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Transcription: [00:31:38]
Not too far from the Flamingo Beach Club are the salt pans and, although little exploited now, they attest to the once thriving salt industry of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
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Nearby are rows of stark slave huts used to house the many slaves brought to work the salt pans.
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An average sized man has difficulty in even entering, yet, as many as 6 slaves used to be kept in one hut.
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Here two picturesque pylons still stand that used to guide the salt ships to their moorings.
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Nearby in the salt lake is one of only 7 natural breeding grounds in the entire world of rare pink flamingos.
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We were told that we might be able to see these beautiful birds out in the center of the shallow lake near their nests.
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Well, not keen on such a watery hike, but most anxious to see them, we splashed off in search of them.
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Unlike the tame flamingos generally seen, these birds are extremely shy and very difficult to approach. But soon we saw a group off in the distance, but when they saw us, off they flew.
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Although knee-deep in water, our hopes remained undampened as we carefully approached another group. But they too turned their backs on us and flew away.
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This sanctuary is so protected that even planes aren't allowed to fly over it.
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Finally, we were able to get fairly close to one, a young one, as his feathers hadn't turned pink yet. They don't for nearly a year.
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Luckily, he didn't see us. I guess he was too busy doing the flamingo twist. [[laughter]]
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At last, we reached their nests, after trudging through the water for 2 miles, but still no flamingos.
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Their mud nests are well elevated to keep the eggs dry and the sun bakes them until they're firm enough to hold the egg and parent bird.
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To think, there are almost 5,000 flamingos here and we can't get a really good look at them.
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Before returning to shore, mission unaccomplished, we wearily made use of their nests, empty ones that is.