Here's the view from the beach, with mainland Madagascar in the background.
I did find one small stream just off the lodge grounds and spent about half an hour there photographing frogs and lizards. I think all of the frogs I photographed are the same species, Mantidactylus ulcerosus.
I saw a number of lizards hanging out on the rocks near the stream. The majority of them were our old friend Zonosaurus madagascariensis that we had seen in various locations across Madagascar.
There were also a few skinks mixed in with the zonosauri.
The rest of the day as we relaxed, we had many chances to admire Phelsuma on the lodge walls and walkways. This large fellow commandeered one corner of the deck outside our room.
These geckos were also common in the lodge's bar area, and seemed quite fond of their artistic doppelgangers.
Also common in the bar area, and on the table on the deck of our room, was this sight that should be familiar to anyone who's traveled in Madagascar.
While my wife, my sister, the three horses, and I were relaxing on the deck outside of our room, we were frequently visited by a particularly brave little day gecko. We would first notice it on the floor, and if we sat very still it would sometimes shuffle over to one of our feet and give it a lick, or climb up onto the table and carefully inspect each object present there. Here it is up on the table.
Finally the inevitable occurred and the gecko met the horses. From this point onward we called this particular gecko "Beery".
Yes, it did lick the outside of the beer mug, though I didn't manage to capture a photo of that exact instant. No, it did not climb up the mug and down into its contents, though I'm pretty sure it was considering the idea.
Our time at Madagascar was nearing an end, with just one destination remaining. My final post will cover our stay at the fanciest part of Madagascar I've experienced, the resort/preserve called Anjajavy.
Next: Anjajavy