Jenna’s arrival, swimming with turtles, nurse sharks and other exciting adventures

My daughter finally is with us here in the BVI … Jenna is on board Impi and we are loving her to bits!

Ana and I sailed Impi to Wickham Cay where we dropped anchor for the day and set off on foot for the ferry terminal … the ferry that would take Ana and I across to the US Virgin Island of St Thomas and in particular the airport at Charlotte Amalie where Jenna was to disembark!

We were so excited that we decided to take the first ferry out despite the aircraft arriving mid afternoon, and thank goodness we did as it proved to be a much longer trip than we had envisaged!
The ferry service known as Tortola Fast Ferry has been renamed by Ana to 'Slow Ferry' … it was not so much the ferry that was slow once in motion, but there were delays on departure and at arrival.

We had purchased our ferry tickets for a sum of $50 return each, paid our $5 departure tax in the BVI and were sitting upstairs in the open air enjoying identifying the islands as we skimmed across the water from the BVI into the USVI.

The trip took over an hour and when we arrived in Charlotte Amalie we were surprised at the activity in the bay. For starters there were two huge cruise liners tied to a dock, sea planes were taking off and landing alongside … no sooner had one taken off than another landed … it was as if there were not enough planes to cope with the demand!

All the while, our ferry had come to a stop some distance from the dock with its engines in neutral … I wondered what the delay was (again) and looking over to the customs dock noticed people standing in a long que (or lines, as my American friends would say) … they were NOT moving and our ferry had obviously been placed on hold for the time being!

Some 30 minutes later we started to move toward the dock and tied up alongside.
Disembarking was a slow process and soon we were to become one of the statues that decorated the customs and immigration dock of Charlotte Amalie.

Eventually, having been finger printed, photographed and questioned about our life history, we were cleared to enter the town.

Charlotte Amalie reminded us of an upmarket St Georges of Grenada … the town is situated on the edge of a large bay and once one walks down the promenade and into the town centre it becomes obvious that the country has that 'all American flavour'!

There are designer shops everywhere displaying famous brand names and goods for sale … Clothing, electronic, Hi-fi, cameras, food … you name it and they are bound to have it!

Unfortunately, and due to the delays, we were not able to shop in the town and instead called for a taxi to take us to the airport.

The taxi's work on a tariff system, and one of the taxi drivers I had asked directions from advised me that the tariff for a trip to and from the airport is $6 each and each way, that a taxi driver may ask for a bit more if he has to load and unload bags and sometimes may mention that it is customary to ask for a tip of sorts.

We had boarded a taxi, asked the rate charged to take us to the airport … sure enough $6 each and within 15 minutes we found ourselves standing at the arrivals passageway waiting for Jenna to appear.

Watching Jenna emerge through those gates caught me by surprise as I struggled to contain the tears of emotion as joy and relief mingled together and became somewhat overwhelming for me. I looked toward Ana who had tears streaming down her face as she grabbed hold of Jenna in a 'tight bear hug' and did not want to let go of her.

It was such a 'soul cleansing moment' for me as Jenna and I stood embraced and time just stopped for a while!


Ok … too much of that soppy stuff already …


Jenna had travelled light … she literally had one small bag checked onto the plane and a small 'carry on' bag which we put into the back of a nearby taxi.

We arrived at the ferry terminal where the taxi driver charged occupants $9 each and an additional $2 for bags and hinted that this was without a tip!

The unsuspecting customers paid and I waited to pay last at which point I told the taxi driver that I was aware of the 'tariff system' which charged $6 for the trip and that we only had a tiny bag. I promptly placed $20 in his hand and said 'That's it and not a penny more!' … $6 each for 3 of us and a $2 tip …

Had he had his way, the price for us would have almost been double $9 + $2 (bags) + $2 (tips) = $13 each x 3 = $39 instead of the $18 due! It is worth the effort to ask a taxi driver in Charlotte Amalie to show you the tariff sheet for the trip you are taking!


The ferry ride back to Tortola (BVI) was terrific … Jenna was so excited to see all the islands as we sped from the USVI into the BVI … I sat alongside pointing out the islands by name and showing her which ones we intended to take her to see … it is always such a uniquely special moment for a parent to point out new things to his / her children and watch the excitement on their faces and the adventure in their eyes …


Ana and I soon realised we had become known here in the BVI … customs and immigration officials smiled and waved to us and welcomed Jenna as we excitedly told them that our daughter from South Africa had come to visit us!

We walked the distance from the government dock to Wickham Cay (about 0.6 km) where we had chained our dingy for the day.

Having hoisted the dingy onto the davits, we hoisted sail and set off for our 'Deadmans Bay' at Peter Island where we dropped anchor and settled in for the night.


Once we had dropped anchor in Deadman's Bay (26 June 2012), I looked across to Jenna who was delighted at the surrounding beauty and atmosphere. This is the bay Ana and I have adopted as 'home' here in the BVI and other islands visited are usually little 'holidays from home' … White Bay on Jost Van Dyke being our personal favourite.

The following morning (27 June 2012) ushered in yet another glorious day over the BVI … the sun was out, the water was as clear as usual and there was a gentle breeze flowing down through the open hatches keeping Impi nice and cool!

Jenna emerged from her cabin full of excitement and looked out over the water to catch her first glimpse of turtles.
I had charged the batteries of our underwater camera (sealife DC1400) and once having described the snorkeling procedures in Deadmans Bay, we slipped into the water and at first spent some time snorkeling around Impi in order for Jenna to become acquainted with her surroundings.
Being the sporty type she is we were soon off to where we had spotted the turtles surfacing and diving.

These turtles are fascinating creatures as they take a breath at the surface before diving and although they are known to be able to stay under water for hours at a time, these green turtles came up for air every 10 mins or so.

As we reached the first turtle I looked across at Jenna who was beaming with excitement and awe and immediately she pointed out another creature of the ocean down below … a ray … it was swimming slowly along the sea bed and every now and then would wriggle up the sand and eat the organisms which floated up.

One turtle in particular, seemed to be incredibly friendly and allowed Jenna to swim alongside it and was unperturbed by our presence even when it came up for air … Jenna was awe as she surfaced with the turtle and stuck her head up above the sea surface to watch the turtles head come out for a breath, tucking down quickly to watch it drop under the water for its next dive.

Photographing Jenna doing this was fantastic … it is the first time I have observed a turtle allow someone to swim alongside it for a good length of time before diving down some 10 meters to feed on sea grass.

Once I had managed to 'pry' Jenna loose from the turtles, we headed back, lowered the dingy and the three of us landed on Deadmans Bay beach where we headed for 'Deadman's Beach Bar and Grill'. I had called on VHF ch 16, switched to a working channel and made a reservation.

To get to the beach by dingy means crossing through a swimming area which is not allowed, so we head for the far eastern corner of the swimming area which requires only a few meters of crossing it before reaching the sand.

We tie off to one of the palm trees with our anchor line and then walk up the length of the beach to the bar.

The walk along the palm fringed beach was amazing as usual … even more amazing with Jenna to be able to share the experience.

Jenna was overwhelmed by the beauty of it all and could not stop talking about the beautiful blue and clear water of the ocean, the green of the palm trees and the white of the beach sand … it brought Ana and I back to how amazed we were the first time we had walked up this beach … and we still realise how privileged we are to be here.

We washed our feet off at the little shower tap before entering 'Deadmans beach bar and grill' … the views from here look through palm trees, across the beautiful white sands and out over the bay where we could see Impi moving ever so gently with the motion of the ocean.

Here we had a few drinks together … Jenna and Ana ordered the shrimp quesadilla whilst I did my usual favourite, the 'beef roti'.
The food was simply amazing here as it always is …

In the meantime, we had spotted the Fehrsen family arrive on their catamaran 'Champolion' … we had not seen them in a while so it was a pleasant surprise!

On our return we greeted the Fehrsen's and accepted their kind invitation to join them onboard Champolion for supper that evening.

Jenna, in the meanwhile, was itching to get back into the water to swim with the turtles again … of course we spent the rest of the afternoon doing so!

After a stunning evening with the Fehrsens where we had barbecued ribs and many a good laugh, we headed back to Impi for a good nights sleep.


The following day (28 June 2012) we awoke to yet another stunning day as was the day before.
We slipped into the water and snorkeled to the cliffs on the western part of the bay where I took a few photos of Jenna as she glided over magnificent 'staghorn corals' and excitedly pointed out the fish she saw.

Unfortunately I discovered a feeling of excruciating pain as I firmly placed my heel against a sea urchin … this ended our dive as I swam back to Impi.

Along the way we observed a turtle with two long Remora fish which have suckers with which they stick to their host to eat morsels from the feed. I was quite interested by this as turtles feed on sea grass, so I was not sure why these guys were attached to a turtle unless they just wanted to hitch a ride or had gone 'vegetarian' … perhaps this was a 'man eating turtle?' ;)

On board Impi I received much loving attention as Ana and Jenna fussed about me in order to remove the broken off urchin spines now well embedded in my flesh … my foot was placed in a bowl of vinegar for some 10 mins or so and then boiling water was added, just enough for me to bear … another 15 mins and then the digging with needles began … I will not explain the experience any further as I would like to keep my dignity and reputation as being 'a strong man!'

Anyway, 'the show must go on' as they say in the classics and go on it did! We hoisted anchor and set off for Little Harbour on Peter Island, a beautiful little bay just around the corner from Deadman's Bay.

We had passed this little bay a number of times before as we sailed back and forth, never giving it a second glance as it seemed there was not much to it.

Here we visited it for the first time with Jenna on board … and what a delightful anchorage we found this to be.

The anchorage is deep except for the areas surrounding the shore line … 3 yachts were anchored stern to in the eastern part of the bay leaving little room for us to find a spot without disturbing their peace and tranquillity … so I dropped anchor on the southern shore where Impi came to rest over a reef at 18*21'.184N and 064*36'.113W.

The water was as transparent as 'cling wrap plastic' and one could see the reef rising up from the ocean floor below Impi, the stern hovering over the shallows made for a fantastic view.
Ana had taken out a stern line (rope) and attached it to the cleat at the rear of the boat … I dived overboard and swam to a rock that was jutting out of the water just off the shoreline where I tied it off.

Back on board Impi I took a second line from the opposite side stern cleat and tied same to the original line forming a 'stern bridal' … we were set for the rest of the day and night to come.
Jenna was keen for another dive hoping to see turtles again … she and Ana were in the water before I could say 'fiddle sticks' and were exploring the reef where they saw many fish and corals … the clarity of the water is something to behold!

That evening was spectacular … the setting sun streamed down rays which dazzled and danced from the water and reflected red off the stony cliff to which our stern view was fixed … birds sang and twittered as they settled into the trees and pelicans dived filling their beaks and bellies with food … little fish leapt and skimmed on top of the water as seagulls dived down from the skies and bigger fish rose from the depths emerging on the surface which gave the appearance of 'boiling waters'.
Ana, Jenna and I sat on the side of Impi and absorbed mother nature's beauty as the day kissed the planet into night … what a perfect day in spite of the searing pain I still could feel from the sting of the urchin!


On the morning of June 29^th we headed to Wickham Cay to get fresh vegetables and to arrange a better internet option for Impi as well as air time for Jenna.
My cell contract is with Digicel who at this time do not offer voice and data together … the data being slow (2G) and expensive which was not an option for us and so we headed for LIME who were launching their all new 4G service at the time Jenna and I walked into their showroom (intersection of Fishlock and Flemming streets just off the traffic circle on Waterfront drive).

Since Jenna was only going to be visiting for 3 weeks, we took out a $10/week package covering 3 weeks which gives her access to internet, facebook, twitter, Whatsap etc. all inclusive, which means she can communicate freely with her friends and family back in South Africa.
We also purchased the 4G internet service covering all islands in the BVI at a cost of $50 per month capped at 7GB. We hope this will make it easier for us to do banking and communicate with all back home as the internet service has been erratic apart from the odd wifi we found here and there.


Having sorted out our internet and supplies of fresh veg, we had returned to Impi, lifted anchor, hoisted sails and were headed for Benures Bay on Norman Island … an anchorage Ana and I had stayed at before … it is truly peaceful and has views that carry ones eyes all the way across the BVI, over the Indians and onto the USVI islands.

The sail across was spectacular, the angle and wind just awesome as we cruised along at 8 knots boat speed in relatively calm waters and a steady breeze.

We arrived at Benures Bay to find our friends the Fehrsen's had dropped anchor up in the eastern part of the bay … there were one or two others anchored in the south eastern part so we opted to anchor alongside the reef at 18*19'.299N and 064*36'.465. (By the way, I am not sure why Google Earth co-ords do not correspond to the charts … something that was brought to my attention and I will need to take a closer look at?)

Once again Ana had fixed a stern line to Impi, I jumped overboard and had to fight against a relatively strong current only to find our line was too short to reach the rock I had intended to tie off to. I decided to rather reel the line back on board and let Impi swing at anchor.

Jenna once again was eager to snorkel … oh boy … my age was now being challenged. Impi lay right up alongside the reef at the point where it rose from the ocean floor before flattening off toward the shore.

We dived in and I had swam no more than 15 meters when I heard a HUGE commotion going on behind me … turned to see Jenna making a dash for the boat and scrambling up the back of the steps shouting shark, shark!

For a moment my heart stopped … I hate sharks (an avid supporter of kill the 'great white sharks in South Africa' which does not make me popular in certain circles … I have my personal reasons for this) … my mind ticked over a moment or two and I considered the statistics of shark attacks in the BVI (zero .. to the best of my knowledge) but slowly made my way back to the boat and stayed in the water looking around with my goggles.

Jenna was trying her best to coerce me out of the water but I was determined to spot this 'shark' as I did not want to spend the rest of my time in the BVI's not sure of what she had seen!
Eventually … there it was … a beautiful nurse shark swam right below me … it was beautiful!

Ana called the Fehrsens who swam across from their boat to ours … Jenna looked at Andrew and said 'Are you mad? There is a shark down here', to which Andrew replied 'why do you think I brought the entire family with me … plenty of bait besides me!' Of course that appealed to my sense of humour and there were chuckles all around which seemed to bring a bit of calm to Jenna who decided to slip into the water with us!

The search was on as we all swam around the reef area looking for the nurse shark.
After some 15 mins or so, I discovered the nurse shark sleeping between some rocks on the ocean floor some 5 meters below.

I called for everyone to come and see and once all had got a good look at it I dived down to video and take photos at which point the shark started to swim away ever so slowly and gracefully.
This is the first encounter I have had with a nurse shark and Jenna's first with any type of shark ever, so it was a very special moment for us to see this beautiful creature in the water.
Many divers are known to stroke nurse sharks … they are not dangerous but will bite if provoked so we always treat marine life with the utmost of respect and care!

The nurse shark has a strange head shape … looks like some sort of 'cat fish' with 'whiskers' and the only thing that gives it a shark like appearance is the fins. They feed mostly on things like squid, crabs, lobsters, shrimps, octopuses, snails and even sea urchins (I LOVE the fact that they eat sea urchins). They also eat sting rays, mullets and puffer fish.

Nurse sharks are known to be nocturnal hence the fact that I found it sleeping between the rocks on the bottom of the reef, although Jenna had clearly seen it swimming along earlier on … perhaps disturbed when we dropped anchor!

Nurse sharks have a very powerful jaw and use suction to absorb their prey into their mouths … they are known to turn conch shells upside down and suck the conch out of it. Talk about conch … I had dived down and picked up a conch shell to show to Jenna, turning it over one could clearly see the conch inside!

This is also the season when young nurse sharks are born (early summer) so it is a time to be especially careful not to be tempted to handle these sharks.

Benures Bay offers some really wonderful snorkeling along the reef area in the south where the bay forms a 'bulge' into the ocean … the shallows have millions upon millions of tiny fish which glisten in the sun and are also the reason for such active pelican activity here … the pelicans dive down ever so gracefully and then do a kind of 'belly flop' into the water filling their beaks with fish as they do so!

We observed a number of 'Flamingo Tongue', a very beautiful snail that feeds on toxic sea fans incorporating the fan's venom and becoming toxic itself. Divers are attracted by the beautiful colour of this snail and remove them from the sea, but in fact the shell itself is white and it is the living animal inside the shell that produces the striking colour pattern. I took a number of photos which I will display on our blog in the near future.

Jenna observed a number of Tarpon fish which were really big in size and are known to reach sizes of 2.65m in length. They have unusually big silvery scales and a mouth that appears to be curved up and over its snout.

We also observed a huge number of Balao fish which increased in number as it became evening. They hunt the smaller fish and have a 'long spike' for a lower jaw that is red in colour at the tip. Red fin needle fish also moved in for the evening … they have a strong beak studded with teeth and are about 1m in length when grown … they often leap into the air and skim about the surface of the water devouring smaller fish as they go.

Much to Jenna's horror we also observed a few barracuda's swimming in close proximity to us … they are very curious and seem to eye ball one … the rule is to never wear anything shiny such as rings or ear rings as they may go for that and in the process do harm, otherwise they are not dangerous as long as one does not provoke them!

After a fun filled day of diving and snorkeling we joined the Ferhsens on board Champollion for drinks and to watch the setting sun wave its magic over the expansive waters of the BVI … we are so privileged to be living this kind of life style and grateful to be doing it every second of the day!
That night and unbeknown to us at the time, the Ferhsens had experienced an aggressive swing at anchor where they were anchored in the eastern part of the bay. I had forgotten that Gareth (our friend who skippers charter boats up here) had previously warned me of this and unfortunately so, as poor Andrew had to re set his anchor at 3:00am to avoid beaching his boat.

The following morning (30^th June) we hoisted sails whilst at anchor, lifted anchor and sailed out of Benures Bay whilst waving farewell to the Fehrsen family once more … we were headed for 'The Indians', a spectacular place to pick up a mooring ball right alongside steep rocks which jut out of the water and where the snorkeling is magnificent.

Earlier letters in our blog describe our first visit here and it is the place where I had swum through the 'tunnel' under water from one pool to the next, a great experience for me as I usually suffer from claustrophobia.

We were fortunate to pick up a mooring right at the rocks where we (Ana, Jenna and I) slipped into the water and swam for the under water pools on the eastern side.
As we approached, a huge school of 'Blue Tangs' swam under us … I turned to look at Jenna who gave me an excited 'thumbs up'.

The fish and varieties were plentiful and as we swam into the middle pool I dived down to show Jenna the tunnel through which I had swum previously.

Then we floated toward the rocks and in a huge 'cul de sac' we observed millions of tiny silvery fish. We swam in and between them and were dazzled by the silver sparkles as the sun reflected from them. I motioned to Jenna to follow me and we dived down below them and rolled over on our backs to look up through them toward the surface and at that moment a pelican swooped down and dived into the water as we watched it consume fish from below … its beak filled like a balloon and I grabbed for my camera trying to hold my breath long enough to get a photo … wow!

Back at the surface Jenna and I had removed our goggles and excitedly jabbered away about what we had just seen.
Determined to get a photo I dived down again and again … the pelicans all the while were diving and feeding but it was really difficult to get that 'perfect shot'.

Eventually I managed to get some footage which I will post to Netlog and ask Ana to put on our blog, but the photos unfortunately are slightly blurred as there is a delay in underwater photography which is something I am trying to get used to.
Having spent sometime below the water watching pelicans dive and feed we decided it was time to move on.

I swam through the tunnel as a number of tourists had arrived and were not sure if it could be done … after that a number of people were doing it and surfacing with much laughter and excitement in their voices!
Ana and I then took Jenna to one of my favourite spots in the Indians … the last rock on the southern tip. Here the sea seems to swirl around and it seems dangerous but below the surface the water is pretty calm and the fish life is abundant. I held onto a rock pinnacle just below the surface as the water swirled around, Ana grabbed hold of my arm and Jenna moved in alongside to hold the rock. We lay there for a while observing as beautiful fish appeared in numbers. This spot on 'The Indians' is truly the best spot for viewing fish as they seem to rise up from the depths below in vast numbers before diving down again … it feels as if one is in an underwater aquarium there!

We spotted a number of 'Black Trigger Fish' which have the appearance of being a velvet black with two thin white lines as well as spotted drum fish amongst many others.

'The Indians' had proved yet again to be a magnificent place to visit and it was time to head for 'The Caves' on Norman Island

We slipped off our mooring ball at The Indians and motored the short distance to 'The Caves' on Norman Island. Of course, these are the famous caves written about in the book 'Treasure Island' and Jenna was keen to search for some of the hidden treasures.

We arrived at The Caves to find a mooring ball available right at the main cave entrance.
We were delighted as we picked up the mooring and watched Impi settle into position literally meters from the cave opening.

Ana made us a snack and for a while we sat there and were mesmerized by the beauty of our view … vertical cliffs rose up sharply out of the blue waters and right there in front of us we watched as the ocean gently flowed into the cave, paused there for a while and then slipped back out to repeat the cycle over and over again. Jenna excitedly spoke of searching for treasure and before long we were stepping down into the water and swimming for the first of four caves.

Below us, rays darted around and soon we found ourselves swimming into the darkness and seeing nothing but pitch black!

I told Jenna to turn around and look toward the entrance … from the darkness within one could see the light filtering in through the entrance and the cave opening framed our view to the outside world!
I told Jenna to head back and swim through the entrance so I could take a photo of her from the darkness looking out … I wanted to capture her in silhouette as she entered the cave … stunning!

We spent a lot of time relaxing outside the caves and then decided it was time to set sail for Soper's Hole where we would drop anchor for the night.

Our sail from The Caves of Norman Island to Soper's Hole on Tortola was fantastic. We had a fair breeze on smooth seas down the Drake Passage between the USVI and BVI … Impi was doing 8 – 10 knots on a broad reach which required 3 jibes before reaching Soper's hole.

The beauty of sailing in this region is the abundance of islands all around one … it feels so much to me as if this is one massive lake instead of the open ocean!

At Soper's Hole we dropped anchor in our usual spot just of the south western tip of Frenchman's Cay with our stern facing Little Thatch Island.

The anchoring is in deep water and we pay out about 50m of chain here as the current around the tip can get pretty strong at times.

Of course the one inconvenience is the wake created by the heavy ferries which pick up speed as they leave the channel which causes a brief but aggressive rolling action which can be frustrating at times.
We lowered the dingy into the water and set off for the brightly painted and picturesque little marina at Frenchman's Cay, Soper's Hole where we took Jenna shopping followed by supper at the famous 'Pussers Landing'.

Jenna delighted in buying me a poster which read 'I am the captain … my dad just thinks he is' … hmmm … think I will hand her the helm as we navigate through the next reef entrance in heavy winds … that may set the record straight ;)

We spent the night at Soper's Hole where we caught up on much needed sleep as we wanted to catch up with all Jenna's news over the first few nights and were now all thoroughly exhausted from not only late nights but also activity packed days!

The following morning we took Jenna in for a last quick shop where we purchased her a decent pair of UV polarised sunglasses which are necessary for the BVI!

We then lifted Anchor and set the sails for another wonderful cruise in good weather conditions, this time, to our beautiful 'get away spot' … White Bay on Jost Van Dyke!

I could see the excitement in Jenna's eyes as we approached White Bay … there were plenty of boats coming and going … it was Sunday and many tourists arrive from the USVI to have drinks at the Soggy Dollar Bar and party the time away before being whisked off again to their homes.
As we entered the channel I could see that anchoring was going to be difficult but I was determined to pick a good spot close to the beach so Jenna could have a good time and swim at leisure between the boat and the shore.

I manoeuvred Impi in and around boats and eventually found a spot where we could settle in … Ana dropped the anchor as I held Impi off other boats by using the engines … the anchor dug in deep and Impi came to rest in a lovely spot near the beach … all was good!
We folded down the steps at the back of the boat and climbed into the water before heading for the beach.

After lazing in the shallows for a bit, Jenna whisked out some soggy dollars which she had folded and placed in her back pocket! Ana and I had a good laugh at this as in true style she had embraced the meaning of the Soggy Dollar Bar and was determined to use her soggy dollars to buy a drink or two.
And so we ended up between a number of 'VERY HAPPY people' drinking the odd rum punch and trying out different flavours.

The vibe here was great … we had a number of Americans befriending us only to forget one minute later that they had done so before returning to introduce themselves all over again J … what great fun loving people they are …

Having absorbed the vibe we took a stroll around the area and showed Jenna the Sand Castle Resort, walked up and down the beach and then swam back to Impi to relax!

Once at Impi, we all washed down on the back step with fresh water, dried ourselves and sat on the deck looking out over the pristine beach … Jenna immediately fell in love with the place!
Before long we were only three boats anchored in the bay … one next door to us had Americans swimming back to their boat and they suddenly decided they would rather visit us on board Impi … we hauled out a few drinks and had an evening of fun and laughter before they decided it was time to make their way home.

Needless to say they were swimming around in the 'dead of night' (although it was fairly bright due to a near full moon) and were singing along to the sound of country music … we found this very humorous!

This morning Ana woke up and moved outside to do her usual yoga exercises on the patio before everyone wakes up. She says she was surprised to be greeted by the stares of our neighbours who had clearly had a 'tanked up night' following a day of drinking rum, but they seemed alert and very eager to watch Ana perform her moves!

Eventually they had lifted anchor and moved on leaving us to the quietness of the bay.

Today was relatively quiet and it was nice for Jenna to experience the vibe of White Bay on both a very busy day bustling with beach party goers and now a quiet day where one can absorb the natural sounds of the island …

I had to smile as Jenna repeatedly commented on the colour of the water many times throughout the day … she kept on and on about the colour of the water and the white beach sand and the green palm trees … clearly this place has as much of an impact on her as it has on me!

We are at anchor here in White Bay … it is late night … we have been swimming most of the day and will be leaving tomorrow morning for our next destination … a new destination for Ana and myself too … the beautiful little island of SANDY CAY, South East of Jost Van Dyke
I will keep you posted and until then … a very good night.