west. Aruba wasn't so lucky in 2004 with hurricane Ivan. This
hurricane was a cat 5 when it headed 4 days straight for us. At the very
last moment it went due northwest, we experienced nothing, no wind, no
rain, nada. But Aruba was hit by the tail and suffered extensive water
damage due to rain, and extensive beach erosion due to the Southwest wave
action. Normal wave action comes in from the Southeast on all 3 islands.
The worst recent storm activity in Curacao were 30 ft waves in 1999 caused
by the storm surge of Lenny when it passed us from the West going East.
Curacao had never experienced an eastward heading hurricane before, so
this was definitely a learning experience for all storm watcher hobbyists
in the ABC islands. Even the visiting Queen of Holland was almost swept
away near the coastline by the sudden storm surge with arrived without
warning and lasted for 15 minutes. The ABC islands are located 500 miles
below the hurricane belt, so should never be hit by a hurricane. But the
last 3 years have raised a growing concern that this safety area does not
exist anymore, and should be re-assessed by local or international
scientists.

warm greetings,

Marcus DeMaaijer
Curacao Wildlife
President & Emergency Animal Care Coordinator
Website: http://www.curacaowildlife.com
Email: marcus at curacaowildlife.com