Beer fat and toothpaste and waterlemon: St John, the rest of the story
As you've suspected, I've been detained at realwork for the past few days...and yes, I am lucky to have a job. This dark at 4:30 thing is not at all pleasant, nor is the cold in the air. I don't like it and I seem to like it less every year. The fact that I was in a tropical 85 degree climate a couple of weeks ago should make me feel better, but it just doesn't somehow. I do need to finish up with a few St John details before I file those memories completely away.
St John: sometime towards the end of the week we spent at Still Waters.
On day 5, I passed a truck on the road. If you've read the previous entries about the roads, you understand what a major event this was. I did lots of driving, but I think I would have been a nervous wreck being the passenger. Our jeep had the usual driving setup (driver seat on the left side), but you drive on the opposite side of the road. Doesn't bother me 'cause I've done it a lot, but it can be a bit unnerving for the riders-apparently it looks like oncoming traffic is headed right toward them (according to NancyO).
(see the video, st john beer run lakelizardstyle, on youtube)
(on the road again)
On day 6, Friday, there were no cruise ships in port in St Thomas, which meant less people excursioning to Trunk Bay, so we loaded a cooler and headed that way. Trunk Bay is one of the big destinations for cruise ship people, so it can be crowded. It is a beautiful beach, gin clear water, lots of sand, and an underwater snorkeling trail that has some nice coral and fishes. There are lifeguards on duty most of the day, plus they got a snack bar, a bar bar, showers, lots of amenities. So to catch it on a day with no cruise ship people is like winning the bonus round.
(trunk bay-nice and deserted)
After spending several hours at Trunk Bay, we decided to head to Leinster Bay and Waterlemon Cay. It's not far to drive, but then you have to park your car, and walk about a mile down a good rock path that runs along the shoreline. It was about 3pm when we headed down this way, so we had to keep our eye on the sun, which would set about 7pm or earlier. They say you can snorkel anywhere and see stuff, but we walked to the end of the trail, closest to Waterlemon Cay, because that's where we had heard it was the best. We hang out stuff on a tree limb, put on snorkel gear, and fall face down in the water. Without moving, I see the most colorful flounder I've ever seen in about 2 feet of water. I push out and NancyO comes in behind me and we're good to go. There is a channel between the end of the main island and Waterlemon that is probably less than 50 yards or so. So as you head toward Waterlemon, the water gradually drops off, but not so deep that you can't see the bottom. We've probably been in the water less than 5 minutes at most, and the water is starting to deepen, when I look down, and probably 15 feet or so below me, is a shark swimming lazily along the bottom. It is so hard for me to judge distances and size, especially in the water, but I would say this fellow had to be at least 6 feet long, maybe longer...that's a conservative estimate. I'm no shark expert, this being the closest I've ever been to one in 10 years or so of snorkeling the Caribbean, but I think it was a nurse shark from the pictures I've since seen. Anyway, I pointed it out to NancyO, we watched it for a little bit, and it just headed on its way. We agreed to keep on snorkeling...I mean, we'd only been in the water for 5 minutes! So we swam for another hour maybe, until the sun seemed to be sinking. Probably, some of the best, if not the best, snorkeling I've ever done. The coral was unbelievable...huge sea fans...so many colors, so much life...many varieties of fish...stingrays...I kept waiting to see the Little Mermaid...it was just like a Disney movie. I really hated to end it, but we needed to leave before it got dark. On the way out, we talked to some folks that were on the beach...they said they had seen turtles just off there, where there was a grassy bottom. We searched for a little bit, but didn't see any...so we hiked on out to the jeep. Headed into Cruz Bay for some cold beers and supper at the Fish Trap, which was as good as we'd heard. That's right, The Fish Trap, recommended by Delbert Hill...thanks again Delbert!
(the fish trap-cruz bay)
Ok, so our last full day on St John, what to do what to do? NancyO says she'd like some more of that Waterlemon Cay snorkeling, so we load up and head that way once again. A little earlier this time...'bout 2pm I guess. This time we decide to swim out from the beach, instead of walking to the end of the trail...so maybe we'll see some turtles and other stuff. We were going to explore the Cay a little more too, so it was quite the swim, which is where beer fat comes in handy...along with the salty water, I think I could float for a while. (handy tip of the day...rubbing toothpaste in your mask, then rinsing, will help keep it from fogging- still spit in your mask as usual before you get it wet)
(waterlemon cay...from leinster bay)
Anyway, we swam out over the grass beds, nothing exciting, a few small fish...we get out to where we had started the day before and the nice coral formations...then we head over the deeper water to Waterlemon Cay...as you approach it, it's like coming up on an underwater mountain, with you floating in the sky. The south(?) side of the cay is covered with huge starfish...probably, 50 or more?...lots of them. As we go over them toward the shallow water, once again there is beautiful coral formations and colorful fish everywhere...you can just float and look. You name it,it's there somewhere. One of the most beautiful ParrotFish I've ever seen. After a while, we swam up on the small sand beach that's on Waterlemon, and rested for a bit. Then we headed back out through the coral, over the starfish and back across the channel. I was thinking it odd that we hadn't seen a single ray, and one appeared as if on command. It fluttered around a bit, then settled into the sand on the bottom. The water was starting to get shallow again, and we were looking at the fish and the coral on this side, probably about 10 feet or less of water. As we're just floating along there, I realize that just ahead of us, and still below us, is, yes, another shark. This one is probably no more than 10 feet away. He is also the big brother of the other one, or so he appears. Estimate? 10feet, 12 feet? seemed very large...VERY LARGE! (also later described by NancyO as ONE DAMN BIGASS FISH) Oh yeah, NancyO is entranced by something behind us or to the side and hasn't seen the shark yet. I'm trying to get her attention, and about the time she sees it, the shark makes a turn and heads off in the direction behind us (apparently like the circle behind you motion cougars make in Yellowstone before they kill you dead). She did not take it all that well, and headed directly to land (which luckily was only yards away). If I didn't make my point before, this was one big ass shark...we were clearly out of lakelizard country here. So now, here's our options...walk about a half a mile barefoot (or backing in flippers) through the woods back to the beach, and risk stepping on whatever was there (not an attractive option), OR get back in the water and swim some 200 yards back to the beach.
Risks...hell, we don't know...are there shark attacks here? I've never heard of one, but you know, where there's sharks...
So we get back in the water, stay shallow and head back...it would have been a nice leisurely snorkel under different circumstances...I think I saw a baby barracuda, but I'm not exactly sure...need to look 'em up...anyway, we made it...me looking below and ahead and NancyO swimming looking back over her shoulder, which isn't all that easy while snorkeling. Made it safely back to the beach. Then I saw a turtle stick his head up, so I had to chase him down, and NancyO got back in the water to see him.
Whew...talk about wore out, talk about excitement, talk about adventure!
(shark bait)
When we turned our fins in to LowKey Watersports, one of the dive instructors told us she had been there 3 years and not seen a shark. Apparently, we were LUCKY and got to experience something, that not a lot of people do. A google search for sharks in the usvi, will yield the statemtent that "there are sharks in the waters of the usvi, but the odds of seeing them are low."
I guess we should have played the lottery on October 30 and 31, 2009.
cheers from lakelizardmusic.com...have the best day you can!
hbsongs 948 overandout
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