Sadly, farewell to Tony & Thea who bailed this morning at Gocek Marina where we had moored overnight.

We sat at the lower reaches of the Tanem dining table as they enjoyed their final breakfast before departure, hunger stricken - not a mere crumb tossed our way!

'Tanem' departed Gocek to find a glorious bay bereft of the 'harbour huddle' to enjoy an extraordinary breakfast spread of our own accompanied by delicious turquoise waters, wooded-to-water mountains, lapping of the sea at the hull.....sorry guys, we really miss you, but we're making the most of it! Check in occasionally.

A 3 hour trip out of Gocek Harbour in 12 knots of breeze around the coast, heading north west into the Bay of Ekincik. Some of the waters we cover are up to 1km deep. The mountains in the east look like the NZ 'Cloudy Bay' label, shrouded in mist, while on starboard piles of rocky mountains with stunted vegetation, braced for severe winds on this open section of sea. The goats have 2 legs longer than the others to stick!

A swim when we moor at anchor, the local village nowhere in sight, Vicki trying out her Gocek 'noodle armchair' purchase - see pics. The top 12 cms of water the warmest yet.

The enterprising local villagers have a cooperative of motor boats, and will collect you from your sailboat to take you from the sea into the Stream if Dalyan, a fabulous wide, shallow channel - a delta with a riddle of islands of rushes and navigable water. Loggerhead turtles come to this sandy beach area to nest - sandy beach rare in this part of the world!) from June to Sept.

We were lucky enough to see a large turtle in the open sea near the inlet, and another 'performing' one in the channel on production of what looked like blue swimmer crabs.

This area is a protected and policed conservation area, home to stripe necked terrapins, marsh frogs, non poisonous (so we are told), water snakes, as well as turtle heaven, and blue swimmer crab territory. Birds include swallows, egrets, herons, pygmy cormorants, storks. Migrating ibis & spoonbills check in too.

As we wander into this waterway we go through a watergate - see pics, which prevents the sea bream, sea bass and snake fish reared in the natural fish farm of the lake Koycegiz Golu , further upstream, from entering the sea.

Just for a bit more excitement, as we go towards Dalyan, tourist town on the river with neck to neck restaurants hanging over the waterway, you see impressive Lycian ruins and tombs of Kaunos (sometimes written as Caunus) on the cliffs opposite. Most are believed to date from the 4th century BC.

Sherds found here suggest though a settlement existed here as early as 900 BC! Ruins include acropolis, city walls, temples, walls of a Roman Bath, a church, stoa .... unfortunately no time to explore.

Instead we ended up at the mud baths where Vicky, Louise & Annie took the mud and thermal waters with astounding results! No one else dared.

Home to Tanem across the sea, with another dinner of both sustenance and substance, the lamb shanks to die for.