Snakes

…What are you doing on a quiet evening dated 07-04-’70 in the Persian Gulf?

You try to catch some fish.
There were plenty of them swimming around the ship.
But they weren’t biting.
So what do you do?

Then we’re going to catch snakes: sea snakes!
They were attracted by the light of the working lights and the fish swimming around.
With a pickaxe right in the middle of the beast, one swoop and the snake struck the deck clattering.
Quickly the hook behind its head and with the pliers it was cut off.
After that we skinned it, nailed it to a running board and let it dry.
A nice souvenir for home.

Work lights on the ‘Gelderland’.

A fishing boat came alongside and saw our result on the board.
The fisherman was horrified when he asked if we knew that the snakes were poisonous.
Well, no!
We caught them in our shorts and flip-flops.

One of the snakes also ended up in the engine room.
Because of that swishing it flew in through the floodlights.

For days afterwards we anxiously went downstairs, because where was that beast lurking on us?